ABS brake bleeding
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 353
Likes: 38
From: Ohio
If I were to take the bike to the dealer they would charge more than what I paid for the tool. So, no I don't believe I wasted my money on this tool. Just add it to my arsenal.
Mike
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,624
Likes: 189
From: Newcastle, Ca.
The dealer told me the charge $90 when they did the recall last year. I know some one with a digiitech that charges less. HD recommends flush every two. That tool will pay for itself in 4 years
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 353
Likes: 38
From: Ohio
I needed this tool to bleed out some residual air left in the abs from when I changed my brake lines to braided SS.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 12
Likes: 2
From: Jacksonville, Fl
On a related issue. The front brakes on my 2005 Police Road King w/ABS are not working right. The front brakes don't grab until the lever is pulled almost all the way back. And, they grab hard at that point. This does not improve when I pump the brake. I was going to try bleeding them but not sure if the this would be effective because of the ABS system. Excuse my ignorance on this issue as I just bought the bike and I have never had ABS on a bike before. Previous owner had not ridden it in several years. Any advice or help on proper procedure is appreciated.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 10,058
Likes: 5,316
On a related issue. The front brakes on my 2005 Police Road King w/ABS are not working right. The front brakes don't grab until the lever is pulled almost all the way back. And, they grab hard at that point. This does not improve when I pump the brake. I was going to try bleeding them but not sure if the this would be effective because of the ABS system. Excuse my ignorance on this issue as I just bought the bike and I have never had ABS on a bike before. Previous owner had not ridden it in several years. Any advice or help on proper procedure is appreciated.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,624
Likes: 189
From: Newcastle, Ca.
Flushing the fluids is different than what I needed this tool to cycle the abs module. I built my own vacuum pump assisted power bleeder to flush the fluids in the brake and clutch systems.
I needed this tool to bleed out some residual air left in the abs from when I changed my brake lines to braided SS.
I needed this tool to bleed out some residual air left in the abs from when I changed my brake lines to braided SS.
thats what the dealer does for $90 - cycles the hcu. And thats what a Digitech does....
Last edited by KumaRide; Jul 14, 2019 at 09:52 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 246
From: Columbia SC
Then under extreme breaking conditions this moisture vaporizes and you lose your brakes. I know I did on a Yamaha a few years back on a Mountain Road no less. I lost my rear brake coming down a mountain with Luggage and my wife on the back. Was pretty darn scary, not knowing if I was going to lose the front brakes too, until at the bottom of the mountain which we made thank God about 15 minutes later it started working again once it cooled down.
I had no idea what was going on and then I learned about the mandatory two-year brake flush. In fact Yamaha recommends rebuilding the master cylinders and replacing the brake lines as well.
Then forget all the above if you're going to keep the bike a while changing the brake fluid will help all your braking components last longer because you're getting the moisture out of the system.
Last edited by alarmdoug; Jul 14, 2019 at 10:34 AM.
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6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 12
Likes: 2
From: Jacksonville, Fl
Can I just bleed the front brakes as normal to address my issue, or does the ABS system require special tools if I need to eliminate air in the system?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 10,058
Likes: 5,316
Not sure. I just bought the bike. The previous owner had it for about 10 years but had not ridden it much for several years due to health issues. I guess he hadn't flushed the system during that time, if ever. The bike has 16,000 miles on it so unlikely it has needed new brake pads.
Can I just bleed the front brakes as normal to address my issue, or does the ABS system require special tools if I need to eliminate air in the system?
Can I just bleed the front brakes as normal to address my issue, or does the ABS system require special tools if I need to eliminate air in the system?
Since the 2005 RK Police model was one of the first with ABS, I don't know if your bike has the same ABS module or, more importantly, the same HCU (hydraulic control unit) as the 2008-2011 models with ABS, but if it does, be prepared. In case you don't know, those model years were part of a NHTSA/Harley-Davidson recall. Many owners who took their bikes into the dealer for the brake fluid flush came away with a much larger bill than they anticipated. Even though the brake system may have been working fine before the recall, when the ABS system was activated for the brake fluid flush, many HCUs failed or locked up during the process, which required replacement to the tune of several hundred dollars.
Like I said, I don't know if your model has the same ABS/HCU as the recalled models. Even though, I would strongly suggest that you take your bike to a dealer to have the brakes serviced rather than doing it yourself.