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I've used the speedbleeders with great success. The only trick I use after that is to pull the brake lever off and cycle the master cyl. with a screwdriver, or any tool you can reach in there with. The lever doesn't actually stroke the piston a full cycle when using the lever, so you move more fluid and air this way.
I just did my '99 RK with 18" Chubbbies on it, and this method worked great! I did leave the lever pulled in and tied back overnight just so anything I might have missed could bleed out and those brakes are nice now.
DOT 5 has always felt a little soft to me anyhow......
Bleeding the brakes just sucks it takes a while. I baught a cheap pump bleeder from harbor freight. I can't believe how easy it was, totally worth the $$.
also with dual calipers in the front make sure the bike is standing up as straight as possible or get someone to sit on the bike and hole the handlebars straight too
Fill the res, place a piece of tubing with a loop just higher than the caliper then down to a baby food jar.
The loop traps the air.
I opened the furthest (L/H) and bled that first, then R/H side
It took about 10 minutes...
Speaking of this procedure, does anyone use SpeedBleeders?
Yes I do and they are worth every penny. It makes bleeding the brakes easy and a one person job. You don't have to become a contortionist to do it when you have speed bleeders.
go to an auto parts store, or a tool supply store, and get a hand held vacuum pump/bleeder , it has a t fitting and hoses , and a reservoir, zip tie the hose around the bleeder, open bleeders, and start pumping the vacuum pump, while filling the res.
couldn't be any easier than that , and it is also awesome on older bikes for replacing the fluid completely.
Don't know about the fuel injected bikes but on carbed ones like my 03FXDL it is a must have if you want to drain the tank of fuel for removal. Unless you pull the hose between the two sides and then you have a hell of a mess.
go to an auto parts store, or a tool supply store, and get a hand held vacuum pump/bleeder , it has a t fitting and hoses , and a reservoir, zip tie the hose around the bleeder, open bleeders, and start pumping the vacuum pump, while filling the res.
couldn't be any easier than that , and it is also awesome on older bikes for replacing the fluid completely.
I do something similar but use a syringe to pull fluid from the bleeder. I just keep the reservoir topped off and I am able to flush (reverse flush?) the entire brake system that way. You are essentially doing the same thing when you are bleeding: creating pressure at the master cylinder to push the fliud/air mix out of the bleeder. This is just the opposite: you pull/suck the fluid/air out of the bleeder.
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