bleeding front brakes
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
Simple "medicine" syringe with some rubber, clear hose stuck on the end - I use it to suck the brake fluid out of the bleed nipple. You just have to watch the reservoir level and make sure it stays topped off. I have done complete fluid changes this way, it works fine for me and you only need one person. This is for non-ABS bikes though - no idea how to bleed an ABS bike.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,916
Likes: 31
From: earth
Searched high and low, can't find this anywhere in the HD service manual. What section did you find this information in.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 212
It's in the general maintenance section. And it's once every two years, not twice every one year.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 583
Likes: 2
From: Eaton, OH
The interval is every two years not twice a year. I knew that but somehow the message never got to my fingers.
I apologize for my mistake.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
My 2010 Touring manual (page 1-12, table 4-1, note 4) says every “2 years” I think twice a year would be overkill, no. Now if I lived in a super high humid place I may do it sooner but not twice a year.
EDIT:
Someone already mentioned it before me.
EDIT:
Someone already mentioned it before me.
Last edited by MADHOG; Feb 2, 2012 at 02:27 PM.
I just did mine yesterday. I tried the reverse way by utilizing a turkey baster syringe and the oil passed right by the rubber in the syringe. So I went down to Harbor Freight and got the hand held vacuum pump. Then it took me only a few minutes to complete.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,260
Likes: 0
From: Flatwoods Kentucky
I just did this the other day when I changed my bars. What I did was get 2 clear squeeze bottles, kinda like what you squeeze ketchup or mustard out of at resturants. Fill one bottle half full, put a short a couple of feet of clear tubing on it (so I could see the level of fluid in the reservoir while pushing fluid) and placed the tubing on one bleeder valve, opened the valve and pushed the fluid up to the brake reservoir with the cover off. Once the fluid reached the reservoir I continued pushing fluid up until I didn't see any more bubbles, then tightened the bleeder valve. Using the other squeeze bottle, I sucked up half of the fluid out of the reservoir and then repeated the process with the other side. All done in a matter of a few minutes!!
My bike doesn't have ABS!
My bike doesn't have ABS!
Last edited by davidsdad; Feb 2, 2012 at 05:47 PM.
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Just bled my front brakes tonight, as the final part of a apes install. (I installed a new master cylinder and stainless brake lines, and 12" Monkey bars. ) Bleeding the brakes took about 15 minutes with a Mity-vac. Could not be simpler.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 369
Likes: 8
From: North Okanagan, BC
Simple "medicine" syringe with some rubber, clear hose stuck on the end - I use it to suck the brake fluid out of the bleed nipple. You just have to watch the reservoir level and make sure it stays topped off. I have done complete fluid changes this way, it works fine for me and you only need one person. This is for non-ABS bikes though - no idea how to bleed an ABS bike.