Without a working braking system, a motorcycle quickly becomes a very dangerous vehicle, both for the rider and for other road users. Before you bleed the brakes on your motorcycle, you will need to do some preparation. Bleeding may be necessary when replacing brake fluid, replacing hoses, a brake cylinder, removing air, or flushing.
The type of brake fluid should be indicated on the cap of the reservoir; most often it is DOT 4.
You will also need
- hose,
- set of open-end wrenches,
- Screwdriver Set.
If you don't know how to bleed the brakes on a motorcycle, the video instructions at the end of the article can help a lot. It is better to do all the work with an assistant, although some experts are capable of replacing the brake fluid on their own.
Removing fluid
Before starting work, remove excess brake fluid from the reservoir. It’s easier to do this with a syringe, suck it out with a hose, or just pour it out. There should be some brake fluid left at the very bottom, covering the intake hole. Next, place the transparent hose onto the brake master cylinder fitting. Use an open-end wrench to loosen the fixing nut a little.
IMPORTANT!
The hose should be constantly immersed in the liquid that you drained from the tank. Before you bleed the front brakes on your motorcycle, you need to remove the old fluid. It will be dark in color. Using a back and forth motion while pressing the brake, pump the fluid until light (new) fluid comes out. All this time it is necessary to fill the expansion tank. At the end of the work, close the fitting with the key. Bleeding the front calipers involves repeating such actions for each of them.
Brake fluid is very caustic and can damage paint. Wear gloves and wipe up spills immediately.
When to bleed the brakes on a motorcycle?
On a motorcycle, the brakes must be bled if there is air in the circuit or if the circuit has been drained. In all cases, bleeding the brakes is a vehicle maintenance operation. Therefore, it is advisable to bleed the brakes every 10,000 km .
Bleeding the brakes is most often done during a major overhaul of a motorcycle at a car dealership. If you ride motorcycles on the track, it may be beneficial to replace your original brake fluid with a more efficient brake fluid. In this case, purging will be required.
