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Brake Bleed Question '03 R1100S

B

BC1100S

Left Coast Rider
I've got both the ABS and servo system on this bike and its time to bleed the brakes.

If I were to install SpeedBleeders, would I then be able to simply squeeze the brake lever (while ensuring the reservoir is kept adequately filled) and evacuate the old fluid as I would any standard-type brake system?

Your knowledge and experienced input is appreciated.
 
I installed Speed Bleeders on my '04 1150 RT brake calipers. I have read of some who wanted to put Speed Bleeders on the ABS unit but I would advise against that out of fear of damage to the ABS unit itself.
 
speed bleeders on the calipers I do not feel do any good. Since it is power, fill the funnel, put on a clear hose. Pull or push on the lever or petal, crack the bleeder, watch the fluid in the funnel. When funnel just empty, close bleeder. Repeat as needed. Speed bleeder gains very little. Now on 3 fittings on the ABS, if you are brave, then they fain something. Nothing about this is hard, just a little fiddly.

Rod
 
If you run the internal reservoirs dry on the abs unit you can not ride until it is refilled. They are under the tank in the abs unit. I suppose, not planning to find out, that running it dry is not a good idea. With the right tools, bleeding is easy, a few steps but easy,

Rod
 
ragtoplvr said:
speed bleeders on the calipers I do not feel do any good. Since it is power, fill the funnel, put on a clear hose. Pull or push on the lever or petal, crack the bleeder, watch the fluid in the funnel. When funnel just empty, close bleeder. Repeat as needed. Speed bleeder gains very little. Now on 3 fittings on the ABS, if you are brave, then they fain something. Nothing about this is hard, just a little fiddly.

Rod
Click to expand...

With a speed bleeder, you don't have to open and close the bleed screw each time you open and close the lever or petal.
 
2bikemike said:
With a speed bleeder, you don't have to open and close the bleed screw each time you open and close the lever or petal.
Click to expand...

On the servo ABS they are useless, to flush/bleed the caliper circuits you use the funnel at the ABS unit basically just to expand the reservoir capacity and make it easy to see. With the key on pressing the lever engages the pump and when you open the bleeder fluid will flow in a continuous stream, YOU DO NOT PUMP IT!

Now for the lever circuits, yes you pump the levers if you do not have a vacuum bleeder.

That said a vacuum bleeder is simple and cheap to make take any stiff vessel, a glass mayonnaise or pickle jar will work ( I actually have a piece of ABS pipe with caps glued on)

Take the Jar and go buy some 1/4" vinyl tubing at the hardware store. Drill a couple holes in the cover and insert the tube, the inlet will extend toward the bottom of the jar. The vacuum side will just go into the cover. Next seal them up with some silicone calking and let it cure. (you can also use bigger hose for the vacuum source)

To use it, any vacuum source will work, even a vacuum cleaner (not as good as other sources), I now have a vacuum pump, but my other favorite source is just pull any vacuum line off the car/bike intake and start the engine, connect the other line (jar inlet) inlet to the bleeder and open it up and you no longer have to pump the lever. To use a vacuum cleaner you just need some duct tape to seal the big and little lines.
 
pffog said:
On the servo ABS they are useless, to flush/bleed the caliper circuits you use the funnel at the ABS unit basically just to expand the reservoir capacity and make it easy to see. With the key on pressing the lever engages the pump and when you open the bleeder fluid will flow in a continuous stream, YOU DO NOT PUMP IT!

Now for the lever circuits, yes you pump the levers if you do not have a vacuum bleeder.

That said a vacuum bleeder is simple and cheap to make take any stiff vessel, a glass mayonnaise or pickle jar will work ( I actually have a piece of ABS pipe with caps glued on)

Take the Jar and go buy some 1/4" vinyl tubing at the hardware store. Drill a couple holes in the cover and insert the tube, the inlet will extend toward the bottom of the jar. The vacuum side will just go into the cover. Next seal them up with some silicone calking and let it cure. (you can also use bigger hose for the vacuum source)

To use it, any vacuum source will work, even a vacuum cleaner (not as good as other sources), I now have a vacuum pump, but my other favorite source is just pull any vacuum line off the car/bike intake and start the engine, connect the other line (jar inlet) inlet to the bleeder and open it up and you no longer have to pump the lever. To use a vacuum cleaner you just need some duct tape to seal the big and little lines.
Click to expand...

So, I've been doing it wrong all these years. Thanks for taking the time to explain.
 
I agree that with the servo pump speed bleeders on the calipers do not seem to help much. I can easily shut the bleeder while keeping the pump running. On the ABS unit, they could be a good deal, and a speed bleeder on the clutch is very useful. I use my mityvac to catch the fluid. Rod
 
I got a brake bleeding checklist by Dana Hager for these abs systems from somewhere and he's OK with me sharing it.
It's surely helped me doing this procedure, as I can't remember what the proper sequence is.
Just email me and I'll send it out.
It's about 1.3 megs, so your server may not take it. Can't hurt to try, though.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for everyone's responses. Having created brake fluid rain showers before (and paid the price for it :laugh) I think I'll leave this to my trusty mechanic.
 
BC1100S said:
Thanks for everyone's responses. Having created brake fluid rain showers before (and paid the price for it :laugh) I think I'll leave this to my trusty mechanic.
Click to expand...

Darn! I thought after you had mastered this maintenance task, you could come down to the Hood Canal and do mine. Guess I'll have to go to my backup plan! :wave

Cheers!

PS. I woulda bought you a beer, heck, maybe even two! :dance
 
It's really s simple procedure, it just has stuff you need to do in the right order.

The local(sort of} dealer wants 6 hours labor for doing it on an RT.
At $85/hours, I think learning how to do it would be worthwhile.
It ain't astro-physics.
 
BC1100S said:
What are YOU doing here? Aren't you a square head, I mean, hex head? Come back for some love and entertainment? :D
Click to expand...

What can I say, nut'n goes wrong with our Hex heads, other than fuel strips, so there is nut'n to ever talk about............boring.
 
jeff488 said:
I got a brake bleeding checklist by Dana Hager for these abs systems from somewhere and he's OK with me sharing it.
It's surely helped me doing this procedure, as I can't remember what the proper sequence is.
Just email me and I'll send it out.
It's about 1.3 megs, so your server may not take it. Can't hurt to try, though.
Click to expand...

The link to Dana's article was posted by ragtoplvr. See post number 2. Just click on the link to download the pdf file and then save it if you wish.
 
IMO speed bleeders encourage doing a half-assed job. There are cases where they keep you from doing the job well or at all, and there are some cases where they do no harm (but don't help).

Pushing the pistons back and bleeding that way is part of the job. Because SBs have a threshold pressure, they make it hard to leave the pistons retracted while bleeding unless you are using pad spreaders. And if you're using pad spreaders, you probably are beyond needing speed bleeders.

Many times I remove them to do the job, then reinstall them. If the owner isn't bleeding the brakes himself, why have them at all?
 
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