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Difference between revisions of "Bleeding Motorcycle Brakes"
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(Created page with "Let's face it -- bleeding the brakes on your motorcycle can be a pain. But it is a very necessary maintenance item to perform -- and it should be done at least once a year. Bra...") |
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Let's face it -- bleeding the brakes on your motorcycle can be a pain. But it is a very necessary maintenance item to perform -- and it should be done at least once a year. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily taking up and retaining moisture); it attracts water. This water is in the form of moisture in the air. Moisture in your braking system is very dangerous, as water boils faster than brake fluid and can lead to serious problems with the braking performance of your bike. It can also corrode parts of your brake system, including fittings, pistons and the master cylinder. Believe me, I can tell you from experience! | Let's face it -- [[bleeding]] the [[brakes]] on your [[motorcycle]] can be a pain. But it is a very necessary maintenance item to perform -- and it should be done at least once a year. Brake fluid is [[hygroscopic]] (readily taking up and retaining moisture); it attracts water. This water is in the form of moisture in the air. Moisture in your braking system is very dangerous, as water boils faster than brake fluid and can lead to serious problems with the braking performance of your bike. It can also corrode parts of your brake system, including fittings, pistons and the [[master cylinder]]. Believe me, I can tell you from experience! | ||
I purchased a 1994 [[BMW K75]] in the winter of 1999. It had only 4,200 miles on it and was a real beauty. But the original owner never rode it much, and other than the initial 600 mile maintenance, had done nothing to the bike. The brake fluid looked pretty brown, so I decided to flush and refill the system. It took about 2 bottles of brake fluid to clear out the system, and then the master cylinder started to leak. I guess the old fluid was so thick, it helped seal the gaskets! I took it apart and found all sorts of corrosion in the bore of the master cylinder, so I had to replace it to the tune of about $175.00. It took about another 2 bottles of brake fluid to flush the system over the next couple of months to get the fluid looking clear and the system working up to par. | I purchased a 1994 [[BMW K75]] in the winter of 1999. It had only 4,200 miles on it and was a real beauty. But the original owner never rode it much, and other than the initial 600 mile maintenance, had done nothing to the bike. The brake fluid looked pretty brown, so I decided to flush and refill the system. It took about 2 bottles of brake fluid to clear out the system, and then the master cylinder started to leak. I guess the old fluid was so thick, it helped seal the gaskets! I took it apart and found all sorts of corrosion in the bore of the master cylinder, so I had to replace it to the tune of about $175.00. It took about another 2 bottles of brake fluid to flush the system over the next couple of months to get the fluid looking clear and the system working up to par. | ||