How To Bleed Motorcycle Brakes

[@Caledonia747]

Is this the same procedure for bleeding motorcycle brakes with ABS

[@FabMotorbikes]

Excellent question! The short answer is NO. BUT... This will depend on your bike. For example, an ABS version of my bike (Yamaha FZ6) the process is quite involved, and requires a very long and tedious process that will have you run an electronic ABS testing procedure throughout the whole bleeding process. There are other motorcycles where the process is the same as a non-ABS bike, just more fluid is required.

[@caseyizzle]

You make the best instructional videos. Better than any i’ve other found. Please make videos again!

[@FabMotorbikes]

Thank you. Will eventually get back to it 😊

[@blutey]

Hi, Great explanation. Can I ask, if the bike is coming up for a service and needs the brake fluid replaced with new, how do you do that?

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

Drum brakes are better than disc brakes. They survived storage much better. I replaced the brake cableon the front of my URAL side car outfit in 30 seconds. Drums are also better in bad weather.

[@FabMotorbikes]

They last way longer but I feel the breaking power is far far less than discs. Great for rear breaks but form discs is a must for me

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@FabMotorbikes My Triumphs with the twin leading shoe front brakes stop on a dime. Disc brakes were because of production racing. The triple disc brake version of my URAL stops no faster and has the same stopping distance as my drum brake model. All bikes should have double disc brakes for safety. You can never have too much braking power.

[@FabMotorbikes]

@@frankmarkovcijr5459 would love to try those.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@FabMotorbikes with the light weight of Triumphs they stop on a dime. Very much appreciated because of all the old people in Florida. I trained myself to grab the front brakes in an emergency because the brake levers are all in the same place. You lose precious seconds while you figure out where the brake pedal is because the brake pedal is on the left side. 90% of your braking power is the front brake anyway.

[@rockwell666]

If you've changed your brake lines (eg I replaced my FZ6-SA OEM ones with HEL braided lines), it's possible to get air trapped in the "loop" over the front wheel. This can be a real nuisance, because you can keep pumping fluid through the system, but, every time you stop, the bubbles rise back up to the top of the loop :-( The best way I found to deal with this is to take the calipers off the bike and hang them up from the ceiling of the shed (or find some other way to get them above the level of the front brake master cylinder) and with the bleed nipple uppermost, then leave them there overnight so all the air can percolate upwards into the caliper by the bleed nipple. (NOTE: Make sure you loosen the bleed nipple *before* you take the calipers off the bike as it's a bugger trying to get it undone when they're hanging up. Guess how I know... :-( ) Once you've done this, it's a simple job to squeeze out all the air using the standard pump, loosen nipple, tighten nipple, refill cylinder technique and then refit them to the bike.

[@FabMotorbikes]

Cheers for the tip. I'll be looking out for that. on my next ride I'll have a feel of the brake discs and if one is hotter than the other... I'll know!