Complete Guide To Bleeding Or Flushing Motorcycle Brakes
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- čas přidán 25. 09. 2020
- Bleeding or flushing brake lines is part of regular motorcycle maintenance, and it can easily be done by an amateur. In this video I'll go through the basics and then demonstrate two methods on a BMW R1200RT, the manual method and the vacuum method. You can skip ahead using these markers:
0:10 Intro, bleeding versus flushing
3:40 Identifying brake system components
5:50 The bleeder valve
7:56 Tools and supplies you'll need
9:27 The manual method demonstrated
16:18 The vacuum method demonstrated
20:45 ABS pumps on bikes with antilock brakes
25:06 Speed bleeder valves
As I point out on the Triumph bikes in the video, bleeding or flushing brake lines is similar no matter the brand of motorcycle.
To purchase:
amzn.to/343T5Ng (Vacuum brake bleeder version 1)
amzn.to/30bXEUH (Vacuum brake bleeder version 2)
amzn.to/2HAfXwo (Vinyl tubing)
amzn.to/3i5yCNg (Mini-wrench set)
amzn.to/2S3IWum (GS-911 scanner for BMW bikes) - Auta a dopravní prostředky
John, Thank you for taking the time to explain each and every detail in your videos. I'm 65 and just bought my 1st bike, back in Sept 2021. It's a little GS, a 2021 BMW g310GS. I just trailered the bike to the Black Hills for some off-road training with Bill Dragoo (DART-Dragoo Adventure Riding Training) and a group of 6 other riders and 3 instructors. While doing some side-hill-failure-recoveries, and, loose-rock trails, I dropped my bike a few times. When I returned home I found I had to pump my rear brake pedal to get any braking, at all. A buddy suggested there was probably air in the system and I should bleed the rear brake. Having zero experience bleeding any brakes since my 1970 Dodge back in 1975, I went in search of CZcams wizards. Fortunately for me, I found your video! Many thanks and I will be looking out for all of your videos! Jon in Dallas, TX.
That's a great story-- and I'm glad the video helped out!
John, as usual another informative video. It looks like I'll be flushing my brake system before the Fall - Spring riding season here in Scottsdale for my '14 BMW R1200RT. I enjoy doing the easy maintenance items versus spending $500 - $800 for the dealership 6k interval schedule. THANK YOU!
Just what I want to hear, that's great!
Stealers charge that much, but honest dealers charge only $180 to bleed your brakes on a BMW GS or RT, I know, cause sometimes I just don't have the time and let the dealer make some money.
Thanks, John. Very detailed and very helpful.
It s amazing how detailed your explanation are!
This is the best video thus far out of all the ones out there. Thank you.
Very well explained, thanks 👍🏻🔧
Excellent tutorial!
Hi John I’m new to your channel and can only say what everyone else is saying how helpful and in-depth your videos are
Thank you!
Another great video! Thank you!
Joe Pesci talks you through how to bleed the brakes 😁 Really helpful, thanks
amazing so helpful
Best vid I've seen for this procedure- Thank you! I haven't invested in a scanner yet. Can I for go the ABS cycling for one flush? I have a 2010 RT
The point of flushing the ABS pump is not because there is a huge amount of fluid in there, but that you want to make sure it continues to function and doesn't seize up over time. Since we don't normally use ABS braking very often, it may sit unused. So, yes, you can skip the ABS pump cycling and the world won't end. You'll still get a benefit from pushing out the older fluid in the calipers, which is where the heat and other issues can occur.
Hey John, great information. I enjoy your videos. I've bled a few breaks with my motorized vacuum pump. I see you were pretty quick to think that the vinyl wasn't sealing to the nipple. But I see it differently. Think about it. You know how a break bleeder nipple seals. It's a metal to metal cone to cup kind of thing in the bottom of the bore .And there's a whole up through it where the fluid flows when it is unscrewed. But realistically the threads are the leak for the air. When you crack it, it pulls air from the threads. They're not so much made to seal all ,they don't have to. And the continuous vacuum action. ensures that nothing comes back into the system. But you'll never get rid of those bubbles. Thoughts? comments ? Mark
I've done more brake bleeding using that method than I care to remember. When the tubing seals against the nipple it should bleed without drawing in much air. Sure, some air can get past the threads too, but generally you only have to crack the bleeder slightly. In this case maybe there was a little more resistance in the hydraulic system and maybe the bleeder was looser than is typical, so air was leaking in by the tubing, threads or both. Ultimately it doesn't matter as long as you close off the bleeder before air can get back into the caliper.
Just a quick tip / comment, when bleeding with a vacuum pump apply a small amount of grease or vasoline around the base of the bleeder valve. This will prevent the air being drawn in at the bleeder when you open the valve. Many mechanics as well as myself have done this for 30+ years.
Interesting tip. I should also have mentioned that finding the right size tubing is important. I like to have a pretty tight fit, but lately it's been tough to find options.
Thank you, great video, what year is this bike? mine is a 09 GS1200 with ABS but my dealer did just that, i ask him and saying that you need the 911 for older models
This is a 2012 RT. The GS 911 will allow you to cycle the ABS pump to remove virtually all of the fluid from the system, but it isn't strictly necessary. The small amount of fluid in the pump will work it's way out in time, and that will get changed as you flush the overall fluid.
@@tinderboxarts thank you 😊
Hello, I love your videos, they are very instructive and entertaining. I have an `oak with BMW 1200 RT from the year 2012, because the red ABS warning light comes on, which resets only when I turn off the engine. I have read the bug with the GS911 and it gives me error code 23933, PRESURE MONITORING, REAR, SECONDARY CIRCUIT.
I don't know what it means. What I should do, because I have already changed the brake fluid but the same fault remains.
Greetings from Spain.
I don't know that error code, but I suspect your issue is within the ABS pump itself, or else air in the lines. I think the pump has pressure sensors contained within the unit. You may be able to find real time live data on those pressures using your GS911 unit. It's possible that the sensor or the wiring to the sensor is faulty, or it's possible you have a problem such as air in the lines or the pump. I would bleed one more time, and use the GS911 functions to cycle the ABS pump. If the problem remains, you may need to take a look at the ABS pump and pressure sensors, as well as the wiring to them.
@@tinderboxarts First of all thanks for answering.
OK, I'll follow your advice, of course the complexity and sensitivity of this combined braking system and ABS is undeniable.
Thanks again.
In the video for MityVac, they show about a two inch piece of plastic hose that goes inside the bottom of the container lid. They fail to explain if the bottom of the hose is supposed to be submerged in fluid. I would think that in order to prevent air bubbles from entering the bottom of the tubing, that it would be best to start with some fluid at the bottom of the container. What do you think?
I'm not sure I follow your description, but you don't need to start with fluid in the cup to bleed the brakes. When you connect a tube to the bleed screw and use the pump to create vacuum in the container, the brake fluid will come to the container after you open the screw. The fluid will drop down into the container rather than be drawn into the hand pump.
I've bled brakes on numerous BMWs without issue until now. I have an 09 R1200R and have flushed and bled and re-bled the brakes and still get an initial soft lever that goes more than half way to the grip, than on second pull it is hard and much further out. Rear brake no problem. I didn't let the MC go dry, I've rotated where I start the bleed to now avail. Where else could some air be hiding, or do you think t could be the beginning of a brake line deterioration.
You may be describing a marginal or failed seal in the master cylinder. When the seals are on the way out (or when there is excessive dirt causing a bad seal) you can often pump the lever or pedal and get a firm brake. Then it will slowly fade. Or, if you pull hard it may seal, but pull normally it may not. The seals can get worn or torn, the bore can get out of round or dirty. That said, you could also still just have air in the master cylinder. Despite your efforts, it's sometimes tricky to get it all out of that area. Some of the RTs have a bleeder valve right at the master cylinder. If you do, you might try sending some clean fluid through that bleeder to clean it out and get any remaining air.
Try experimenting with how you pull the lever and see if you can discern a difference. If it is the seals, I'm not actually sure if you can purchase them from BMW or if you have to source a new master.
Great tutorial for those that don’t know! 👍🏻
Good detailed video. Speed Bleeders are available for BMW R9T, link is on Gamotur's "BMW Brake Fluid Flush With Speed Bleeder. The link has an older fitment chart. Suggest just access phone number dial SB direct!
Speed bleeders are great, but I do have trouble locating them locally.
Thank you for the video. I understand that there is really no need to work the ABS pump but if I do it, when should do I do it? In your video, you activated the pump after bleeding one side of front caliper.
I have front and rear ABS brakes and I have a computer that can access the ABS pump while bleeding.
To get fresh fluid into the ABS pump, you'll want to first bleed the system to clear the master cylinders and the lines of old fluid. Then activate the pump with your scanner or computer, then continue to bleed to clear out what the ABS pump exchanged.
@@tinderboxarts Thank you for kind reply. As far as I know my bike (R nineT) has an ABS module that is linked both front and rear brakes. So what I need to do is bleeding front and rear brakes completely, and then I activate the ABS pump with my scanner, and then bleed the complete system again. Is this right?
Right. In other words, you are going to clear the system first, then cycle the pump to refresh any fluid in the pump, then clear the whole system again to remove whatever came out of the pump. Is this overkill? Yes, probably. You might also choose to just flush the system and then cycle the pump without a second bleed. There is very little fluid in the pump.
some remove the brake pads when doing this, is that necessary?
As you squeeze the brake lever or press the brake pedal you are sending the piston outward in it's cylinder. Without the brake pads in place you could potentially send the piston completely out of the cylinder! So, no, you should not remove the brake pads to bleed brakes. Even if you are using the vacuum or gravity methods there would be no point to it. Now, if you want to take the opportunity to remove the caliper, clean the piston seal, and work the piston back and forth to make sure it moves freely, that's fine. But, then you would replace everything, including the pads, and bleed as I showed in the video. Or, you could leave the caliper off, insert a block of wood to prevent the piston from coming out, and then bleed the system with the caliper off of it's mount. Either way, there is no reason to have the pads removed while you bleed unless you happen to be doing this other work at the same time.
I have abs brakes , is this the same method
Good question. ABS brakes require a pump to automatically apply the brakes in a rapid pulse fashion when needed. That pump is part of the hydraulic system, of course. To completely flush your hydraulic system you need a scan tool of some sort to cycle that pump and flush out the fluid contained in the pump itself. However, that amount is quite small in relation the system as a whole. It's perfectly acceptable to flush your system using standard methods, even though some small amount of the old fluid will remain in the pump. As the system runs in the future, that small amount will be mixed in with the new fluid. If you do have the scan tool for your bike you can cycle the pump and get that fluid flushed too. All that said, you shouldn't NEED the scan tool to work the ABS pump unless you introduce air into the pump by draining the system completely. So, go ahead and flush your system even if you have ABS.
Hallo Tinderboxart. You never showed how to change clutch fluid. Is this fluid for life time? Or did I miss the video?
By the way. Thanks a lot! Now I do small maintenance of my r1200rt (2012) myself following your videos. And I can say that it saved me allot of money. Which I spent buying some good tools to get the job done😁
The clutch fluid is mineral oil and should not need changing unless there is a problem. One thing to make sure you understand is that the clutch fluid RISES in the reservoir as the clutch wears. So, you may need to actually remove some fluid over time. If the reservoir is overfilled it can lead to clutch problems.
@@tinderboxarts , thanks. Never heard about rising level. From now on I will watch the level of fluid more carefully.
This should be no different with a 2000 BMW R1200C with ABS right?
There will likely be minor differences in the way things look, but the concepts are identical. If you don't have a way to force the ABS pump to cycle, don't fret. There's a very small amount of fluid in the pump and it won't harm anything to leave it alone.
I have a question. After replacing the brake lines there is air in the system. So when I am pumping, nothing is coming out. How do I pump all the air out of the system?
When you say "nothing is coming out" do you mean nothing at all? If so, the answer is about your master cylinder and reservoir. When you drain ALL of the fluid from the system you also drain your master cylinder and reservoir. Have you ever opened a new hand-pump spray bottle of cleaner and despite pumping the handle, no cleaner comes out for several minutes? This is the same problem. The master cylinder needs to be primed in order for the valve in there to work at all.
One trick is to hold the brake down or the handle in for an extended period after filling the reservoir. This can allow gravity to help you fill the master cylinder chamber and get some of the air out because it pushes the piston in to allow fluid to drain from the reservoir. . Once you have a "prime" you should be able to pump fluid through. However, I prefer to just use a vacuum pump and basically suck the fluid from the reservoir through the master cylinder and the rest of the system. Once you create a vacuum with the pump down by the caliper (through the bleeder) you can squeeze the brake a little to allow the fluid to get started from the reservoir. If you don't have a vacuum bleeder you can get one at any auto parts store or at Harbor Freight. They aren't expensive.
@@tinderboxarts First off, thank you for the prompt response. I just begun bleeding the rear ABS line on my R1150RT, after replacing all the brake lines and draining all the fluid from master cylinders and all reservoirs. The rear ABS reservoir is lower than the ABS nipples. I was trying to use the vacuum pump but it probably did not have ample vacuum to pull the brake fluid up. The "gravity method" wouldn't work, since the fluid needs to pulled up. I tried to pump the brake pedal while pumping vacuum, but the pedal felt no resistance at all and despite the vacuum, nothing appeared to come out.
Two questions for you: 1. What is "hand-pump spray bottle" you mentioned. I do have a manual vacuum pump for brake bleeding. 2. Should I try to fill the fluid from the top ABS nipple using gravity?
Sorry, I got busy and didn't have time to get back to you sooner. So, I was referring to a vacuum hand pump, that's all. Just like you see in the video with the cup to catch the fluid. The master cylinder has a piston with flexible seals. The seals push against the cylinder walls to allow the hydraulic pressure to occur. But, if the master cylinder is dry, then the air will just compress with a pedal push and nothing will happen. When you fill the reservoir, that fluid should be drawn through the whole circuit by the vacuum hand pump connected at the caliper bleeder. However, with a totally dry system it can take some effort. What I was suggesting is to hook up the vacuum pump at the caliper, open the bleeder, and try to keep that vacuum pressure up. You'll probably have to keep squeezing the vacuum pump handle. At the same time, push the brake pedal (for the rear) slightly downward to see if that helps fluid from the reservoir make it through. If you can keep the vacuum going it should pull the fluid through. Gravity feed can sometimes work overnight, and you might need to tie the brake pedal down. I just find that method too time consuming.
Some BMW master cylinders for the front brakes have a bleeder right at the master cylinder, which is hugely helpful. But I don't think that's available for the rear. It is also possible to push fluid up from the caliper to the reservoir, but that requires a means to pump under positive pressure. When you purchase a new master cylinder for a car, there is a bench-priming procedure to get fluid into the cylinder before you install the master. I suppose if you really got stuck you could try that, but I would hope the vacuum will eventually do the trick.
You can't bleed K1200R break fluid by yourself without the pump.
You keep calling the break fluid reservoir a "master cylinder". You should address this issue.
Yeah, I know, I'm using the words loosely. There is a reservoir and there is the master cylinder itself. On many vehicles this is an integrated unit so I'm just used to referring to it that way.