voir top so air will not be drawn into
the system.
9. Repeat Steps 6-8 until the brake fluid flowing
from the hose is clear and free of air. If the system is
difficult to bleed, tap the master cylinder or caliper
with a soft mallet to release trapped air bubbles.
10. Test the feel of the brake lever or pedal. It
should feel firm and offer the same resistance each
time it is operated. If the lever or pedal feels soft, air
is still trapped in the system. Continue bleeding the
system.
NOTE
The setting on the front brake lever
adjuster affects bleeding. Initially
bleed the front brakes with the ad
juster turned to the softest setting.
Once the brakes feel solid, check the
feel with the adjuster in several differ
ent settings. If the lever feels soft at
any setting or if the lever hits the han
dlebar, air is still trapped in the sys
tem. Continue bleeding the system.
11. When brake system bleeding is complete, dis-
connect the hose from the bleed valve. Torque the
bleed valve to 6 N•m (53 in.-lb.).
12. When bleeding the front brakes, repeat Step
1-11 on the opposite front caliper.
13. Add brake fluid to the master cylinder to cor-
rect the fluid level.
14. Install the diaphragm, diaphragm plate and top
cap. Make sure the cap is secured in place.
NOTE
Do not ride the motorcycle until the
front and rear brakes, and the brake
light are working properly.
15. Test ride the motorcycle slowly at first to make
sure the brakes are operating properly.
Vacuum Bleeding
1. Check all banjo bolts in the system. They must
be tight.
2. Remove the dust cap from the bleed valve on the
caliper assembly.
NOTE
When bleeding the front brakes, turn
the handlebars to level the front mas
ter cylinder.
3. Clean all dirt or foreign matter from the top of
the master cylinder reservoir. Remove the top
cover, diaphragm plate and the diaphragm from the
reservoir.
4. Add brake fluid to the reservoir until the fluid
level reaches the reservoir upper limit. Loosely in-
stall the diaphragm and the cover. Leave them in
place during this procedure to keep dirt out of the
system and so brake fluid cannot spurt out of the
reservoir.
5. Assemble the vacuum tool following the manu-
facturer’s instructions.
6. Connect the pump’s catch hose to the bleed
valve on the brake caliper (
Figure 3
).
NOTE
When using a vacuum pump, keep an
eye on the brake fluid level in the res
ervoir. It will drop quite rapidly. This
is particularly true for the rear reser
voir, which does not hold as much
brake fluid as the front. Stop often and
check the brake fluid level. Maintain
the level at 10 mm (3/8 in.) from the
top of the reservoir so air will not be
drawn into the system.
7. Operate the vacuum pump to create vacuum in
the hose.
BRAKES
351
13
3
Vacuum brake bleeder
Bleed valve
Slave cylinder