UK no-sign up Motorcycle Home Mechanic Guide - Manual / Resource - Page 14
Bleeding the brake
system
Why should you bleed your motorcycle’s brakes?
Air can get into your brake fluid in a number of ways, usually because a
part of the system has been overhauled due to a fault, but it also occurs
naturally over time because there is air in the fluid reservoir, the volume
of which increases as your pads wear and the fluid level lowers, and also
in certain circumstances as a by-product of the moisture that is present
in air and is naturally absorbed into brake fluid because it is hygroscopic.
Changing the brake fluid regularly, usually every two years, is a good
way to avert these natural processes.
How do you know when there is air in the fluid?
Quite simply, your brakes feel spongy, they don’t work as well as they
should, and there is excess travel in the lever or pedal. Bleeding a brake is
the process of removing the aerated fluid and replacing it with new fluid.
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