Brake bleed question

Hi

I stripped and cleaned the calipers on my 2000 curvy at the weekend, replaced all the piston seals and fitted braided hoses and new EBC HH pads. I refilled with DOT4 and bled the system completely (as far as I can tell).

The brake works and is much stronger than before but I'm still not happy. The lever pulls halfway back to the bars before acting and can be pulled all the way to the bar. I was hoping that two or one fingers on the brake would give good stopping power and that the lever would be almost solid within the first few mm of travel.

I'm wondering if I'm expecting too much from the master cylinder and calipers. Can anyone advise what a properly bled stock system with braided hoses should feel like?

Cheers

Ian

My lever doesn't come all the back to the bar. I've tried i'm left with about a 10-15mm if I squeeze it really hard.
have you done the old zip tie trick?
Tie the lever to the grip and zip it up tight as you can, leave it over night.

[northwind]

It's a godo while since I had standard bits, but I remember it as rather squashy and non-linear. It didn't reach the bar, except when really crushing it past the point you ever would while riding.

Have you still got OM hoses if you have they are proberbly past there best thats why you have so much travel, try fitting braided hoses you will definately notice the difference!!!!

[northwind]

He said he'd just fitted braids

It shouldn't feel like that, is the simple answer. You've got a defect, or a bubble, or bad fluid. Bleeding from totally dry hoses can be a pig, so probably a bubble.

Thanks all. That's what I thought. The bike really needs a bleed point on the master cylinder. My RSV1000 had a bleed banjo bolt there and it was so easy to get the air out. I'll try flushing another load of fluid through tomorrow.

Thanks

Ian

[northwind]

You can get banjos that do that... In fact, I've got one somewhere. That's the berst bit about my Brembo is the top bleed nipple (and the clever under-cylinder banjo fitment, so there's no catchpoint for air)

[Sid Squid]

You can 'bleed' the upper banjo by slackening the bolt a dab and squeezing the lever, have some water ready to clean up afterwards.

Ops not reading the threads properly again SORRY!!!!!!!

Hi

Is the piston in the master cylinder sticking part way down? I guess it's not if you can pump new fluid through. If you are having problems getting all the air out you could try a pressurised bleeding system. Gunson used to make one called Easy Bleed. The system uses air pressure from a tyre to force fluid through the brake lines while also keeping the fluid resevior topped up. The drawback is you have to let the tyre down to 10psi. The system also needed a specific cap for the fluid resevior. With this method air stands less chance of working it's way back up to the highest parts of the system.

Kind regards
Tim