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bdavison · May 3rd, 2011, 06:36 AM

Its best not to detach the brake lines unless you have to. Once you remove them it will dump the brake fluid all over the place if you havent drained it. Brake Fluid eats paint and other coatings, so be careful not to get it on anything you dont want to destroy.

To bleed the brakes...
On the caliper is a small nipple with a rubber cap over it. Thats the bleeder valve. Get a small plastic bottle, and some clear silicone tubing. Put the tubing over the nipple, and the other end into the bottle. Get some fresh brake fluid. Pour a little fresh brake fluid into the bottom of the bottle so that it covers the end of the tubing in the bottle. Then open the brake fluid resevoir (the small plastic bottle just above the rear right passenger peg).

The next part is tricky, and you might need some help from someone.

Apply pressure to the brake lever and hold it.Using a proper wrench, loosen the bleeder valve with the tubing on it...it will start to pump brake fluid through the tubing into the bottle. When it starts to slow, quickly close the bleeder valve by tightening with the wrench. Check the brake fluid resevoir to make sure its not getting low (if it gets too low, it can feed air right back into the system), let go of the brake lever, and then reapply pressure...and hold. Loosen the bleeder valve and let it flow, then tighten as before.

You need to continue this process until no air bubbles are seen in the tubing.

You might have gotten lucky and not gotten any air into it. But if you decide to reroute those brake lines by removing them for installing the hugger. You will have to bleed the brakes when you reassemble it. If you dont, the next time you push on the brake lever to stop, it will either feel mushy and not do much, or bottom out with no response from the rear brakes.

A better option if possible would be to unbolt the caliper, leaving it connected. Move it out of the way, install the hugger, then bolt the caliper back on. I dont know if this will work for that hugger though. Just make sure nobody presses the brake lever while the caliper is off the bike. If they do, the pads will close up tight, and its a real bizotch to get them apart again. You can stick a piece of cardboard inbetween the pads as a precaution.

May 3rd, 2011, 06:36 AM	#12
bdavison Wartown, USA Name: Bryan Location: Warner Robins, GA Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R SE, 2007 Ninja 650R, and assorted other bikes Posts: A lot.	Its best not to detach the brake lines unless you have to. Once you remove them it will dump the brake fluid all over the place if you havent drained it. Brake Fluid eats paint and other coatings, so be careful not to get it on anything you dont want to destroy. To bleed the brakes... On the caliper is a small nipple with a rubber cap over it. Thats the bleeder valve. Get a small plastic bottle, and some clear silicone tubing. Put the tubing over the nipple, and the other end into the bottle. Get some fresh brake fluid. Pour a little fresh brake fluid into the bottom of the bottle so that it covers the end of the tubing in the bottle. Then open the brake fluid resevoir (the small plastic bottle just above the rear right passenger peg). The next part is tricky, and you might need some help from someone. Apply pressure to the brake lever and hold it.Using a proper wrench, loosen the bleeder valve with the tubing on it...it will start to pump brake fluid through the tubing into the bottle. When it starts to slow, quickly close the bleeder valve by tightening with the wrench. Check the brake fluid resevoir to make sure its not getting low (if it gets too low, it can feed air right back into the system), let go of the brake lever, and then reapply pressure...and hold. Loosen the bleeder valve and let it flow, then tighten as before. You need to continue this process until no air bubbles are seen in the tubing. You might have gotten lucky and not gotten any air into it. But if you decide to reroute those brake lines by removing them for installing the hugger. You will have to bleed the brakes when you reassemble it. If you dont, the next time you push on the brake lever to stop, it will either feel mushy and not do much, or bottom out with no response from the rear brakes. A better option if possible would be to unbolt the caliper, leaving it connected. Move it out of the way, install the hugger, then bolt the caliper back on. I dont know if this will work for that hugger though. Just make sure nobody presses the brake lever while the caliper is off the bike. If they do, the pads will close up tight, and its a real bizotch to get them apart again. You can stick a piece of cardboard inbetween the pads as a precaution.