Five months later and I still have the VMax. The reverse bleed method worked great and the front brake system is like new again (all new parts).
I have been taking a long time fixing the bike up for sale -- replacing the damaged bits. Still a work in progress. Its mostly done, just need a...
Thanks, great article about reverse bleeding. Makes perfect sense because trapped air goes upward faster than fluid going down. Will get a pump or syringe and give it a try.
So.... A month+ later after completely replacing the front brake system I finally built up the courage to take her for a test ride. I have to make sure its safe before I sell it. I wore an armored riding coat, thick gloves, full helmet, etc. Started off slowly on nearby residential streets...
She is adamant that I sell it, especially after my second brake lockup.
I love riding (have been since 1974), but looking at the tiny fluid return hole in the master cylinder, and knowing that any small particle could clog it scares me.
I always thought if I had an accident it would be caused...
Yesterday I finished installing the new brake lines and master cylinder. Today I took a very close look at the old master cylinder. Sure enough, as many have mentioned earlier, the return hole was clogged. (First photo below).
So I took a small needle and cleaned it out. A tiny amber colored...
Thanks for the list of possible causes. It could only be #3,#5, or #6.
When I replaced the caliper one of the pistons seemed like it was sticking. After replacing the caliper I was virtually positive I had fixed it, but was proven wrong. My bike only has 6K miles and it has sat a long time...
The new master cylinder arrived today. Now I'm wondering if I should get new brake lines -- not sure how to test them? They're the originals (12 years old).
Also, is there a way to know for sure that the brakes won't fail again without doing a road test?
The front brakes on my '06 have locked up twice in the last 6 months.
First time was in September. Before it happened I noticed that the brake lever had very little travel. So I changed the brake fluid and took it to a slow residential street to test. After several uses the brake got tight...