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How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:39 pm
by anonstarter
Mister michaelphillips made a post (http://www.maxi-muppets.co.uk/forum/vie ... 60#p177822" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) about a non return valve that he finds ideal from eBay;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORBIKE-MOT ... 3a65513d28" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the eBay description it states "You should replace your brake fluid at least once a year".

This got me wondering...
Have you done yours every year?
How often have you replaced your brake fluid?
:?:

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:17 pm
by pikey
I always thought it was 2 years for me its when ever pistons start to seize and have to come out for cleaning

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:23 pm
by monty9120
its every 2 years.

i have this which is really good

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VS020-BRAND-N ... 3cd0e33426" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:06 pm
by sad vampire
Interesting. I bled my brakes on the Atlantic back in December when I overhauled the front calipers.

On the Guzzi the brake fluid was last changed back in about 1990, but, they've been bled many times. The brakes are excellent, maybe the fluid eventually improves with age or something, but I have only done about 4000 miles since then.

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:10 pm
by Funkycowie
bleed them after a pad change.

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:26 pm
by michaelphillips
Funkycowie wrote:bleed them after a pad change.
manufacturers say 2 years on the nexus, but because using the valve device is so easy, i do all three and use a complete new bottle to flush completely the front and combined front rear, as the brake fluid is hygroscopic they say not to keep a half used bottle, so i use it all done 4 times now in last two years... and done when i split and cleaned the front and the rear combined.. when you have an easy way to do it, you will tend to do more regular as it would only take 15 mins to completely renew the fluid on one caliper :D

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 10:06 pm
by Dave Weller
My theory is that bleeding the brakes, flushes out the crap on the inside of the piston seals which nothing else can reach. so I change the fluid every 2 years on the bike.
Bits of rubber comes out, could be the inside of the pipes degrading.

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 2:52 pm
by Data
As everyone is leaning towards, it's two years usually. If you use fully synthetic dot4 or 5, as most bikes use now, then it's barely hydroscopic either, so it's not as critical as it used to be and doesn't break down with heat or age so quickly. On most new cars it's now a brake fluid change after the first 3 years, then every 2 years after that.

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:59 pm
by StephenC
I just go by the manufacturer's recommendation on the service book.

Re: How often do you bleed your brakes?

Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 4:12 pm
by MrGrumpy
I don't....I have mechanics to deal with these things!