Hi Y'all fellow Wee Strom Riders.

I've just had a massive rebuild and got everything back together. I'm trying to get the front brakes to bleed.

Have used a bleeding kit and the brake fluid runs through but the lever is still spongey as hell and I can't get any braking.

It was a complete fluid change so air has got in to the system. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but mine is the ABS model as well.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to get the brakes back to normal.

Cheers

ABS doesn't make a difference in procedure. Most likely the air is in the master cylinder area. Blair at SVRacingparts has a master cylinder banjo bolt with a bleeder screw that some people have found useful.

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Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s

Keep pumping, keep bleeding. I've done the brakes twice on the ABS and both times it took forever. So long that I felt like I was getting nowhere and wasting my time even trying. Keep pumping, keep bleeding. It takes an extraordinarily long time.

I'm told there is some type of mechanical pump that would make the job quicker. I'm going to look into that for the next time I do the ABS brakes.

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2012 XT1200Z Blue, 2012 XT1200Z Black

Hey ya

Cheers for your helps peeps will try pumping again tomorrow If i get no joy I'll be back !!!

Keep at it. It will seem like it takes forever but then all of a sudden it will come around. As bad as you think this is - it's nothing compared to my KTM 250F harescramble bike. The Brembo system on that bike is brutal to bleed.

Keep after it.

I did a fully system rebuild just a month or so ago. I needed a vacuum bleeder to get any fluid down to the calipers. After that I bled the system a bit, then took the calipers off and held them as high above the splitter valve under the triple trees. I tapped the splitter and the lines and tried to orient things so that air could move up and into the caliper. Then I remounted the calipers and bled again. After that I compressed the calipers to force fluid (and air) back into the master cylinder. I then removed the master cylinder and rotated it around while tapping it to try and move any air from the banjo bolt area into the master.

Finally, I tied the brake lever back and left it to sit for a few hours, then bled the system. Did that 3 times and now I've got full braking.

Keep at it, it definitely takes a bit of work to get the ABS system bled.

Agree with others - the extra long route ABS system take means it takes a lot longer. I went through 1L of brake fluid before air is out.

Once u get brake and check the ABS light does not come on, find a safe place to activate the front ABS a bit - a couple "jast grab the brake" runs at 70km/hr seem to assist getting the last bit of air out.

So is strapping the brake tight and leaving it over a couple nights.

AR

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Finally a bike like Strom i could have as a concubine and my wife doesnt object!

Has anyone tried Speed Bleeders on their ABS Wee?

I have used them on previous bikes, including an SV650, with very good results. Makes brake bleeding a one-hand operation.

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Rich D
Athens, GA

'09 DL650A
'96 KLR250

I have speed bleeders on my bike. I like them.

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Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s

mightvac. oh man. if you haven't used one of these before, you are in for a treat. i only bleed brakes the "old fashion" way if i have to. you take the vac, hook it on the front caliper, and pump up vac until bubbles don't come out anymore, takes a couple mins if you have a lot of air in the system, but there is a reservoir cup that catches the fluid which you can then just put back into the master, or bottle. once one side is bled good, usually there is no air left in the other side, I've found even with dual front calipers. couple pumps on the master (make sure you kept it topped off!) and you'll have good firm lever action.