I just installed a set of Galfer brake lines I bought last year from Adventuretech.
I have the system bled to the point that no more bubbles are coming out of the brake bleeders at the calipers, but the feel is still pretty squishy. It stops the bike, but I can tell it's not right.

The kit didn't come with the bleeder banjo at the master cyl so the only place I can bleed is at the calipers.

I have a homemade vacuum bleeder setup that made it pretty easy to get the maority of the lines bled out but I can't seem get this last bit of squish out.

Can anyone give me any pointers on getting the last bit of bleeding sorted out?

I have had mixed success with vacuum bleeders. Sometimes they work. But sometimes they seem to draw air into the system from sources unknown. Used a vacuum bleeder on my scooter, which has a 'combined' brake setup with proportioning valve. Got some air in the system, somehow, and spent two days getting it out (mostly).

So I use the old-fashioned way of bleeding if possible.

Fill the master cylinder. Put some pressure on the brake lever, with a hose, ideally looped up to trap air, on the bleeder screw. Open the screw, pull the lever to the bar, close the screw, let the lever out, repeat. Watch the fluid level in the master cylinder.

Good news is, front brakes are to some limited degree self-bleeding. If you have a small amount of air in the system, since the lines are mostly vertical, sooner or later it will find its way up into the master cylinder.

I suspect the pressure bleeders do an adequate job. Just never got around to making an adaptor for the master cylinder.

With a double front brake line from the master cylinder set up, I suspect it is possible to bleed one empty brake line and then the other empty brake line and have a little air left up there at the junction. I think it's just a matter of repeating the process. Galfer is open from Tuesday to Friday. If you don't get it right by Tueday let me know and I'll call their tech department. Or you can call them directly. They are helpful people.

I have found that sometimes it takes a little while for the bubbles to get to the right place in the caliper to be bled. I say that knowing that I need to bleed my rear brake again because although I thought it did a good job now a couple of weeks later I can tell there is a bubble in there.

Yeah, I have seen people pump the lever about 5,000 times to bleed their brakes. Maybe I just have a bubble caught in the banjos or something.

I noticed that the closer I got to work, the better it felt, but I couldn't tell if I was just getting used to it or if it was actually getting better.

I only really used the vacuum setup to get the majority of the lines bled through, and then did the last few bleeds the old fashioned way.

I'll keep trying.

Thanks for your help guys.

If you haven't done so already, try pushing your front caliper pistons all the way in (fully retracted) before you proceed with your bleeding. Could potentially be air in the calipers that won't clear by vac bleeding.

When you do this, remove some of the fluid from the master before retracting the pistons so it doesn't overflow, then replace/refill with fresh prior to bleeding.

I installed the same lines this weekend. I used a vacuum bleeder and alternated between the two calipers for about 4 refills of the master cylinder. I also like to push the calipers back in a few time to ensure they are moving correctly and to make sure there is no air in them.

Have you tried tying the brake lever to the handle bar and leaving it over night? You may want to read https://www.stromtrooper.com/v-strom...ake-lever.html, https://www.stromtrooper.com/mainten...s-pumping.html and https://www.stromtrooper.com/mainten...e-abs-wee.html.

Yep, I did that just in case, when I went to Galfer brake lines a few months ago.

I can't remember where I read this, but another technique is to:

1) secure brake lever in the fully depressed position, so as to put pressure on the lines.

2) cover the master cylinder banjo bolt (it will be a double-banjo in this case) with something to catch brake fluid.

3) just crack loose the banjo bolt.

4) Any air that got trapped at the banjo, but didn't quite make it into the master cylinder, will escape along with some brake fluid.

4) re-torque the banjo bolt.

System should be air-free at that point.

I just completed a total strip down and repair of the twin disc system om my 1988 BMW.(MC on the handlebars)

I rebuilt the callipers and master cylinder and changed to twin braided lines with a double banjo at the MC.

I was having trouble building pressure with a totally empty system so I used 2 long clear hoses pushed onto the bleed nipples, they were long enough to go higher than the MC.


I opened the bleed nipples and filled the MC with fluid, topped up the MC a few hours later then left it overnight, the next morning the fluid in the clear hoses was sitting at the same level as the fluid in the MC.


I shut the nipples, topped up the MC and then bled the system of the little air that was left just as you normally would.

It only took a couple of pumps this time whereas I had tried for a hour before with no good result.

Banjo bleeder at the master cylinder makes this much easier. (SV racing has them).