South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Giving my front brake calipers a clean today, when getting the pistons back i managed to pop one out. I put it back and it had no chance of getting dirty and checked that it still worked fine. However now my brake lever has less resistance when i pull it and feels as if I have to pull it all the way back to work.

I have tried bleeding the brakes of air and topping up with brake fluid but it still feels the same. Has anyone else got any ideas for me to do?

Its an R1 4xv

need to feed the fluid in from the base as now you have air trapped where u really dont want it

Blue spots right?

I have them fitted to mine too. They were a pain to bleed from scratch. In the end I used an easibleed kit and pumped like fook on the lever whilst topping up. Shite loads of air came through.

I loosened the bleed nipples from the calipers and pulled the lever, did the nipple up, released the lever (so as not to suck air back in) then undid the nipple and pumped again. I repeated this until no moe bubbles were coming out and topped up the reservoir. Is that not enough? I have to admit that as i dont have a haynes i was making it up as I went along.

Writing now, i think i should have left the top off the resevoir and pumped.

Without a bleed kit you have to close the nipple before releasing the lever. So yes dead right to do that. Dont pump the lever with the nipple open. You could carry on this way but it may take a while.

You do not need expensive bleed kits, mine is essentially a tube and a one way valve that goes into a bottle. No more than a few quids. If you decide to use this only open the nipple just enough to let fluid through.

Pumping it in from the bottom as Si says is a great way to do brakes. Kit can be expensive though.

still can't work out how you pulled a piston out while cleaning it.


take cap off, tap caliper with rubber mallet a few times, then bleed.
if no good, might have to release banjo at master cylinder end to vent air.

You can try an elastic band to hold the leaver in over night.
Or raise the caliper above the hight of the master cylinder when bleeding it.

If you need a hand just shout.

layne wrote:You can try a elastic band to hold the leaver in over night.
Or raise the caliper above the hight of the master cylinder when bleeding it.

layne wrote:You can try a elastic band to vhold the leaver in over night.
Or raise the caliper above the hight of the master cylinder when bleeding it.

If you need a hand just shout.

I like the idea of holding the caliper higher. I already have a tie clip on it over night. See how it goes

You should have given me a shout mate any time you need a hand Took me ages to bleed the zx9 after stripping and cleaning the calipers

I have a mityvac if you need one ;)

Thanks for all the advice and the offers, I may well be using them come tomorrow!

Going to do a quick check and bleed first thing tomorrow after the Miss' hair band has been on the lever all night.

Hopefully managed to sort after about an hour and 3 of the other halves hair bands. Will find out properly tomorrow on my way to Bedford! Thanks for all the help and advice guys!

Blimey, how many other halves have you got??!

One is enough! The only part of mistress I see is the word STRESS!