Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Finally got around to bleeding the brake line tonight (soft lever, but did work)(bad ideal to do a few day before heading to NC) anyways no bubbles the MC just pushed the fluid out of the bleeder into the tube. The lever did not become and firmer, I did notice some contaminates is the fluid so I decide as recommend to brake the line at the caliper and use the MC to push fluid thru the lines. I reconnected the line, filled the MC and tried to bleed the line again, no luck. A few bubbles did appear so I continued the steps from the instructions. The line will just push fluid when you crack the bleeder and the brake lever is flat and the caliper is not working at all, NO brakes.
Should I drain all the lines and disconnect all the lines remove and inspect for a blockage in one of the line?
Any suggestions would be of great help.

Give this a shot. Tighten up all the lines. Take the lid off the master cylinder and make sure it's full. Crack your bleeder on the caliper. Brake fluid should ease out if there isn't a blockage anywhere. When it starts coming out the bleeder, cap it off. Go up to the master cylinder and you wanna prime it. What you wanna do is squeeze the handle just a little and release, enough you can see the brake fluid move around in the bowl. Keep doing that for a minute or so until all the air is gone. Little bubbles will pop up now and then if there's any there so go at it for a bit. Don't squeeze it hard and fast, it'll shoot like a watergun if ya do. Once the small movement is not producing any bubbles, squeeze the handle down, hold it down for a few seconds, then release. Sometimes little tiny bubbles wont come out with the small squeeze stuff so squeezing it hard a time or two will suds them up. some small squeezes after a hard press will sometimes pop them out.

Crack the banjo at the neck and let brake fluid run from the MC to the line, make sure you got a decent flow for a good 30 seconds, then cap it off. Move on to the bleeder, crack that open, put a hose on it and let it run for a bit. If any air is left the brake fluid will push it out the bleeder, you'll see it come out. Once you get a good flow and no air for 30 seconds, have someone help you bleed the brakes about 3 times and you should be good.

Works for me when I remove all the lines.

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74 H2B with reeds and 34mm carbs
75 S3A Ram Air with reeds and 30mm carbs
73 S2A (wife's bike)
71 Yammi RT1B
83 HD Sportster
03 Yammi R1
06 Kaw 750 Vulcan (wife’s bike)
12 Yammi vstar 250 (wife’s bike)

Thanks for the response. I will give it a shot. I have bleed many brake lines but this one baffles me. I did see bubbles out of both of the small holes in the MC so I will give that a shot. I just can't believe how the MC is not creating any pressure what so ever. I guess I should have left well enough alone with the spongie lever. No time for new parts, leaving Wed for Gap so hopefully with I can at least get it back to the point it was before.
Again thanks

Stay with it. My S3 gave me no end of grief. Eventually I recruited my long suffering wife to pump the lever (while I barked and barked) and I cr caked then closed the bleeder. 10 minutes of this along with trickling more fluid into the MC ... bingo, I got pressure. That was 3 years ago and it's working great still.

Thanks for advice. I am close. I took a lot of time and worked slowly (1/2 hour)the lever repeating the steps several times. Than "WOW" pressure. The handle is about 3/4 off the grip. My question I did not break the line from the neck as suggested yet. (which do you consider the neck, at the mc or between the forks at the brake light pressure switch)Is that a must do? I did crack the bleed and the MC is pushing fluid, but no bubbles. Or should I just keep bleeding thru the bleeder and more fluid in MC several times to chase an air out?
How far off the grip should I hope to get the lever? New rebuilt caliper and pads the only thing not rebuilt was MC.
Was hoping to get a more firm lever an a little improved stopping. I know these old school brakes aren't the best but would like a little better.
Thanks in advance.

A good squeeze would be halfway from the grip. Don't bet on a whole lot with the stock setup. it won't come up any more than that.

If you got pressure and you didn't crack the neck lines (the ones where the brake switch is), you can skip that. You should be good. If ya still have issues, we can check it at the Gap.

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74 H2B with reeds and 34mm carbs
75 S3A Ram Air with reeds and 30mm carbs
73 S2A (wife's bike)
71 Yammi RT1B
83 HD Sportster
03 Yammi R1
06 Kaw 750 Vulcan (wife’s bike)
12 Yammi vstar 250 (wife’s bike)

A trick I used on my RD and lately on my S2A after spending a lot of time bleeding:

Pull the brake lever in and wrap a rubber band around it & the throttle grip, then let it sit over night. This allows any air in the line to float up into the master. It took my S2A a few nights, but now it feels decent.

Terry

I had similar probelms of spongy brakes. In the end I just replaced the MC and I had pressure right away. It turns out the other MC was not pumping enough fluid to get pressure. It took me a long time to figure this out, but now I have confidence in my front brakes, and I need to. There is no engine braking (to speak of) on two strokes.

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Steve