Am I correct in saying that I can bleed my ABS brakes myself on an Aug 2007 registered 1200GS in the conventional manner? They are not evo brakes. I think the answer is yes but I have had my confidence undermined by the new Haynes manual 04-09 which says its a dealer job. Anyone done it successfully?
2007 brake bleed
- Thread starter Peter
- Start date
brake bleeding.
I have replaced the brake fluid in my o4 gs several times now and while it is straight forward it is time consuming so leave a couple of hours to do it. The fuel tank has to be raised clear of the ABS unit so make sure it is as empty as possible before starting the job, the brake fluid reservoirs for the brakes are under allen key caps on the ABS unit the one on the bars and at the rear brake pedal are bled through nipples on the ABS unit from memory I think there are 4 positioned there and then the three at the calipers; the ignition has to be left on as the pump must be active to run the new fluid through the system. Hope this helps.
I have replaced the brake fluid in my o4 gs several times now and while it is straight forward it is time consuming so leave a couple of hours to do it. The fuel tank has to be raised clear of the ABS unit so make sure it is as empty as possible before starting the job, the brake fluid reservoirs for the brakes are under allen key caps on the ABS unit the one on the bars and at the rear brake pedal are bled through nipples on the ABS unit from memory I think there are 4 positioned there and then the three at the calipers; the ignition has to be left on as the pump must be active to run the new fluid through the system. Hope this helps.
2007 bike has different, non servo, brakes fitted to yours.
Cookie, can I presume from your reply that a 2007 GS can be bleed in a conventional way using a pipe onto the caliper nipple, bottle and brake lever?
elefantman
Registered user
why ?,dealer bull sh#t ,brake fluid goes off my arse,do your brakes work?,and hows your clutch?,néver used to bother changing it so why now?,money thats why
i think likely, but not necessarily. i was just pointing out it is possibly/probably not done the way the poster pointed out as the system is a totally different design.
TBH i don't know how it's done on the 07> bikes. i'd be interested to know, because i have one.
i've never seen a manual that covers it without the bmw bleed tool, and i've not seen anyone posting here that they have done it themselves. many of these bikes are still under warranty and/or get serviced by a bmw dealer.
i seem to recall CW Motorcycles telling me it is easier than on the earlier bikes, but that's about it.
the brake fluid is hygroscopic ie. it absorbs water. not good for braking if it gets hot and boils, and not good for the longevity of your braking components.
if you had bothered to change the brake fluid occasionally in the past, you might have been surprised by the amount of detritus that comes out sometimes too.
the clutch uses mineral oil. it doesn't absorb water. you can leave that indefinitely.
just a wild guess, but you're not from yorkshire, by any chance?
bmwrich58
Registered user
Absolutely!
Mine...2007 conventional braking...NO ABS....fluid changed last Fall at 36K miles done the ol' fashioned way.
Siphon off the top dirty fluid and install clean fluid on top in master cylinder. Keep an eye on the fluid level as you bleed the system.
Pump,bleed,tighten up and release. Repeat till all fluid comes out clear/clean. EZ-PeeZee!!!
Cookie thank for your replies. I have a vague recollection that when the bike was new in 07 a BMW bike tech said to me that the brakes could be bleed in the convential way. Not 100% sure however, I will go on researching it. I have to go to the dealer to get a front brake hose for my R1100rs so I will see if i can talk to the tech.I have no problem bleeding this 1995 ABS R1100RS, I have even changed all the hoses on this bike. I will keep you informed
bmwrich58
Registered user
er, he has an ABS bike and you have NO ABS
Correct...but neither of US have servo's...
teamwimp
Registered user
yes brake fluid is hygroscopic. Yes it will absorb water from the atmosphere. However I never take the cap off mine so it has limited opportunity to do so. IMO 2 years for a fluid change is just a dealer profit margin thing - I tend to change mine when doing something else such as replacing lines. Interestingly one of the bike mags did a test on how much water could be absorbed before there was a problem and it was huge! So much heat was generated that they melted the brake fluid cap before they had a problem with the fluid.
David Lee
Guest
Peter
There is a recall out to replace a brake hose, so you could get this done
as a freebee
Just got a letter about my 2007 GSA at the weekend and the hose gets replaced next week F O C.
Cant see how they can do this without fresh fluid and bleeding
Happy Days
There is a recall out to replace a brake hose, so you could get this done
as a freebee
Just got a letter about my 2007 GSA at the weekend and the hose gets replaced next week F O C.
Cant see how they can do this without fresh fluid and bleeding
Happy Days
bmwrich58
Registered user
RUST...which accumulates behind the piston in the caliper (lowest part of the braking system),probably causes more problems than failed brakes due to high moisture levels.
ie:stuck pistons not being allowed to retract,which results in dragging calipers/heat on rotor(warped),premature/accelerated wear on pads.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture...but how much moisture it takes to create a rust condition is anybodys guess...
They call it maintenence for a reason. And when dealing with a braking system or the "touchy ABS and or Servo Brake Systems", it comes down to *Pay me now...or Pay me "A lot" later*...
Slowdown, David Lee thanks for your replies. You have both been of great support. I saw another thread concerning this new brake recall. I have already had one a while ago and this new recall appears to contain numbers that apply to my bike. I will contact the dealer.
bmwrich58
Registered user
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