Front brake lever travel

[Green Boy]

2004 1150gsa (Servo Removed) Tokico calipers/ stainless hoses

Following my previous link ref front caliper rebuilds, I fitted the new calipers but have noticed that whilst they work a treat, there is what seems to me to be a lot of travel in the lever even whe it is set to its max leverage position. By this I mean the brakes will bite and stop the bike with the lever within about one cm of the bars.

I'm fairly confident (now not so sure) that I got all of the air out the system but to make sure, I'll bleed them through again this evening and will tie the lever back and leave it overnight also I have checked and there are no fluid leaks etc. However I was wondering how much movement is normal from anyone else's expereince asit would appear that I've never owned a bike with fully working calipers

 

[beemer pimp]

I just done brakes on car and on 1100rt and notes they spongy for 1st 200miles or so till New pads bedded in

 

[fatnfast]

Turn the bars to the left so that the banjo bolt at the master cylinder is at its lowest point. With the cap off feather the brake lever in and out over its last few cm's of travel. This often frees some small airbubbles that get trapped at this point. Then just as you say tie the lever back overnight.
Make sure the master cylinder is not to full when you turn the bars incase it spills over of course.
There should be more than 1cm before they reach the bars. Beemer pimp has a point as well if you also fitted new pads.

 

[Green Boy]

Thanks for the replies. Turns out I made a bit of a 'school boy error' in that I had removed all the air from the system the first time but sealed the master cylinder before pumping the pistons out so the pads were in contact with the discs, I had effectively created a vacuum in the master cylinder. As a result of the pistons now moving so freely, every time I released the lever, the pistons retracted back into the caliper and so I had to use more fluid to move them further hence the increased travel in the lever.

As soon as I took the lid off of the master cylinder (equalising the pressure) and reseated the pads on the discs, everything now works fine and as I expected. In fact it feels that the brakes could now remove the tarmac from the road service if I were to deploy them in anger as were.

Just thought I'd post this small faux pas in case anyone else does this and then spends an entire afternoon trying to remove the air from the lines which doesn't exist!

 

[The Grey One]

Thanks for the replies. Turns out I made a bit of a 'school boy error' in that I had removed all the air from the system the first time but sealed the master cylinder before pumping the pistons out so the pads were in contact with the discs, I had effectively created a vacuum in the master cylinder. As a result of the pistons now moving so freely, every time I released the lever, the pistons retracted back into the caliper and so I had to use more fluid to move them further hence the increased travel in the lever.

As soon as I took the lid off of the master cylinder (equalising the pressure) and reseated the pads on the discs, everything now works fine and as I expected. In fact it feels that the brakes could now remove the tarmac from the road service if I were to deploy them in anger as were.

Just thought I'd post this small faux pas in case anyone else does this and then spends an entire afternoon trying to remove the air from the lines which doesn't exist!

A wise man once said that a man who says he never makes mistakes never made anything. Glad to hear you got it sorted.

John