brake question

[jtrip]

hey guys i just bleed my brakes and i was looking at basscliffs website and read that i could put a rope around the handle over night to make it fill better im guessing tighter but it really didnt go in dept with do i need to leave the brake reservoir cap off or leave it on ? or what i need to do also would this run a risk in making the caliper lock up ? has anyone here done this and what did yall do?

[Steve]

Put a loop around the handlebar, pull the brake lever as far as you can, start wrapping around the lever and the handlebar. Tight is good, but not necessary.

The ONLY time to have your reservoir cap off is when you are adding fluid. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, so the longer you have it exposed, the more moisture it will absorb.

Can't imagine why this would make the caliper "lock up".

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[jtrip]

ok cool just a question . as far as the caliper i was just making sure old parts just didnt know . also how tight should the grip be on the brakes what i mean is when i pull the break should it go 1/4 of the way and be really tight or 1/2 the way and be tight

[Steve]

A lot of that will depend on how flexible your OLD brake hoses are.

Many of these bikes (TOO many, actually) still have the original brake hoses on them. In the owners manual and the service manual, Suzuki recommended replacement every two years. As they age, they can stretch, which will absorb the pressure from the master cylinder. That means that you will have to pull farther to get effective pressure at the caliper. Newer brake lines, especially the Teflon-lined stainless lines, don't flex nearly as much (if any), so it won't take very much lever travel to do the work.

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