Maria's Annual Wheel Brake Circuit Flush

Today was Maria's turn to have her brake wheel circuits flushed with new brake fluid. You're supposed to do it once a year and I've settled on November for such tasks. This year I was also due to flush the ABS Control circuits (every two years) but they had to be done by the dealer when she was repaired in June so I am good to go for this year.

I'd already installed speedbleeders on Maria last year when I did the wheel circuits for the first time since I owned her. Here's a link to that operation.

Took me 30 minutes to take off the tupperware, gas tank and glove compartment. No issue there but I thought I'd show you the fuel line quick disconnects I recently had issues with. The Black one in the picture below is the stock quick disconnect, and the white one is the one I put in from my spares.

Notice I disconnect these things so that the male end of each different hose is on opposite ends, this way I don't cross up the hoses when I go to hook them back up. Same thing for the two hoses that go to the charcoal canister. Trust me, you don't want to cross them up.

Here's Maria with the tupperware and tank off, she's quite a sight isn't she without her plastic?


Here's a closeup of the ABS Control Unit on Maria, it looks a bit forbidding I'll admit but really its not that bad if you follow the guide I mention in the link above. Having the right instructions and tools are the key. Really, if I can do it, so can anyone else.


Here's a picture of what the level of brake fluid should be when you're done. If you leave it too low, you'll get ABS fault warning lights on the display panel and you'll have to take everything off again to fill it back up. If you over fill, it's designed ot be diverted via a hose to the ground.

The fluid reaches to the bottom of the white circle inside the well

By the way, if you drop the bike on her right side, fluid will probably leak out as well, so if you get ABS fault lights....that's probably why.

Oh, and the caps that go on top of the fill wells above, they've got FTE stamped on them. Not sure what the E is for but the FT is FINGER TIGHT! First time I did this operation, I thought the damn caps had to be on tight and I used a damn wrench. I of course broke it off and had to drive to Fort Collins and buy a $60 assembly which included the caps so I could replace it. So, finger tight only!!!

I didn't button up Maria yet, I might think of other work/checks I want to do while I got the tupperware and tank off. I'll do a test ride tomorrow but things look good, no leaks when I engage the brakes and no brakes fault lights.