I need to replace the brake line from the front master cylinder and the bleeder screw at the front caliper. This means I'll have to drain the system, do the work, refill it and bleed it.
I've read and been told by my local dealer (Scuderia) that if the ABS pump is emptied, or if air gets in there at all, bleeding the system normally does not work as air gets trapped inside the pump. In order to bleed it properly and get good brake feel the ABS modulator has to be connected to a KTM computer/tool which actuates it, cycling fluid and air through it. Do that a few times while bleeding and the system is solid.
The dealer charges $128/hr and I can't afford that at the moment, but I do need to service my brakes. So here are the options I've gathered:
1. Take it to the dealer, expensive but it'll get done properly.
2. Get the tool that actuates the ABS modulator and do it myself.
Does anyone have information on this tool? Where does it connect to the bike: at the ECU, at the ABS modulator, at the wheel speed sensors, at the diagnostics port? What signals does it send? How does it work at a high level? I am competent with electronics so if I understood how it worked, I might be able to design something myself that replicates the dealer tool's signals.
3. Fill and bleed the system as normal, take the bike to a slippery surface and at low speeds grab the brake, activating ABS. Do this a few times, bleeding in between.
I've read on an ADV forum that this works for the 990s with ABS. Has anyone here done this? Will this method, while more time consuming than actuating the ABS modulator in the shop, result in a properly bled system with good brake feel?
4. Use a pneumatic bleeder, similar to a Mityvac but it hooks up to compressed air for a stronger vacuum.
According to this CanyonChasers video the pneumatic bleeder's vacuum is strong enough to pull air and fluid from within the ABS pump and past it.
Can anyone confirm this will work? If so this looks like the easiest method with the highest chance of success.
I have a feeling that someone must have gone through this on a Duke without resorting to paying a dealer, considering how many people swap the MC for a radial one.
Thanks!
I've read and been told by my local dealer (Scuderia) that if the ABS pump is emptied, or if air gets in there at all, bleeding the system normally does not work as air gets trapped inside the pump. In order to bleed it properly and get good brake feel the ABS modulator has to be connected to a KTM computer/tool which actuates it, cycling fluid and air through it. Do that a few times while bleeding and the system is solid.
The dealer charges $128/hr and I can't afford that at the moment, but I do need to service my brakes. So here are the options I've gathered:
1. Take it to the dealer, expensive but it'll get done properly.
2. Get the tool that actuates the ABS modulator and do it myself.
Does anyone have information on this tool? Where does it connect to the bike: at the ECU, at the ABS modulator, at the wheel speed sensors, at the diagnostics port? What signals does it send? How does it work at a high level? I am competent with electronics so if I understood how it worked, I might be able to design something myself that replicates the dealer tool's signals.
3. Fill and bleed the system as normal, take the bike to a slippery surface and at low speeds grab the brake, activating ABS. Do this a few times, bleeding in between.
I've read on an ADV forum that this works for the 990s with ABS. Has anyone here done this? Will this method, while more time consuming than actuating the ABS modulator in the shop, result in a properly bled system with good brake feel?
4. Use a pneumatic bleeder, similar to a Mityvac but it hooks up to compressed air for a stronger vacuum.
According to this CanyonChasers video the pneumatic bleeder's vacuum is strong enough to pull air and fluid from within the ABS pump and past it.
Can anyone confirm this will work? If so this looks like the easiest method with the highest chance of success.
I have a feeling that someone must have gone through this on a Duke without resorting to paying a dealer, considering how many people swap the MC for a radial one.
Thanks!
