R18 B Brake Fluid Flush Instructions?

[LCRC18B]

Hello,

Does anyone know the procedure to flush the brakes on our bikes? With no manual, I'm hoping someone with more experience than me knows if it's similar to a GS or another model?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 1344]

Hello,

Does anyone know the procedure to flush the brakes on our bikes? With no manual, I'm hoping someone with more experience than me knows if it's similar to a GS or another model?

Thanks in advance.

With ABS breaks I don’t attempt a flush. My first R1200c was standard so flushing was straightforward.

 

[MilwDave]

Hello,

Does anyone know the procedure to flush the brakes on our bikes? With no manual, I'm hoping someone with more experience than me knows if it's similar to a GS or another model?

Thanks in advance.

I don’t know why it would be any than any other bike.

 

[LCRC18B]

I don’t know why it would be any than any other bike.

Me neither, but the servo brakes on my r1150rt are definitely their own thing.

 

[enzo5000]

If you have access to a GS-911 device, it will do most of the work for you. Add a set of SpeedBleeders and it's a one man job.

Here is a how to video for a 1200GS. The R18 procedure is the same.

 

[nielsm]

Me neither, but the servo brakes on my r1150rt are definitely their own thing.

The servo brakes BMW had on earlier ABS systems did require special procedures for bleeding the brakes. But modern ABS like on the R18 is just like pre-abs.

Very fast to do on any bike now. Biggest thing to watch for is avoid splashing the brake fluid on the paint while you have the cap off the reservoir. Either squeeze & release the brake lever slowly to avoid splashing, or put the cover back on the reservoir while you bleed the brake. If you can’t reach the nut for the bleed nipple & the brake lever at the same time, you may need someone to help you, or a vacuum bleed machine.

 

[MilwDave]

The servo brakes BMW had on earlier ABS systems did require special procedures for bleeding the brakes. But modern ABS like on the R18 is just like pre-abs.

Very fast to do on any bike now. Biggest thing to watch for is avoid splashing the brake fluid on the paint while you have the cap off the reservoir. Either squeeze & release the brake lever slowly to avoid splashing, or put the cover back on the reservoir while you bleed the brake. If you can’t reach the nut for the bleed nipple & the brake lever at the same time, you may need someone to help you, or a vacuum bleed machine.

When I installed the beach bars with the extended lines I had to drain the reservoirs and refill them. The BMW installation instructions had me do something I had never done when bleeding brake lines. They said to simply fill the reservoir and slowly pump the levers until the bubbles stopped bleeding air out of the lines. I was skeptical but dutifully followed the instructions and guess what, it worked. I ended up with a stiffer lever than I had originally.
If you don’t have fuss with the bleeders after you drain the system it makes the whole process much tidier even if it takes a little longer to bleed all the air out.

 

[R2K]

When I installed the beach bars with the extended lines I had to drain the reservoirs and refill them. The BMW installation instructions had me do something I had never done when bleeding brake lines. They said to simply fill the reservoir and slowly pump the levers until the bubbles stopped bleeding air out of the lines. I was skeptical but dutifully followed the instructions and guess what, it worked. I ended up with a stiffer lever than I had originally.
If you don’t have fuss with the bleeders after you drain the system it makes the whole process much tidier even if it takes a little longer to bleed all the air out.

Nothing like a stiffer lever to know the job got done right!

 

[PaulP]

So do I need GS-911 device to flush the brakes?

 

[Nefiawy]

When I installed the beach bars with the extended lines I had to drain the reservoirs and refill them. The BMW installation instructions had me do something I had never done when bleeding brake lines. They said to simply fill the reservoir and slowly pump the levers until the bubbles stopped bleeding air out of the lines. I was skeptical but dutifully followed the instructions and guess what, it worked. I ended up with a stiffer lever than I had originally.
If you don’t have fuss with the bleeders after you drain the system it makes the whole process much tidier even if it takes a little longer to bleed all the air out.

Hey @MilwDave

Does that mean I should just simply empty out the system and then close the bleeder, refill the reservoir, and pump the brakes until all the air bubbles up out of the reservoir? Or do I do the usuall bleeding procedure with refilling reservoir and draining from the bleeder valve at caliper level?
Also, does that mean I should not worry about the lines that go to the ABS?

Thank you!

 

[MilwDave]

Hey @MilwDave

Does that mean I should just simply empty out the system and then close the bleeder, refill the reservoir, and pump the brakes until all the air bubbles up out of the reservoir? Or do I do the usuall bleeding procedure with refilling reservoir and draining from the bleeder valve at caliper level?
Also, does that mean I should not worry about the lines that go to the ABS?

Thank you!

Yeah, that is exactly what BMW recommends.
I had never used that procedure before and to my surprise it does work.
I’m not sure what you mean about the lines that go to the ABS.

 

[Star-Lord]

Maybe review the R18 B or TC Ape Handlebar Installation document (see attached), it's requires the brake and clutch lines to be replaced with longer lines; ultimately, needing to bleed any air from the system.

I remember watching a YT video on bleeding the lines, it looked simple enough.

 

[Nefiawy]

Yeah, that is exactly what BMW recommends.
I had never used that procedure before and to my surprise it does work.
I’m not sure what you mean about the lines that go to the ABS.

Having previously owned a K1200LT (trauma from the work needed to flush its brakes)
I assumed, not reading any R18 anatomy, that the line does not simply go from reservoir to caliper and that there is a connection in the middle to the ABS module.
Hence me bothering you all here about making sure the simple bleed is all that is needed for the R18.

 

[BER18 100]

Yesterday I installed longer hydraulic lines and had to pump the levers (for a long time) until the bubbles ceased. But when I took off for a ride, the clutch grab was right away. It is as if the clutch plate separation is barely enough to shift. Shifting is easy as always, just no lever release allowed before grab.
Do I not have enough fluid in the reservoir?

 

[MilwDave]

Yesterday I installed longer hydraulic lines and had to pump the levers (for a long time) until the bubbles ceased. But when I took off for a ride, the clutch grab was right away. It is as if the clutch plate separation is barely enough to shift. Shifting is easy as always, just no lever release allowed before grab.
Do I not have enough fluid in the reservoir?

Possibly after filling the new lines, it’s a simple check.

 

[MilwDave]

Having previously owned a K1200LT (trauma from the work needed to flush its brakes)
I assumed, not reading any R18 anatomy, that the line does not simply go from reservoir to caliper and that there is a connection in the middle to the ABS module.
Hence me bothering you all here about making sure the simple bleed is all that is needed for the R18.

When I swapped out the lines I followed the recommended BMW procedure to bleed the brakes. It’s been a year now and everything still work fine.
Remember brake fluid in the front brake and the BMW mineral oil in the clutch reservoirs.

 

[Ulrich]

Yesterday I installed longer hydraulic lines and had to pump the levers (for a long time) until the bubbles ceased. But when I took off for a ride, the clutch grab was right away. It is as if the clutch plate separation is barely enough to shift. Shifting is easy as always, just no lever release allowed before grab.
Do I not have enough fluid in the reservoir?

You may have still a tiny bit of air in there, air will compress ... hydraulic fluid will not ... as long as the reservoir is the highest point in the system that air will work its way up eventually ... IMO I would check the oil level in the reservoir until the clutch 'feels' right ... just to make sure you are not low. Nothing really bad can happen other than when it is way low, you could introduce some air into the line, then the clutch won't disengage properly and you would have to start all over again

 

[Miniworkst]

I’m looking to install the speed bleed nipples
Can someone tell me the nipple size please
Thank you

 

[Star-Lord]

Yesterday I installed longer hydraulic lines and had to pump the levers (for a long time) until the bubbles ceased. But when I took off for a ride, the clutch grab was right away. It is as if the clutch plate separation is barely enough to shift. Shifting is easy as always, just no lever release allowed before grab.
Do I not have enough fluid in the reservoir?

I experienced a similar issue when I swapped the stock handlebars for the Beach bars, which also required longer hydraulic lines.

I had to turn the handlebars in such a way, that it increased the angle of the clutch line, it was only after doing the above step, did I really start to see more residual air bubbles rising up to the reservoir when I pumped the clutch lever.

You'll have to try and make the clutch line a steeper slope or a more of an acute angle, without spilling fluid from the reservoir; this will assist the air in rising more aggressively towards the reservoir.

 

[MilwDave]

I experienced a similar issue when I swapped the stock handlebars for the Beach bars, which also required longer hydraulic lines.

I had to turn the handlebars in such a way, that it increased the angle of the clutch line, it was only after doing the above step, did I really start to see more residual air bubbles rising up to the reservoir when I pumped the clutch lever.

You'll have to try and make the clutch line a steeper slope or a more of an acute angle, without spilling fluid from the reservoir; this will assist the air in rising more aggressively towards the reservoir.

The angle that you set the bars in the risers will also come into play.