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I've heard people complain about how hard it is to bleed the brakes. Some people fill the system from the bottom (caliper bleed nipple). This really only works without a big mess if the system is completely empty. I use a method that's not particularly quick but fairly simple to do. Just be patient. I use a two-part principal for brake bleeding. It's a combination of pushing the air out of the caliper and letting the bubbles rise to the master and escape the system at the reservoir. Run a hose (see-through is nice) from the brake caliper bleed nipple to a catch jar and crack open the bleed nipple one quarter to a half turn.Refill the master reservoir and, from now on, never let it pump or bleed dry. Gently pump the lever (short strokes, a quarter to half inch) and observe the bubbles in the reservoir and or fluid/bubbles at the caliper bleed. Sometimes you have to jiggle the brake lever to get the master to prime. Turn the bars to the left slightly so that the hole in the master reservoir is the highest part of the system and air bubbles will rise naturally to this point. Now, the hole is too dang small for the large bubbles to push out through the tiny hole against the weight of the fluid so very short strokes with 10 -15 second pauses between them should push large bubbles out the tiny hole in the reservoir. At some point you'll notice fluid running out the tube at the caliper. Close this off to the point of a trickle or very slow drip. You want to avoid putting high pressures in the brake hydraulic system until most, and ideally, all of the air is out of it. If you do it too soon the large bubbles in the system turn into a whole bunch of tiny ones that don't move around to the exit points very fast. When you stop getting any air out of either of the exit points. Stop. Close off the caliper bleed and wait a full minute. Go get a fresh cold one. Visit the rest room. Clean and put some tools away.Vacuum the living room. Have a snack. Stare off into space thoughtfully.Now go back and gently stroke the hand lever. Did you get more bubbles? Stroke gently until no more bubbles. Turn the bars to the right. Leave it alone for awhile again. Go cut you fingernails. Throw out some old junk mail. Have another cold one. Turn the handlebars back to the left. Wait a minute for bubble in the system to rise to that exit hole... Now gently stroke the hand lever again. Did you get more bubbles? Repeat the above processesuntil you can't get anymore bubbles out after sitting for awhile. Then put pressure on the brake lever slowly (or you'll get brake fluid on the ceiling) when the piston and brake pad move out to contact the disk you should get a hard brake lever. This is good. If it still feels spongy, you didn't get all the air out and tiny bubbles should pop out of the reservoir hole as you short stroke the lever. Keep it up until you get a hard lever. Or, wait until morning for the air to collect at the master reservoir hole. But, remember to keep the hole at the high point of the system. The above has ALWAYS worked for me.
