haven't looked at a HD ABS setup but on other vehicles with ABS, the master cylinder and calipers have nothing to do with the ABS..That works off a sensor on the wheel that tells the ECM that the brakes are applied and that the wheels are not moving.......????

 

Didital Tech is $80.00 Is that one made in China? Old generation cars needed the ABS to fire the plungers to get all the air. Harley is the same way. Not sure why someone has not figured out how. However from reading here only half the dealers know how. In the older generation the pump system if it were to get air into it you would not get it with normal bleading and when it did fire it would send the trapped air into the system. Not sure how the redesigned cars (my 04 and 05 both say normal blead method works) Maybe with Harley they just say it out of caution. The ABS is actually a high pressure pump. My son's old Blazer is the size of a 3 lb coffee can. My Toyota is no bigger then my fist.

 

I have ABS and have bled my brakes twice without any problems at all. I use the hand vacum pump and have a firm peddle. I also kept 160 bux in my pocket.

 

We don't use the Digital tech to bleed abs brakes. We are yet to have an issue with abs brakes that we have bled. No emergency room trips or anything.

 

My bike has ABS and when I needed to go with longer lines for clutch and front brake after installing 10" Z Bars I was told I had to have the dealer bleed them. I bled them myself, never letting the master run dry. 5,000 miles and no issues...



I was also told BY the dealer that it was "impossible" to make a longer ABS line...

 

When I changed bars I did everything myslef and changed over to new magnum shielding brake lines. The ABS lines run from the Master cylinder to the abs modual, then from the modual to the front brakes. I basically had to drain the lines completely, and disconnect at the ABS modual. I did not use a vacume pump and bled them myself. Took a bit of time but never had an issue with the brakes or the ABS light coming on. Even if you do something wrong it's not as though you dont have brakes. Bleed them until they firm, and worse case if your light stays on you can take it in have tech bleed it at the dealer.

 

IMO, NO! We're talking brakes.

 

As a couple other posts suggested, yes, it is possible.

I've done it a few times on my bike using the old fashion pump 'n hold method. Brakes worked fine and no "brake light" or sky falling in.

 

I responded to a similar post earlier in this thread.

Could you explain why no one should bleed their brakes if they don't have access to the Digital Technician? Is there some technical reason other than because HD says so? Simply saying "no" does not shed any light on this topic. What is the reason why?

There are many important systems on a motorcycle, or any motor vehicle, in addition to the brakes. Should none of those be worked on by an owner or anyone else who doesn't have every special tool or follow every published procedure to do the task? Of course not.

If you are technically capable of doing the work, and more importantly, ensuring the results of your work (regardless of the process used) then have at it.

 

I think if you inadvertantly ran the master cylinder dry when bleading the brakes, you would have to have the Digital Tech reset something or other.