Thinking about installing chrome hand controls and Barnett platinum cables this winter.

My Indy told me they cannot bleed ABS brakes because they do not have a HD Digital Tech. He says they send the bikes to the local stealer at $80 a pop to get the ABS brakes bled.

Is there any way bleed ABS brakes without using HD Digital Tech?

Thanks for your help,

P.S. Damn, you can't edit a title to fix spelling.....

 

I think the short answer is no, you need the digital tech. $80 well spent in my opinion for peace of mind knowing it's done right.

 

+1
Need the DT.

 

Yes you can edit the title, you have to click the Go Advanced Tab.

 

I don't see why you cannot bleed the brakes yourself. I run a bodyshop and we do mechanical also. We bleed all abs brakes normally unless we are changing the ABS module.

 

I did my rear without using the DT when I replaced the rear brake switch.

And I know I got air in the system, including the ABS Module, because I f'd up when bleeding and inadvertently ran the master cylinder dry during the bleeding process.

The process I used that worked for me was... Mighty Vac to completely flush the system. I couldn't get a firm pedal using only the Mighty Vac. But I followed the Mighty Vac with the conventional pump-hold-bleed method and my pedal is as firm as ever.

If this will work for you, I can't say for sure, but it did work for me.

 

I don't think your brakes are any place to do a short cut. If the dealer will do it with the DT for $80 that's well worth it in my opinion.

 

We're not talking shortcuts here.

The brake pedal will either be firm, meaning the system is properly bled, or the pedal will feel mushy, indicating air in the system - regardless of how or who bleeds the brakes.

A simple 30 second test ride is all it will take to determine if there's an issue or not.

 

I would rather spend the $80 at the dealer instead of $100 for my Emergency Room deductible. Hey, 20 bucks is 20 bucks.

 

Good comeback. Pretty funny. And I'll save the $20 at every opportunity too.

But again, from a technical perspective, it's easy to determine if your brakes are bled properly regardless of the method or equipment used to bleed them so I can't see any relationship between an emergency room and the HD Digital Technician.