Tools
10mm flare nut or open ended wrench
Vacuum Pump, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Supplies
Brake Fluid

How do the brakes work?
The brake system in a car mostly consists of hard metal brake lines filled with fluid. When you push down the pedal you are moving a pushrod on the brake booster that pushes into the back of the master cylinder and forces fluid out of it and into the lines pushing on the pistons of the brake calipers which pinch the brake pads onto the rotor causing friction and therefore stopping the vehicle. A very reliable system and in theory also very simple.

Why do I need to bleed the brakes?
The brakes use fluid because unlike air, fluid does not compress when force is put on to it. However with age brake fluid will brake down and become less and less effective. Also small leaks in the line can allow in air, and as stated before if air is in the line the brakes will not be as effective. So in order to have the brakes work as effectively as possible the brake fluid must be clean and air bubble free.

When do I need to bleed the brakes?
If the fluid in your MC looks like coke than its time for a fluid change. Or if your pedal is really mushy feeling, than you might have air in the lines. Also brake fluid absorbs moisture and moisture in the lines means rust and you don't want that. So flush it out with new fluid. Also any time you open a brake line you need to bleed the brakes because you would have introduced air into the lines.

The brakes must be bled in the proper sequence...
Bleeding Sequence: 1 Passenger Rear, 2 Driver Front, 3 Driver Rear, 4 Passenger Front

Instructions for standard brake bleeding...
The standard bleeding proceedure is easy but requires 2 people to do. Use a hose on the bleeder screw and a bucket for the fluid to drip down into. All you do is...

Here are the Helms Manual instructions...
*The bleeding sequence in the Helms is different from what I use. I was taught to start farthest away from the MC, Helms starts close to the MC. I would use my bleeding sequence, but it probably doesn't really matter.

Instructions for bleeding with a vacuum pump...
If you are reading these instructions then you made the wise choice of buying a vacuum pump to bleed your brakes with. The vacuum pump makes brake bleeding a one man job and also a lot less of a hassle. Basically the vacuum pump will suck the fluid out of the lines. So to do this hook up the pumps hose to the bleeder screw. Make sure the bottle on the pump has some fluid in it to cover up the end of the hose (so it doesn't suck air). Now crack the bleeder screw and start sucking with the pump until you see clean fluid or no air in the lines. Once the fluid is good just tighten the screw back down, easy as that. Do this for the rest of the lines.