LHRB install difficulty?

[rtf]

I think I’m ready to switch over to a hand brake kit. My KTM is on its way out and my other bike is an E ride pro with a hand brake that I ride more frequently. I’ve noticed when I switch over to the Varg my braking is noticeably off a bit.

My wrenching skills are decent but admittedly I follow instructions/tutorials when doing jobs. How difficult is getting the brakes bled afterwards and any special tools required?

 

[Theo]

Bleeding the brake is neither difficult, nor it requires special tools, but you need to be patient.
I use this pretty common method; they use that hose with a one way valve but you can just use any transparent hose that fits, like a fuel hose, just test that it doesn't get dissolved with brake fluid:

What they say @ 4:14 is very important and I'd like to explain the procedure better:
1- fill the reservoir
2- squeeze the lever and hold it squeezed
3- open the bleeder valve just a bit until the lever starts moving more
4- close the bleeder valve before the lever touches the handlebar
5- release the lever
6- check that the reservoir is not empty and refill it before it becomes empty
and repeat until the lever feels normal and you don't see any more bubbles in the hose.
At the beginning the lever will feel pretty soft and it will take some time until it starts to show some resistance, be patient.
If you can't reach the lever with one hand and the bleeder valve with the other, you need someone to help you; in that case, it would be best if you use the lever and the other person operates the valve following your instructions: «open», «close», «open», «close»... .
Then I suggest that you test the brake in some safe area to see whether the stopping power is adequate. The LHRB needs some effort to lock the wheel but you should be able to do so.

 

[rtf]

Bleeding the brake is neither difficult, nor it requires special tools, but you need to be patient.
I use this pretty common method; they use that hose with a one way valve but you can just use any transparent hose that fits, like a fuel hose, just test that it doesn't get dissolved with brake fluid:

What they say @ 4:14 is very important and I'd like to explain the procedure better:
1- fill the reservoir
2- squeeze the lever and hold it squeezed
3- open the bleeder valve just a bit until the lever starts moving more
4- close the bleeder valve before the lever touches the handlebar
5- release the lever
6- check that the reservoir is not empty and refill it before it becomes empty
and repeat until the lever feels normal and you don't see any more bubbles in the hose.
At the beginning the lever will feel pretty soft and it will take some time until it starts to show some resistance, be patient.
If you can't reach the lever with one hand and the bleeder valve with the other, you need someone to help you; in that case, it would be best if you use the lever and the other person operates the valve following your instructions: «open», «close», «open», «close»... .
Then I suggest that you test the brake in some safe area to see whether the stopping power is adequate. The LHRB needs some effort to lock the wheel but you should be able to do so.

Thank you for the detailed response. That helps a lot. My next question is this. Is the kit that Starks sells the same between the MX and EX?

Lithium powersports is saying the kit fits both but it’s a different part number and price on Starks website?

 

[FreddyFugazi]

Maybe I'm just an impatient SOB, but it never made sense to me to force air bubbles to go against gravity. I use a syringe to push the fluid from the bottom up and find it much easier and faster. You can get the syringe you need at tractor supply or similar.

 

[Theo]

That's another common method.

It has just occurred to me that I haven't pointed out how important it is to make sure that no brake fluid end up on the brake pads because, according to some people, if that happens it can leave a residue that makes them slippery and that is hard to remove. This piece of advice should be followed regardless of the technique used. Being careful and putting some rag or paper towel onto the caliper just in case should be enough.

 

[AbnormalWrench]

I had no luck bleeding the rear brake the old fashion way. Had to push fluid through the caliper to get a decent lever. A lot of master cylinders on newer bikes are finicky and just won't work without it.

 

[Theo]

Well, I've successfully used the old fashion way but only with other bikes: I've never bled the LHRB of the Varg; I just assumed it would have worked, without having ever done it. Now that I think about it, it also has a pretty long brake line.

 

[AbnormalWrench]

It is the type of master cylinder that determines whether you can do it the old fashion way or not. Length of hose and size of calipers don't matter. I had the same problem with my KTM clutch - you could bleed that thing all day long, it would never get a lever.

 

[rtf]

All good stuff. Will definitely make it easier for me. Is anyone else aware of any differences between the mx and ex LHRB kits? The price difference from Stark is about 45$.

 

[svtride]

Maybe I'm just an impatient SOB, but it never made sense to me to force air bubbles to go against gravity. I use a syringe to push the fluid from the bottom up and find it much easier and faster. You can get the syringe you need at tractor supply or similar.

BINGO!..I reverse flush the system of air…works great.

 

[Theo]

It is the type of master cylinder that determines whether you can do it the old fashion way or not. Length of hose and size of calipers don't matter. I had the same problem with my KTM clutch - you could bleed that thing all day long, it would never get a lever.

Do you have the Formula or the Brembo master cylinder?

 

[AbnormalWrench]

Do you have the Formula or the Brembo master cylinder?

I don't see any obvious indication. There is a number on it, 5A16X