Read more about brake servicing on Common Tread: rvz.la/38goTSL

Wow, you actually made me feel capable of doing this...

Just an extra tip, when you’ve reached the step to refill your reservoir after bleeding the calipers, take a quick look at your brakepads. If they are worn, but not completely worn out, don’t fill your reservoir all the way. When you replace the pads, the pistons in the calipers will push back the brake fluid into the reservoir. The fluid needs somewhere to go.

Great guide. 2 important things to add: 1. Always use fresh bottle of brake fluid. You can't store it after you have opened it. 2. Use gloves AND eye protection. When you remove the hose there is a risk to get some splashes on you. Without eye protection this might not end well. Ask me how I know.

love the addition of ari and zack to the channel!

Good and entertaining video Ari! Little tip from me to owners of japanese ABS bikes: I had a SV 650 with ABS 2007, done the brake maintainance accordingly , even more often than recommented. 2 years after I've got the bike experienced ABS motor failure. I've got it exchanged etc. however I was dedicated on finding out what caused the failure. Turned out ... : When you flush you brake system the old brake fluid still remains in the ABS pump unless isn't activated, which isn't that common if you don't ride gravel or dusty roads. What happens is, what Ari explains that brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means that after 10 years in you abs pump the fluid looks like glaze from a burned pan, respectively corosion is being caused inside and soon or later causes issues on the sensitive components. When you flush your brake lines, go for a little ride, activate both abs circles ( front and rear) thus ensures that brake fluid from the abs unit has been transferred over the brake lines, which are flushed afterwards. Repeat the flushing procedure several times to make sure all the old fluid have circulated OR buy a BMW ! :D

I have bled many brake systems on bikes and this introduction to bleeding brakes is one of the best I have seen . Thanks for putting this up,there will be many watching this who have more confidence in doing the job for the first time . Well done .

One thing I learned is the dot next to the screw to identify the style of fastener, thanks. I always take a black plastic trash bag and cover up the tank along with paper towels, cheep insurance. I'm glad RevZilla picked up this guy, great addition to the team.

Thanks for the tips. Now I'm waiting for "how to bleed a hydraulic clutch".

Definitely helpful to see from a first person point I’ve view

This is a great video explaining how to bleed your motorcycle brakes. If you have an air compressor you might want to consider investing in a mityvac pneumatic operated fluid evacuator. The motorcycle shop I worked at had one and it worked so good I had to buy one myself. They will run you $100 but they are well worth it. When connected to compressed air they build a vacuum. You can use it to clean the reservoir and put fresh fluid in it to avoid sending any more old brake fluid through the brake system. They are also great for when the brake system has lots of air, like when you have changed out brake lines or calipers. It is one of the best tools I own for motorcycle work. They come with a nipple attachment that holds onto the bleeder for you, so once its connected to the bleeder you just loosen the bleeder and keep adding brake fluid at the reservoir until it has been fully bled.

Like the tip on punching holes in the new brake fluid container, but Instead of cutting an X on the side of the milk bottle, what about cutting it into the lid? That way you can use another lid and it's totally sealed when done, no tape required.

I like the tip on only punching holes in the foil. I can use that on alot of stuff. Thanks.

For anyone concerned about a few errant bubbles in their brake fluid... even after a flush... Refill the reservoir and seal everything as indicated in the vid'... AND just as a good practice, pump the brakes one last time and put a ZIP-TIE around the lever to hold it down... and give it at least an hour or two... You CAN leave the thing over-night, but I can also understand some hesitancy about that prospect... This helps with wrenching at any point on the brakes, too... like replacing a broken lever/master cylinder (like after a drop)... Obviously it does NOT replace the procedure of properly bleeding the brakes and flushing out fluid as prescribed... BUT if you accidentally let go of the lever, or slip up, and you simply can't carry on for a whole repetition of the thing... this helps mightily and may well save you from the excess frustration... I generally finish a flush/bleed procedure with a short ride, and then check the reservoir again JUST to be sure I was actually paying attention to every little thing and didn't so something dumb... inviting a leak or whatever... It happens to the best of us... BUT about a 5 mile jaunt will tell you how your brakes are operating and with some repetitive braking practice, you can put a little extra work/stress on the system... THEN when you park back at the garage, you can check the fluid. If nothing seems to be missing and you don't find any errant drips on wheels or fenders... the system is likely properly secure... That's when I go ahead with the pump up and ziptie trick, just to leave it over night and the brakes are (usually) as solid as they'll ever get in the morning... ;o)

Another quick tip: add some water to the receptacle to help keep it stationary on the shop floor or lift.

Thanks for making this video, Ari and the Revzilla team! I got the items I need to actually not be afraid of doing this and spending more money to have someone else do it! It's very much appreciated!

Amazing work as usual, Ari. Really appreciate the low tech approach, I'll do my next brake fluid change.

Ari, yet another 🔝 quality production, while being super relevant and helpful! Best channel for motorcyclist 🎥🎬🛠👍🏻

Great video Ari. Lots of great tips, especially the JIS screwdriver info.

I've this for years, and you added some great small tips that will save a lot of time. Thanks!

Thanks Ari, really great tips and even better production quality.

You just made my day, your video is so detail oriented that I was able to flush the brake system myself. Great video!!

Ace video straight forward and well demonstrated by Ari. Good work rev zilla this content of fun pizza then reviews then maintenance is top notch

Ari you frickin rule. I'm loving these videos. You explain this stuff in a way that even I can understand. I've muddled through this stuff before but made a fricken mess. Never would have thought of the milk jug x cut. Keep doing these videos and my old fz1 will be in top shape before long.

MUCH better than you older tutorials! Very impressed with your knowledge on this. 👏

Thank you for this walkthrough. I bled mine for the first time last month but I can definitely appreciate this video for the future.

Thanks man, fantastic video as always. Especially helpful to me because I have to change my brake fluid this season.

Love the first person POV! Super helpful, feels almost hands on.

Good to know! I'm learning how to work on my bike so these videos help a lot!! Thank you!

POV is absolutely the move. This makes it so much easier to understand and follow. Great video! Going to do mine tomorrow

Appreciate the video and explanation did my brakes first time and it was much easier than I anticipated !

Good video, simple, well explained and can give confidence to many amateur DIY bikers to do the job at home.

That was an amazing set of instructions on how to bleed the brakes. Thank you so much for making it so simple and the tips are amazing.

Best Brake Bleed Tutorial I've seen. Been doing this for quite a few years but I learned a couple of tips to help me do it even better.

That was one of the best tutorials on how to bleed motorcycle brakes. Clear, concise and brilliant tips. It was that good it has given me the confidence to have a go myself. Thank you.

Very complete, very clear and detailed with simple tools. THANK YOU.

Executive producer: ChrisFix

I could say that the review informative, fun, really well paced and probably one of the best reviews of any kind I've watch for a while. But what I really want to say - kudos to RevZilla management for snatching Ari Henning for their media. What a bright, talented young man with a real spark.

Thank you! Followed your instructions and it was super easy.

really well explained,clear and simple,with what we have to see clear on camera right on the spot! good job!

one thing he didnt mention, if you have a bleeder on your master cylinder start with that. i couldnt figure out what i did wrong since i followed the directions but still had a spongy lever that pulled allt the way into the bar until i noticed i had a bleeder valve at my master cylinder. run 2 full reservoirs of fluid through it, now it will be completely clean for when you do the lines. do the lines as normal then finish off again with bleeding the master cylinder before topping off. my lever now only has a perfect 1/2inch of play, are now STIFF with no sponginess and finally dont pull in all the way to the bars!

Super excited to start doing more maintenance on my cruiser this season. Thanks for the tips!

This is the best video I found on the topic. Followed the instructions, worked like a charm. THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! 🙂

Ari, I am impressed with the detail that your videos enlighten us with. Example- The JIS screwdriver. I didn't even know about them and I worked with Japanese co-workers @ Canon USA for 20 years! Also you mentioned the various metals in the fluid box, possible causing corrosion to watch out for. Excellent Shop Manual video!

Amazing How To video! And the different POV was even better!! Well done guys!! 👍👍

I just did my first brake flush on my Fz6. Was much easier than I thought! This video saved me some sweet cash!

Simple with attention to detail! what more can you ask for!! Cheers mate!

Awesome video, thanks. I'm doing this for the first time my bike this weekend so seeing there is litterally no different to a car a great

Great video, Ari. Thank you. Some really great simple tips that I never would have thought of.

Excellent walk through. Good tip about the hose.

I've nearly stripped the master cylinder screws on my CBR300R before I finally picked up a legit set of JIS screwdrivers on Amazon (and new screws from the dealer)

Best motorcycle channel on KZfaq! Thanks for all the helpful info!

Just got my first bike (new to me)! This video helped a lot! Thanks.

Looks simple enough. I was about to buy some needle pump that someone else ended up not using correctly so now at least I know I dont have to worry about doing it the simple way.

Awesome! I already changed the oil and now break fluid thanks to you. Monies saved! 🤑 Chain and sprockets next.

Nice straightforward procedure, sprinkled with a few tips of the trade that really make the difference in your daily wrenching. The aluminum seal trick did it for me.

i actually was having issues with my bike brakes, this comes in handy... thanks a billion!!

Excellent video reminding me that more often, simple is best. Thanks

Nice video Ari to show the new riders what to do! When I upgraded my Ninjas front and rear brake lines to Spiegler steel braided lines, I also installed "Speed Bleeders" on the calipers. Boy bleeding brakes is even easier and faster now when I do it!

Like the new perspective! Was waiting for the brake bleed video, thanks. Keep it up guys, awesome job!

Excellent tutorial!! Successful job done, DIY for me from now on. Thank you!

Thanks for the easy instructions, mate. Much appreciated.

Outstanding - really well thought through tutorial with all the important steps and tips given due prominence. Excellent. As good a tutorial as your vids with Zach were entertaining.

really enjoyed the video, wasn't too long nor short, very helpful tips here and there, will definitely be referring back to this when I attempt this on my bike in the future :D

You helped this girl out. I know a lot of my bike already but I never learned to do this. It might not be expensive but I love her all and I wanted to do it myself. For sure you got my subscription

Great video. I've been following you and Zack since before Motortrend. Love the content. Keep it up!

Excellent video. I’ve done countless brake jobs on cars but was hesitant to do it on my bike. You made is easy and helped me feel confident to do the job! Also saves me $$$ from having a shop do it, and is rewarding working on your own bike. Thank you!!!

thanks will be doing this on my sv650, was hesitant but this gave me the confidence i needed lol

Hi Ari Hinning I love your work man... Your videos are awesome and precise..

Awesome video as usual, Ari! POV is a great (if not the best) perspective for stuff like this IMO!

Very helpful tutorial, great video, Thanks a Lot!!!!

Excellent bro. I watched like six or seven videos before I found yours and I finally felt confident about being able to do this. I’ve done it now I’ll comment back to let you know if it worked. Lol

if you pull air in from the reservoir you can close the bleeder screw on the caliper and stick a flat head screwdriver in between the rotor and pad (gently) and pry open the pads which will send fluid back up towards the reservoir pushing all the air out of that end. Then fill the reservoir and continue as normal.

What a great video, I really picked some great tips. Thank you

Informative and well done, thank you!

Good stuff. Quite detailed. Loved how you share tips to keep the motorcycle spick and span during the process. Thanks!

Great Tutorial Ari thanks. Really appreciate the x in the gallon Jug tip. 👍

Haha I was just at the motorcycle store yesterday picking up fluids - oil, coolant, muckoff, etc - and was looking at the brake fluid thinking ‘I should really learn how to do that’, so great timing! I was put off by an overly complicated and messy process on my pushy a year or two ago, but this looks way more manageable than I thought ... if only I hadn’t just had my recycling collected lol

Great video. All steps nicely explained. I will use it next time I have to change my break pads

I actually did this on my dad's Honda which had really spongy brakes and I pulled it off without any problems. Thanks for the assist man.

Soooo helpful today, thank you Ari!

Great info and a nice change of perspective. Thank you, Ari!

Thanks for the knowledge and tips! The first-person point of view was really nice!

Excellent vid! That X in the bottle and upward loop were genius, never thought of that, add some weight to the bottle like someone else mentioned so it doesn't go flying. Mentioned everything I thought you'd leave out except making sure you get the res gasket seated before screwing it down. They can be old and dry on older bikes and better off with a new gasket.

That's super. I've been bleeding my brakes not the right way for years. I've been pumping the leaver locking off the bleed nipple at the same time. It works but it's tricky. Top video. Terry

Great tips on some of the commonly overlooked stuff.....order for calipers and master cyl, looping the drain tube up and small pour/air holes in the brake fluid container. I've bled brakes may times and I've learned from this video. I've used a reverse injection bleeder system several time with varying degrees of success and have reverted to this "pump and dump" that's worked every time. Stubborn part has been on the master cyl at the lever and sometime its necessary to loosen the assembly and rotate the cyl to completely remove trapped air.

Thanks for that, really some very practical tips - always a pleasure to learn from someone who has both the experience and the "I wonder if that would work better..." attitude - and the tips with the x'ed bottle (or bottle cap, I suppose) and the two holes in the container wil absolutely get put to good use! Another tiny contribution which helped me at one point, getting some nasty trapped air pockets out of a system that was hopelessly bubbled up after messing up my initial attempts, and just wouldn't come out, regardless of how many containers of liquid I ran through: Putting pressure on the brake system obviously compresses the bubbles, making them smaller and in some cases easier to move. So it may help to use a velcro or zip tie to keep the handle pressed over night, and suspend the calipers in varying positions to allow such air pockets to move towards the bleeder eventually. Took me two nights, but it eventually came out - so satisfying to finally see that bubble in the hose, like a nasty dry cough eventually coming loose :)

Ari, I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us. The view from the camera you implanted in your skull is amazing lol. I have referred to your videos for several projects over the last few years. Thank you very much

I definitely need to do mine on my 2007 Yamy. Thanks for the video

oh man, i gotta get a little hose! my VTX1800 is a bit more involved due to all the piping and all the fluid the linked brakes use, but as always, thank you Ari!

Great, effective instructions. Thank you.

Awesome video. Great view of the work. Easy to follow.

Thanks for posting, I'll be using this tutorial to service the brakes AND Hydraulic Clutch on my 2006 Yamaha Stratoliner S...

many clever tips. Great job!!

Really terrific perspective! Thx a lot for this lesson.

The best 'how to bleed your brakes' video I have seen. Great job, thanks.

Great stuff! I really appreciate this Ari! BRAVO - JB

Great instructional video ! Thanks !

Fantastic video, Ari and revzilla, thanks a lot!

Nice vid. I’m going to have a go this week. It never occurred to me that brake fluid was water soluble!