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Ok so I'm meant to be going to Kirroughtree in the morning. Just had the bearings changed to the bike has been sat in the spare room upside down for a bit (bloody months actually, didn't ride it over winter). I've just stuck the chain back on and set the gears up, get it the right way up, pull the brakes front is fine, back I get nothing, just straight back to the bars.
Any ideas anyone? I haven't got a bleed kit so I can't do that. I haven't got a spare brake. I haven't got any DOT fluid.
Is there a bike shop at Kirroughtree, is it any good?
Should I stay at home?
Leave it upright for a little while. Give the hoses a wee tap/rattle with your finger from calliper to lever. Ziptie the lever to the bars and leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the ziptie. It will probably be fine.
Do what TroutWrestler says, but loosen the reservoir caps off and leave it overnight. Overnight bleed.
As above, I hate turning my bike and m4's over for thos reason...
Could also pop the pads out and push the Pistons right back as far as possible to push the air into the m/c...
You will be reet ...
Thanks guys I've done that. Not loosened reservoir cap off as I don't have the requisite teeny weeny torx key.
If all else fails there's two bike shops nearby Kirroughtree so I'll just have to go to one of them.
Dot 5.1 (or 4 at a push) from a 24h garage, piece of rubber tube.
OP well know side effect of leaving the bike upside down for a while, had exactly the same on mine. Tips above should help but you may need a full bleed
This is the main reason I always recommend a bleed after shortening hoses, despite the general concensus that they don't need it as they still work. You've had air sitting harmlessly in the top of your reservoir until you've turned the bike upside down, at which point it's got into the pressurised part of the system, and is not so harmless anymore.You can tie the levers back as a temporary measure, but until they've had the air bled out (and diaphragm correctly rolled into place to prevent air being trapped), this is likely to happen every time you up-end the bike, whether it's in the workshop where you have time and tools to sort it, or after doing all the climbing at The Wall, and have no brakes, time, or tools for all the descending that you've worked so hard for 🙁
As an update had to do this again at the weekend, this time I also stood the bike on it's rear wheel to make sure the hose had a clear "upwards only" run as stood on it's wheels the hose has up/down curves in it so air doesn't easily rise to the top.
Tying the lever back overnight didn't work. Ended up having to take them Kirkcowan Cycles in Newton Stewart and they got them sorted for me. It also meant I could ride round Kirroughtree in glorious sunshine while it chucked it down at home. Bike is staying upright from now on, don't want to have to go through all that again!
@northernmatt damned if you do and damned if you don't. if the bike is kept the right way up for an extended period the front shock seals will dry out 😐
Good news you got it sorted and out riding though
They might eventually but I've got coil bombers with about 3 gallons of oil in, I always run a bit of lube over the stanchions after every clean as well (so not often).