I am thinking of ordering a set of SLX brakes from Germany, but obviously the levers will be on the wrong side. Is it just a case of unscrewing the hoses, swapping the levers and re-bleeding or is there any other hidden secrets I am not aware of?

Its as simple as you suggest! Just unscrew and rebleed.

Cheers 🙂

Are the new SLX brakes easy to bleed?

You might not need to re-bleed even. I’ve swapped 3 sets of XT without needing to.

Got some SLX brakes recently. I took the hose out, cut to length, popped in the new insert and olive (included) and swapped them over to the right way round without needing a bleed. Cushty.

Ah does the fluid just stay in the various bits then? Sounds good! I’m more tempted to spend money now!

Is there a special way of not losing the fluid?

I’ve not needed a special technique. I just cut the hose to length, swap left and right hoses, attach the new the olive and tighten everything up. I think there’s a Shimano guide for doing this on their website.

I run euro anyway just put them on as they came 🙂

The capillary action is enough to keep the fluid in place and negate any bubbles – mostly. Seems to work on most hydraulic brakes.