Alright, so I picked up an '09 GS500F about a month ago, and aside from a problem I've been having with getting the bike to idle without stalling out, I'm loving my bike so far. The other day, I noticed that the front brake reservoir on my right handle bar was empty. Strange, because I haven't had any problems with breaking. I checked the rear reservoir under the seat and it's at a good level. I'm assuming I should probably change the brake fluid in the front brake to make sure that the fluid is at the right level, but I'm a newbie, so I don't really know exactly what I should do. I've attached pictures so that people can figure out what I'm talking about. I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I'd rather get the answer from you guys than pay a mechanic to take a look at it.

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Plenty of vids on Youtube on how to bleed and flush brake lines. I do suggest everyone does it after a couple of years. You would be surprised how nasty the fluid can get

umm... is that actually empty?... or just really clear fluid?

when i had my brakes done recently... the new clear fluid they used hardly visible for first week or so ..

you had the cover off to confirm its empty?

just checkin 

Baltimoregs did a vid on this im pretty sure in the video tutorial section. Many years ago I was told by a mechanic to flush brake fluid every 12 months religiously. My mechanic flushes both fluids every service as part of it all.

Your brake fluid is probably FULL....

For it to be empty one of two things....pads worn all the way down to nothing...and then if you put in new pads it will fill up the res again...

Or leak...and there would be evidence of leak...

But anyway change fluid every two years..
Cookie

If your brake lever is tilted down it will cause the level to read low, even if there is plenty of fluid.
You should still flush your brakes every year or two.

Whatever u do LEARN how to bleed the brakes to change the DOT4 fluid.....don't pay someone to do a  job u could easily do yourself.
Very soon i'll be trying this to aid in the process (combined nipple/banjo)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/400409651012?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

I'd open the reservoir and make sure it is empty first since brake fluid is indeed clear. If you have to bleed your brakes or what not then don't pay someone who knows how much to do it. It's a very easy process did mine for the first time last week without ever doing it before.

http://www.bbburma.net/HowTo/BrakeFluid_Replace/

Did it exactly how Kerry's website shows here and worked like a charm

okay so if it really IS empty, then what i would do is first unscrew the two screws holding down the cap on the top of the reservoir. Be careful not to strip them, cause this is some soft metal that was made to make these screws. After you take off the top, then take the rubber gasket thingy and set it aside. DO NOT LET DIRT GET ON THE RUBBER GASKET THINGY OR INSIDE THE RESERVOIR!!! then after you look inside and confirm that it is empty, then fill her back up with DOT 4 brake fluid. Once thats covered, then proceed to the calipers. This is located on the rotors on your wheel. The reason why im pointing you to this is because you are going to want to bleed the brakes just in case theres an air bubble in the lines.

There is a little spout with a plastic cap on it. This is the bleeder valve. Take the cap off the spout and get yourself an 8mm wrench. What you want to do is pump the front brake lever, hold it down, and SLOWLY twist the valve until the fluid comes out. Do this with the lever still down the entire time, because you dont want to put more air into the lines. With the lever still held down, tighten the valve back up. Rinse and repeat at least three to four times, and fill the brake fluid as needed.

After you bled the lines, then make sure the rubber gasket is clean. If not, then clean it with a soft cloth and rinse it in more brake fluid. Put the gasket back in the reservoir and replace the cap. When tightening the screws back up, make sure you be careful not to strip them. And thats how you replace the brake fluid and bleed the lines!!! 

Btw, make sure you check for leaks!! look at the hoses when you pull on the brakes, and check the calipers for any leaks. When i bought my GS, i had just the slightest bit of brake fluid leaking in between the calipers because the dealership i bought it from forgot to replace a seal when they were working on the calipers. Anyways this is probably more than what you wanted to know but i posted it just in case. Btw having this kind of knowledge can save you some money, especially when you replace the brake pads yourself, cause you would need to bleed out the lines after changing pads (well you might not need to but i do it anyways just to be safe. Remember, its these brakes that will stop you from getting into an accident!!)

Another tip, don't get the fluid on painted surfaces, it will strip the paint away. If you do, wash it off right away. If you get everything ready to go before you start, it's not so bad. I get rags, and simple green ready to grab if needed. I cover the areas around the reservoir and the calipers with extra rags or plastic to prevent drips. Follow the links the guys sent you and it is easy and cheap to do. 

Quote from: frylockjim on June 13, 2013, 02:28:23 AM
first unscrew the two screws holding down the cap on the top of the reservoir. Be careful not to strip them, cause this is some soft metal that was made to make these screws.

Not quite.......the heads become damaged simply because people choose to use the wrong tool to remove them 

See here........ http://www.vesseltools.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/jis-japanese-industrial-standard/view-all-products.html

The best thing to do after getting the those screws (and the ones in the rear reservoir) out is to throw them away and replace them with some slotted stainless ones like this



When you do come to bleeding do it with the engine running........the vibes agitate the fluid and help to prevent air bubbles becoming trapped.

And NO......I didn't believe it either until I tried it 

Quote from: sledge on June 13, 2013, 07:14:37 AM
When you do come to bleeding do it with the engine running........the vibes agitate the fluid and help to prevent air bubbles becoming trapped.

And NO......I didn't believe it either until I tried it 

Wow, good tip.  Haven't heard of that, but sounds logical I suppose.  Just be extra careful with getting the fluid on anything with the added vibration.

- Bboy

Quote from: sledge on June 13, 2013, 07:14:37 AM

Quote from: frylockjim on June 13, 2013, 02:28:23 AM
first unscrew the two screws holding down the cap on the top of the reservoir. Be careful not to strip them, cause this is some soft metal that was made to make these screws.

Not quite.......the heads become damaged simply because people choose to use the wrong tool to remove them 

See here........ http://www.vesseltools.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/jis-japanese-industrial-standard/view-all-products.html

The best thing to do after getting the those screws (and the ones in the rear reservoir) out is to throw them away and replace them with some slotted stainless ones like this



When you do come to bleeding do it with the engine running........the vibes agitate the fluid and help to prevent air bubbles becoming trapped.

And NO......I didn't believe it either until I tried it 

Definately gonna have to try this next time. And never thought of replacing the screws with stainless steel ones. Gonna have to put that on my to do list.

When you do come to bleeding do it with the engine running........the vibes agitate the fluid and help to prevent air bubbles becoming trapped.

And NO......I didn't believe it either until I tried it 
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Great tip! I'll have to try that next time.