Ducati Multistrada 1200S Rear Brake Fix | Motul RBF660 Brake Fluid Change + Bleeding Actually Works!

Ducati Multistrada 1200S Rear Brake Fix | Motul RBF660 Brake Fluid Change + Bleeding Actually Works! #ad Here's what we used in this video (affiliate links). As an eBay Partner Network affiliate and Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases: Motul RBF660 Brake Fluid: https://ebay.us/okhUaB Brake Vacuum Bleeder USA Pro: https://ebay.us/IIOdOB Teng Tools Torque Wrench 5nm - 25nm: https://ebay.us/m6vVsK Thanks for supporting the channel! If you’ve watched any of the previous videos in this series, you’ll know just how much I enjoy riding this bike. It’s a 2011 Ducati Multistrada 1200S in Touring specification, and in my view it’s one of the most enjoyable and capable bikes I’ve owned. As the riding season approaches here in the UK, I’m working methodically through the full major service schedule so the bike is ready for many more miles on the road. In this video I tackle one of the items on the big service: replacing the brake fluid. The plan is to split the job into two parts, starting with the rear brake before moving on to the front system in a separate video. Changing brake fluid is one of those tasks that often gets overlooked, but it makes a real difference to braking performance and reliability, especially on bikes that are known to suffer from fading or inconsistent feel. Owners of the Multistrada will probably already know about the reputation the rear brake has developed over the years. When everything is fresh it works perfectly well, but before long many riders find the pedal becomes weak or almost ineffective. I’ve experienced it myself, even to the point where the bike would slowly roll backwards on a hill start despite having the rear brake applied. The commonly accepted explanation is that the rear brake line runs close to the exhaust, which means the fluid gets very hot and can degrade more quickly than you might expect. To try and improve things, I’m replacing the old fluid with a higher-performance racing specification fluid. It has a higher boiling point and should cope better with the heat in that area of the bike. While I’m doing the job, I also show the slightly awkward process required to bleed the rear brake on this model. The bleed nipple sits at the bottom of the caliper, which makes it difficult to remove air from the system unless you reposition the caliper itself. That means disconnecting the rear wheel speed sensor, undoing the mounting bolts and carefully moving the caliper so the bleed point sits higher up. With the caliper repositioned, I connect a vacuum pump to draw the old fluid through the system while keeping the reservoir topped up with fresh fluid. I also demonstrate a traditional pump-and-hold method at the end of the process to make sure no air is being drawn back through the bleed nipple threads. It’s a simple job in principle, but a few small details make the difference between doing it quickly and doing it properly. While the caliper is off the bike I take the opportunity to give everything a clean and check that the pistons and pads are sitting correctly. Brake fluid can be surprisingly damaging to paint and finishes, so it’s always worth rinsing the area with water once the job is done to remove any residue. During reassembly I also go over the correct torque settings for the caliper bolts and the various fasteners around the speed sensor, as well as an easy mistake you can make if you don’t notice the small spacers that set the correct gap between the sensor and the reluctor ring. Once everything is back together it’s just a matter of pumping the pedal to bring the pads back into contact with the disc and topping up the reservoir to the correct level. Even before riding the bike, the pedal already feels noticeably firmer than before, which is always a good sign. This video is part of my ongoing series working through the full major service on this Multistrada. There are still a few more items to cover, including the famous Ducati Desmo valve service, so if you enjoy practical workshop videos and want to see how this bike gets prepared for the season ahead, make sure you follow along with the series. For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: https://www.spannerrash.com/