It’s time to bleed the front brakes, the fluid smells vinegary and there is some dirt around the cap to clean up. I flush the system through and put fresh fluid in.
While bleeding the front brakes I have another WTF moment, as I spot another problem!
This time, it isn’t something menial that has the potential to ruin the engine like the previous carb issues or potential oil feed blockage, no, this time, it’s the brake hose banjo bolts! I’m bleeding the brakes and I see leakage from the banjo.
I barely touch the hose end and the fitting spins. The same on the other side. Both hoses are barely finger tight!!!
Once again a reminder of why I do my own maintenance, it’s frightening to think in the last 200 miles this bike has had a service, a sales preparation and an MOT by a reputable bike specialist that even sponsors a race series! Between the nick in the rear brake hose covered by tape and the loose front hoses, coupled with the failed rear master cylinder, any one of these could have been very dangerous but all at the same time wouldn’t bear thinking about! I ordered some new copper washers for the banjo’s and fitted them.