I’ve been meaning to post this for a while but just not had the time. I’m quite (ok very) short so the Street Twin was an ideal choice especially with the light clutch action. I injured my hand with a bread knife slicing 90% through a tendon. Had to have a cast on for quite a few months so ended up with a weak wrist/grip. Having short arms I was still putting too much weight on my wrists so I needed to raise the bars and bring them back slightly. Tried spacers which gave me about 20mm extra height but not enough. I bought some risers off ebay but the hydraulic brake hose would not reach and I needed a longer one. The clutch cable was swapped for a standard Scrambler cable which is approx. 30mm longer. Now while I am not averse to stripping and rebuilding bikes I was a bit concerned about bleeding the brakes with the ABS needing a Triumph diagnostic tool to complete the job. So I decided to let the triumph dealer do it. They quoted £600+ because the swinging arm has to be removed to access the ABS modulator. Time for a rethink! After some thought (and aching wrists), I came up with the idea of a short extension to the end of the original hose. Got a local company to make it (BrakeQuip Chorley, £20) The first version made from braided hose was too big. The second version was just right. The guys at BrakeQuip were very helpful – can’t thank them enough. The plan was to just drain enough brake fluid so that no air got to the modulator and when assembled back bleed from the front callipers. EASY… Ha! no way was it going to be that easy, I must have bled dozens of cars and bikes over the years and I have never had so much trouble as I’ve had with this. I was almost at the point of throwing it in a van and letting the dealer sort it. Back bleed – no, vacuum bleeder (bought just for this) – no, normal bleeding – no. Must have gone through a couple of litres of fluid. The mystery was that even though the back bleeding was pushing fluid into the reservoir, there was absolutely no resistance in the lever it just pulled loosely back to the bars. After several days of frustration and perseverance, I got a little pressure but very spongy. I decided to try something that I had read somewhere about binding the lever back to the bars and leaving it overnight for the air bubbles to “rise to the surface (reservoir)”. It improved and with a bit more bleeding and binding it for a second night it finally worked, but I still don’t know why it was so difficult to bleed. Took it to the dealers for a check over and they seemed to think it was ok. The only thing left is to paint it black, something I should have done before fitting. The riding position feels much better for me but I haven’t had the chance to do any distance on it since completing the job. JB
Hey, JB, Good pictures and documenting what you've done. I am also looking to bring the handlebars up by a few inches, but I've ordered higher bars (~100mm rather than the stock of ~45mm- I think) instead of risers. So, to tackle the brake line, I have gone along with re-routing the brake line along the right hand side of the bike. It definitely gives you another inch or so, probably similar distance gained to what you have achieved using the novel double banjo-bolt set-up. I wouldn't worry too much regarding the bleeding (provided you don't get too much air into the top part of the brake system near the reservoir). I found it easier to attach a syringe to the bleed nipple on the front caliper and use positive pressure to push air back out into the reservoir. If you find me on Insta (same name) then I've posted pictures with my efforts. Regarding the clutch line, Im hoping I have enough length, but if not, I was thinking of the same as you and going for scrambler line, or the America for a lot more length.
