Front Brake MC with Flat Bars

[ben]

I purchased a modified Fazer back in September and the previous owner put flatter bars on it. The front break master cylinder reservoir is not parallel with the brake lever. This means that now, when the bike is upright, the reservoir is sloped at an angle and not parallel with the floor.

I found out the problem with this the hard way. I went to drain the brake fluid while fitting new brake hoses. Took the cap off the reservoir and got covered in brake fluid. When replacing the fluid I had to lean the bike over to make sure I could put enough in without any spilling out.

Has anyone changed to flat bars? If so, did you do anything to make the reservoir level with the floor when the bike is upright? Maybe replace it with a different one from another bike? Or are you just careful when replacing fluid and bleeding your brakes?

[Gnasher]

Turn the handle bars and/or put it on the side stand, until the reservoir is level or as level as it can be.  It doesn't have to absolutely level, just so as you can see the min/max and that there's sufficient clearance from the edge when the cap is removed.   

[ben]

Unfortunately the reservoir is sloped towards the centre of the bike. So putting it on the side stand actually makes the angle worse. I had to lean the bike way over to the right just so I could fill it up to somewhere near max without it spilling.


I suppose it’s not too much of an issue. You can get just enough fluid in there to bleed the brakes, but you need to be super careful to keep it topped up. I’ve got plenty of rags and blue roll to wrap the bike in, just in case any fluid spills. It just annoys me that it’s not parallel with the bar  :lol


I'm tempted to try and find something off a different bike, but I'm not sure what would be suitable.

[Gnasher]

Mate, that doesn't make sense.  If the bars are flat the master cylinder shouldn't be angled that far downwards that turning the handle bars won't make it parallel, pictures would help here?  From what you're describing the bars are cow horn and angled up at the ends, which place the master cylinder at an angle when in the straight ahead position or am I missing something?

As mentioned pictures

[ben]

It's probably me not explaining things properly. Words are difficult  :lol Have some pics. All pics are taken with the ground at 0°, so the way the angles look in the pics are the way they are in real life (hopefully).


This is the bike on it's side stand:

And here's it on the centre stand:

So you see the reservoir is still and an angle, pointing down towards the centre of the bike.


Here's the MC when the bike is on the centre stand, so you can kinda see how the fluid sits in there:

You can also just about see the the MC is set at an angle to the mount and brake lever, so on a flat bar the MC wouldn't be parallel with the bars. Actually, looking at the bars, theyt aren't as flat as I thought. I've got some 758's that I'm going to stick on there soon. Maybe that will make enough of a difference.

[Gnasher]

As I thought they're not straight bars but cow horn, only narrower than standard with a set of risers fitted, very odd. I suspect crash damage as there's no firing either? 

If you pull the bars into the right while on the side stand it will level the master cylinder off might not be absolutely level but enough same while on the centre stand and/or loosen the clamps and pull the bars backwards which will help, just mark their position before you move them.  Or take the master cylinder off and clamp them to another set of bars or a rod/bar once topped up/bleed or whatever you're doing put it back on the bike. 

[ben]

There could well have been some fairing damage. It's was a project bike. The previous owner did a flat tracker/cafe racer style mod of it. I'll do an introduction post with a pic!
I pulled the bars to the right on the side stand. The MC was at the same angle as when the bars are straight on the centre stand (about 25°). The 758's are definitely flatter, so hopefully they'll make the difference.