These clever banjo bolts, with an integrated bleeder, made a huge improvement in the braking system on my Ducati Multistrada. I think the same upgrade could be applied to other bikes or cars with stubborn brake hydraulics.
The rear brake on the Ducati 1200 Multistrada is infamous for not being very effective, and a real PITA to bleed. Some riders report the rear brake won’t even hold the bike on a hill. Mine was unable to lock the wheel when removing the rear axle nut! There are a number of proposed cures, including really expensive brake fluid, heat-shielding the master cylinder and various contortionist methods of bleeding the rear caliper. My experience has been that removing the caliper to elevate it is not necessary if you bleed it at the ABS connection.
The high point of the circuit is at the ABS pump under the seat. I replaced the standard M10x1.0 banjo bolts with these Lefossi banjo bolts. These stainless steel banjo bolts feature a tapered-seat bleed valve and metal dust cap. I also found a suitable alternative available through Ali Express. Beware of cheaper styles that use an o-ring to seal the bleeder– a terrible idea because the o-ring shreds after a few cycles. It also worth noting the OEM hardware from Brembo, like that used on the front caliper, would appear to be a tight fit. The design of the bleeder screw on the Brembo banjo bolt is taller than these aftermarket pieces. Since the space under the Ducati’s seat is so cramped I’m not sure it will clear.
It only took about 15 minutes to install this upgrade. I immediately pumped a ton of air (and nasty looking brake fluid) out of the rear brake line. I also opted for Motul RBF600 brake fluid, with a respectable wet boiling point of 399°F. A few thousand miles later the rear brake is… adequate.
I seldom use it, but at least the rear brake will now hold the bike on a hill or slow me down in city traffic. My guess is there are other motorcycles that would benefit from adding bleed screws like this at the high point of the circuit.
