Modern Buddy

Brake Related:

Ok this is a new one on me. This afternoon I decided to take my scoot for a ride after being in hiatus for the last month and a half – I know, I know I’m a wimp but after all there is still snow all abouts but today is the first big melt, the weather is warm and I need to ride!
She starts up right away, been keeping the trickle charge on her, but I grab the front brake nothing!! The brake handle goes all the way to the floor/bar not a single sense of tension. I check around for leaking brake fluid, its dry. I see in the little crack the hydraulic reservoir it is on the low side but its been like that since I got her, the fluid looks clear and clean. I start pumping the handle – nothing. So I start taking apart the plastic panels to see what I can see but I decide to grab the brake and like magic the brake starts working again???
Sure now the brake is really mushy but it brakes again.

What happened?

That sounds exactly like there is air in the system - air bubbles will cause a soft brake, which will go away when pumped. The system should be bled and the fluid topped up to eliminate any air bubbles. I haven't had to do this on my wife's Buddy so I can't tell you where the valve is exactly, but it should be a simple job. I'll wait for some of the other mechanically inclined ones to chime is also

Dale.

I found out what my problem was – I was out of Brake Fluid.
Or at least the reservoir was nearly empty – the little expansion doohickey in the reservoir was fully expanded and there was only a trace of fluid remaining. When looking at the window on the side of the brake reservoir it still showed about MIN but after opening it all up and seeing how small everything is I think MIN really means empty.
Pumped out the old fluid put brand new fluid in, compressed the expansion doohickey, bleed the brakes and now she is ready to roll again – but a darn storm is coming in tonight - might have to wait to ride again.