It’s a Ducati thing. Many people have many different views on bleeding procedures and things but my Ducati rear brakes have always been the worst of any brand I’ve owned.
Pish... mines brand new and pish! Tried bleeding and still pish. Been told that’s what they are like.
We have a rear brake? I’ll check next time I’m in the garage. TBH, ownership of Italian bikes has taught me to ride without them.
The Panigale rear brake was actually ok. I’ve always used the rear brake a lot as I learnt to ride MX at a young age. Still trying to get used to the poor multistrada rear brake.
My 1260 S has no rear brake to speak of. It's the worst thing about the bike and might just be the cause of a short ownership experience.
I was surprised to find that the rear brake on the Enduro is actually OK? Assume it to be because the calliper is on top of the disc, rather than upside down as on my '10 plate S?
I took my rear caliper off, elevated it above the seat and bled it through. Was full of air. Perfect now.
Using a ducati back brake is like looking in your glass and thinking it is the the most expensive champagne you can buy..until you realise you put your glass down for a moment and a tramp pissed in it
My dealer said the linked braking systems meant that it was applied when I used the front brake, I wonder how much rear braking takes place then?
Just spent a few hours this afternoon doing the same as Siddo.... Loads of air came out which explains the poor performance. Flushed all the old standard fluid (less than a year old.!) and replaced with Motul High temp Race fluid. The rear brake is now superb..It actually works.!... . .
I will unbolt the calipers and elevate it and try bleeding again. The linked braking does work. I took the bike out and only used the front brake and when I touched the rear disc it was hot. My understanding is when the front brake is applied it linksnwithbthe rear, but if you then apply rear brake the rear becomes independent from the front until the next braking event.
That is encouraging although in my case the rear has been poor from new. I guess though, that the PDI doesn't necessarily ensure the system has been bled correctly? After you bled the rear as you described, have you been able to discern any difference in braking when using the front brake only? (I would like to understand how the linked system works - does it apply the rear to the point of locking the wheel, does it apply some 70/30 rule, or is it interfaced with the Skyhook in some very sophisticated way that uses a complex algorithm to determine the "perfect" amount of rear brake for the current situation?). When I am doing the braking on the rear, I know exactly what is happening, with other linked systems which I have had on many bikes (not Ducatis) I have still had perfectly usable rear brakes; I suppose that in using the rear independently I might also have been giving up some clever safety stuff that was otherwise in charge.
I fitted a brembo series oro disc, much better than the standard disc. Bleeding at the abs pump also makes a huge difference.