I wanted to resurrect this thread, because looking at the photos posted, it seems the Strada's ABS lines preclude the use of any aftermarket bar risers. Is this the general consensus now? Any help would be much appreciated as I would like to add 2in. Rox risers to move the bars up and back toward the saddle a bit.
Know what you mean. Had the same problem.
Check out the last few posts on this page
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/pottering-around.39580/
The type/ brand/ model etc of riser (or "high bars") used is entirely irrelevant to the problem.
It's also an ABS-bike problem ONLY!
And as for bleeding the TR ABS system....nothing fancy at all, just bleed the wheel cylinders as per non-abs. It only takes a little longer as the fluid travels from the M/C a long way to the ABS unit, then from there forward again to the caliper.
The front brake line from M/C to ABS unit is a combo of flex braided line and fixed steel line with a factory-crimped joiner, which is placed next to the steering head tube. (and right on top of a second joiner , which is the ABS-> front caliper line). No surprise really, but there seems to be a fair bit of inconsistency in EXACT location + placement of that joiner, being responsible for how much/ little slack that last piece of braided line has to the master cylinder.
In my case , taking off the banjo bolt from the M/C connection made the hose uncoil and rotate by about 60deg , instantly giving about an extra 1/2 inch length. It never should've been fitted like that at factory assembly, the front brake line being under fairly vicious rotational stress even when the bars were straight....at full lock to the right, the braided line was trying to tear the crimped fitting around the steering head.
In hindsight, trying to raise the bars and discovering the coiled, tight-as-steel-cable brake line has prevented some major trouble lateron, that I'm sure of.
As for getting more length out of the line....I followed the routing of the rigid, tube part of the line, straightening out bends here and there a little, which all up resulted in ~1.5" increase in length, bringing the crimped connector further forward. While at it, I also gently rotated the line a little to offset the torsional twist of the flexible front section and line up the banjo fitting with the master cylinder thread.
Even at full right lock and with high bars/ risers installed, now there's no tension on the line at all. But having grown picky through the process of trying to fix that issue, I found that at full left lock, the flexible line is stiff enough to move the crimped joiner a little....and all that jiggling might...MIGHT...ultimately finish in material fatigue of the rigid tubing just behind that joiner....so I fabbed a little holding clip out of alum to clip the joiner to the headstem-tube more firmly, leaving it to the flexible line to make the required contortions instead. (now that it's freed of it's previous "twisted life")
In short....it can be done, but it takes some sussing out and keeping an eye on the big picture. Going by the Italian background of the product, each individual unit will require its own little methods and tweaks and throw up its own challenges.
Even heard of riser-instals that were as easy-as-pie and over+done with within an hour, no changes needed.
