All,
This may help some and be of interest to others.
I debated long and hard about fitting SS brake hoses to the front brake on my Commander this winter, having been told that SS hoses make the feel of the brake "wooden" and finding that Andover have in stock a full set of original hoses at reasonable prices I decided to fit the new hoses from Andover. I also overhauled both calipers with spares from Yambits and once all was boxed up the fun started, by fun I mean priming the master cylinder, I have had problems before when renewing brake fluid but nothing like this time, perhaps the system sat too long with no fluid, but would it prime would it hell, I tried everything in the book.
This evening I had a breakthrough, I refitted the old master cylinder hose and put the loose end in a container of brake fluid, working the brake lever a few times the master cylinder primed and worked as normal, I refitted the new hose to the MC and found I had lost the prime again, I then refitted my brake bleeding kit, an oil feeder filled with DOT 4 and length of small bore hose connected to one of the caliper bleed nipples, I held the brake handlebar lever full on with elastic bands, cracked the union at the MC bled off the air re-tightened the union then keeping the oil feeder pumping worked the brake lever and hey presto the MC primed. I then bled both calipers for good measure and left the brake working normally.
I hope the above helps others who have or have had problems bleeding their Master Cylinder.
Tony