[ksbaltz]

You won't see fluid loss at the handle cylinder when bleeding the fittings at the brakes. You should see fluid drop in the reservoirs on the right side of the bike when you start to drain the fluid.

The master brake cylinder on the handle bar is part of the brake circuit that runs from the handle bar and also the foot brake lever to the ABS circuit under the seat.

You have closed circuits on this bike. The brake levers activate the ABS circuit for front and rear, but there is a separate circuit from the ABS controller under the seat to both the rear and the front brakes. There is no continuos brake fluid circuits from the activating levers to the front or rear brakes. You could, while on a trip loose your rear brake fluid to the rear brakes but not the front and also not in the ABS controller between the activating levers.

That is why you are not seeing any fluid level drop at the handle bar when bleeding the rear brakes circuit or front brakes circuit at the brake pads. That is why when bleeding at the brake pads you are monitoring the reservoirs to the right side of the passenger seat cause that is where you will refill the brake bluid.

You will refill the brake fluid at the handle bar when you are flusing the ABS Circuit. A tip. Put your bike on the center stand. Remove the handle bar reservior cap and place a quarter over the hole that you can see in the bottom of the reservoir. The quarter will keep you from squirting fluid all over the bike when you squeeze the brake lever. Remember to remove the quarter before replacing the reservoir cap.

 

[ksbaltz]

Don't syphon out any fluid from the handle bar reservoir. I have a 2002 also. The bleeders for the circuit -handle bar to the ABS control circuit are on the ABS control unit under the driver seat on left side of bike when facing forward. The rear brake control circuit from the lever to the ABS is in the same location (ABS control unit under the seat). You do not at any time want air to get in any of the brake circuits. If you do you will cause an ABS fault to occur which requires a trip to the dealer for them to reset or if you have a GS-911 you can read and reset yourself.

You want to bleed the fluid out of the bleeder on the ABS control unit to flush the master brake cylinder on the right handle bar. You do this separately for both front and rear circuits to the ABS controller.

The actual bleeding or flushing for the wheel circuits are what are filled on the right side of the bike, under the passenger seat.

I bleed/flush the wheel circuits( front and rear) first and then bleed the master cylinder to ABS controller circuits last.

You never syphon any fluid out of the Master Cylinder reservoir on the handle bar and you never let the fluid level empty out of either of the reservoirs.

 

[ksbaltz]

Here is the link where BMW shows the different circuits and explains Intergral ABS.

http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7191