Have not posted in quite awhile, but have a question.
Recently did a service on My 2012 250. Oil, filter, valve adjustment, chain adjustment and lube, etc. I want to flush the brake fluid out and install, new after 10 years. I have a vacuum brake bleeder I used on cars and trucks. Will this work on these small bikes, or should I just pump the brakes.
Thanks for in advance for your comments.

The vacuum bleeder will work just fine. Be careful not to run the reservoir dry, it's pretty small.

Did mine last year, it wasn't hard at all by myself and didn't take long either since its such a small system. Cracked open the bleeder at the caliper and just let it dribble into a jug while I kept the master filled. Think I was done in about 10 minutes with just gravity flow.

Finally did this. I guess it was about time since brake fluid looked more like coke. Did it the old way, pump, hold, bleed. Went well and everything works. Will do it again later this year. Changed oil and filter and two new Shinko 705's with HD tubes. Ready to go for this year. Looks like March will be cool here in Maryland, but I am ready to get out!

People have come up with all kinds of complicated ways to bleed brakes. I've found that, especially on motorcycle brakes (real brakes, not computer brakes) the easiest way is simple gravity bleeding. Open the bleed screw and place a container under it. remove the master cylinder cover, and keep the master cylinder at least half full of fluid. The fluid will dribble out through the bleeder screw. Just make sure the master cylinder never runs empty. When there is enough fluid in the container under the bleeder screw to equal 2-3 times the capacity of the system (to make sure all old fluid has been flushed out) close the bleeder screw, fill the master cylinder to the proper level, put the cover back on, and the brake should work perfectly. I have bled dozens of motorcycle brakes this way, as well as many non computer car brake systems, and it has always worked perfectly. On a car it can take a while. But since fluids always run downhill, and the master cylinder is always higher than the caliper/wheel cylinders, and assuming you never let the master cylinder run empty, there is no way for air to get into the system.

I've used a slightly different method on my XTs. Get some tygon tubing that will fit snugly over the bleed nipple. Push that over the nipple and return the other end to an elevated plastic cup with some fluid in it. Open the bleed valve. Feed the master cylinder with clean fresh brake fluid and carefully pump that through the system. Keep that going until the exiting fluid is clean. Take the open end of the tygon tube and submerge that into the master cylinder's reservoir. This recirculates fluid and works as an air separator. Add fluid as needed to keep the reservoir properly full. Depending on how adept you are when transferring the tube from cup to reservoir you may lose a small amount of fluid. That will need to be made up. If bubbles appear in the tube, continue pumping them out. They will exit in the reservoir and float to the surface. Keep the tube submerged all the times. When all the air bubbles are gone, close the bleed valve. Drain the tube into the cup. Button up the reservoir cap.

I'd done tons of mountain bike brake systems this way which are a HUGE PITA for a lot a reasons I won't go into. I simply transferred the method over to the XT which is much simpler. As always, use the method you're most comfortable with. On mountain bikes, dripping fluid out a bleed valve can perpetually ingest air on the back stroke of the master cylinder. With the hose you can see fluid reverse flow. If the hose end is submerged then a back flow sucks in fluid not air. Bubbles escape and float to the surface. Eventually all the air is gone. Hydraulic brakes on mountain bikes usually use mineral oil. Work safely.