i have the 99 sportsman 500...my friend used to work at a Harley shop and said if you take the master cylinder cap off, then the pads off and slowly compress the piston on the brakes with a C-vise, you can slowly turn it and this will keep the fluid from running out the M.C. ,then put the new pads back in, place cap back on M.C. and then pump the brakes and i will not have to bleed the brakes this way, think this will work or not??thanks

 

yes it will work just becareful not to push them back to fast can cause air pocket.