Brake Fluid

[Yorick]

I never had brake problems in 15 years of hauling down 14 stones of gorgeous Yorkshireman from 150 at least 100 times a day.

All on Dot4

Were your leathers filled with helium?

I'll get you at playtime.

[Mr. Dazzle]

TBF though, if you are gonna experience an issue, it's likely to be the brakes suddenly not working very well 'cause the fluid is boiling - not really the sort of thing you want to encounter when you're not expecting it

I doubt in the real world outside of a trackday that ever happened to anyone.

No, probably not!

I was more thinking of the counter argument to the "if it ain't break" view point. If it is broke, you ain't gonna know about it until it's too late!

I've always changed mine at the same time as the pads pretty much (not doing trackdays though, so that's much more infrequent). It's such a small thing to do and the consequences of it going wrong - however unlikely that is - are so high it's an easy decision for me.

[dern]

I change mine every year and at least twice a year on the track bike.

I'm sure it's fine to leave it longer but it takes ten minutes, keeps the performance tip top and stops the components manking up.

[Yorick]

I've had the GSXR about 3 years now and thinking about trashing the ABS.
Will get the fluid changed then

[dern]

I was more thinking of the counter argument to the "if it ain't break" view point. If it is broke, you ain't gonna know about it until it's too late!

Yeah, the last thing you want to experience when it comes to brake maintenance is regret

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'd love to know how people do a complete brake fluid change on a modern superbike in 10 minutes, I don't think I could do the front brake on a 250 LC in 10 minutes.

[Yorick]

I'd love to know how people do a complete brake fluid change on a modern superbike in 10 minutes, I don't think I could do the front brake on a 250 LC in 10 minutes.

I could do an LC or GSXR in less than 5 mins.


Edit. The current gsxr has bleed nipples on inside, so maybe 10 mins.

[weeksy]

I'd love to know how people do a complete brake fluid change on a modern superbike in 10 minutes, I don't think I could do the front brake on a 250 LC in 10 minutes.

Mityvac

[Ditchfinder]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've got one, it's a bit shit, it's very good for syphoning petrol out of a bike into the lawn mower, so not a total waste of money.

[MrLongbeard]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've been looking.
Apparently they're all crap, mostly because the rubber adaptors don't seal on the bleed nipple so you don't get a good vacuum and so they don't work.

I'll be going for one but putting a piece of silicone hose between the adaptor and bleed nipple what for getting a good seal, that should do the job.
What can't be sucked out without cycling the ABS block can stay as far as I'm concerned, that little bit shouldn't contaminate the new fluid that much

[Ditchfinder]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've been looking.
Apparently they're all crap, mostly because the rubber adaptors don't seal on the bleed nipple so you don't get a good vacuum and so they don't work.

I'll be going for one but putting a piece of silicone hose between the adaptor and bleed nipple what for getting a good seal, that should do the job.
What can't be sucked out without cycling the ABS block can stay as far as I'm concerned, that little bit shouldn't contaminate the new fluid that much

Let us know how you get on - I don't have ABS to worry about on my relics

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've been looking.
Apparently they're all crap, mostly because the rubber adaptors don't seal on the bleed nipple so you don't get a good vacuum and so they don't work.

I'll be going for one but putting a piece of silicone hose between the adaptor and bleed nipple what for getting a good seal, that should do the job.
What can't be sucked out without cycling the ABS block can stay as far as I'm concerned, that little bit shouldn't contaminate the new fluid that much

This is exactly the problem my one has, and air ends up getting sucked back into the caliper, tried the silicone hose thing, didn't work, there's too much suction.

[MrLongbeard]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've been looking.
Apparently they're all crap, mostly because the rubber adaptors don't seal on the bleed nipple so you don't get a good vacuum and so they don't work.

I'll be going for one but putting a piece of silicone hose between the adaptor and bleed nipple what for getting a good seal, that should do the job.
What can't be sucked out without cycling the ABS block can stay as far as I'm concerned, that little bit shouldn't contaminate the new fluid that much

Let us know how you get on - I don't have ABS to worry about on my relics

Will do, if I remember, it's not something I'm planning to do until at least the end of this season

[MrLongbeard]

Do the £20 kit vacuum pump bleeders on Amazon work just as well?

I've been looking.
Apparently they're all crap, mostly because the rubber adaptors don't seal on the bleed nipple so you don't get a good vacuum and so they don't work.

I'll be going for one but putting a piece of silicone hose between the adaptor and bleed nipple what for getting a good seal, that should do the job.
What can't be sucked out without cycling the ABS block can stay as far as I'm concerned, that little bit shouldn't contaminate the new fluid that much

This is exactly the problem my one has, and air ends up getting sucked back into the caliper, tried the silicone hose thing, didn't work, there's too much suction.

I'll give it a go anywho, I've got some pretty thick walled stuff that should stand up to it

[DefTrap]

If it's just a flush, then I can do it both ends of the bike in 10 minutes with this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200345014236
With the system empty it's slightly more tricky but not overly so

[Yorick]

If it's just a flush, then I can do it both ends of the bike in 10 minutes with this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200345014236
With the system empty it's slightly more tricky but not overly so

I used to have one of them. Cool things.
Last time I just put my thumb over the end

[dern]

I'd love to know how people do a complete brake fluid change on a modern superbike in 10 minutes, I don't think I could do the front brake on a 250 LC in 10 minutes.

I use one of these attached to my compressor...



Really quick and effective.

[Demannu]

TBF though, if you are gonna experience an issue, it's likely to be the brakes suddenly not working very well 'cause the fluid is boiling - not really the sort of thing you want to encounter when you're not expecting it

I doubt in the real world outside of a trackday that ever happened to anyone.

I'd have thought a brake 'failure' for whatever reason on the road would be more common.... but still, exceptionally rare.

Rescuing the Smix monster last autumn caused a bit of a twitch in the sphincter re cooked brakes in the moho. New pads and discs fitted earlier in the year, so all good mechanically, but after 15 hairpins the pedal was going to the floor, and that was using the gears properly as well.
So it does happen on the road!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah I've had the same thing driving the works Van across MK. Brakes just gave out completely at about Roundabout 11.

Fortunately there was no one coming