OK, bored with trawling the net now, if anyone can find anything that extols the virtues of DOT 5 for anything more than it doesn't mark paintwork, I'd be very interested in reading

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Mithered ta death.
92 MB
96 S2T
98 S1W
00 M2
01 X1
03 P3
10 CR

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A7x9Q ... fluid.html

etc.....etc....

Did I mention that I fuckin hate DOT 5

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Mithered ta death.
92 MB
96 S2T
98 S1W
00 M2
01 X1
03 P3
10 CR

Nothing at all - the Land Rover and Citroen seem perfectly happy with it - but I'm equally perfectly happy with 5.

I have to say I've never seen dirty Dot5 when I've done a pre-emptive flush. Here of course there's generally little humidity which may be a factor. I recall the state of the Dot4 in several Guzzis and Laverdas when I lived in the UK and before I switched to Dot5.

I'm seriously interested in understanding why some bikes seem not to like it and others have no issues, though. The only corrosion I've ever had in a Hydraulic circuit was the slave clutch cylinder on a Volvo - that was Dot4.

As you point out H/D use Dot5 and giver the septics propensity for law suits - There has to be a reason (other than paint) they keep using it if brake loss is an "issue". Apart from the colour, naturally.

My guess is that 90% of problems is due to incorrect flushing so the fluids mix. Dot4 seems (from my personal experience) to keep (esp hydrophylic?) shite in suspension, whereas Silicone lets it (forces it to) precipitate out.

I've always changed to Dot5 when doing something else (i.e fluid change was not the driving force) - normally new hoses or a complete circuit rebuild (new seals and stripped M/C and callipers). And once done I've never had an issue. This said I do not ride on the brakes.

Would you switch from Mineral to Veggie oil lubrication without a full flush?

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Sept 2017. Email will find me.

As I said earlier, I always use DOT5.1

I have always moved from DOT 4 to DOT 5.1 without flushing or messing about in any way.
I thoroughly drain & refill with DOT 5.1 with the aid of a vacuum pump.
Whilst I have never had any issue with doing that on any bike I have owned since DOT 5.1 was launched, YMMV.

Nige.

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Sanity is in the eye of the beholder.

Arrival is the byproduct of the purpose.

BallacrainesCorner

Hi Maz,

Harley changed to Dot 4 across the range in 2006 and have been using it ever since.

Like you say, good stuff, but just have to be careful with it.

Hope you put that nice purple stuff in when you changed my rear brakeline tonight, Jon. It goes so well with my paintwork and my new tax disc

Steve

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Back on the road again!

If I mix it with my oil, will it help with engine braking

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Only if you use super-slippy oil.

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Sept 2017. Email will find me.

Don't know if this one has been posted before:
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-suppo ... rake-fluid

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"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."
Terry Pratchett

Hi folks,

Can I assume that if the front brake fluid in my 98 S1W is not purple (it's pale yellow) then it is NOT DOT 5 I need to bleed the brakes, but I'm not sure what fluid to buy

Bonzo

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Wear the fox hat

Drip some on the neighbours car and see if it bubbles

'Two-pack' (epoxy) paint/ lacquers do not/should not react to mineral brake fluid...

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'98 M2 Razorback, it's a keeper.

Scratch through to the primer first

You would have had DOT 5 in your brakes. Even my 99 X1 is DOT 5. Nothing wrong with it. But the fluid is slightly more compressible than DOT4.

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Bob Krzeszkiewicz
2012 XR1200X - 2011 Kawasaki Z1000SX - 1999 Buell X1

Due to the authoritarian ignorance of my local autoshop operator and my own lazyness I have dot 5.1 in the front and old silicone 5.0 in the rear brakes of my 97 S1, which I think is the perfect setup.
A couple of years ago the autoshop guy had lectured me that 5.1 was a later version of the 5.0 stuff. So I went ahead and filled it in. After I had found out that I shouldn't had done that, I bought another container to do a thorow flushing instead of dissembling the caliper and changing all the non-metall parts, which would have been the received wisdom for the safe way to go.
I didn' t have any problems so far (>10.000 km and two fluid changes later).
But that's just my experience at my own risk.