Don’t Use DOT 5 Brake Fluid On Your Motorcycle 

I am the friend who still has drum brakes. Thanks for sharing

I also own a bike with drums. Thanks.

yeah I don't know why I watched this. I don't have such worries as break fluid xD

@@melvin3509 no hydraulic assist, must have cable operated brakes

Make next video on How to replace Blinker Fluid

great explanation. that's what I'm trying to tell people who ask me about 5.1. they think it is something like magic :D

DOT 5.1 is a synthetic glycol fluid that is less affected by water molecules. Both the dry and the wet boiling points are higher than the other genuine glycol based fluids so that it is likely to outperform them, other than when the DOT3 or 4 is brand new and the DOT5.1 is used and wetted. Other than in pure racing conditions, bike brakes run cooler than car/truck brakes so that the higher temperature rated fluid is better suited to cars and trucks.

Wait really people do for little holes I didn't know

Yes, yes, yes 🙂

why?

My dad did this and I always thought it was unnecessary. He always does this even to engine oil which I feel is a bit pointless.

The holes routine is because it allows air in one hole and fluid from the other at similar speed avoiding "glug glug" air bubbles.

What is the outcome of your experiment with DOT 5 in the bike? System which has been designed for DOT 2 is no way compatible with DOT 3, 4 or 5.1 - seals will swell quickly. DOT 5 seems like an option so I'd like to hear the results of your story. Thanks

I used a Dot 4 break fluid manufactured in 2003 which is about 20 years old in my Gixxer and it still works great.

@@avim4896 Cool. Just because you've gotten lucky so far, doesn't really mean anything.

@@RANDOMNATION907 Well it really does mean something. As age doesn't matter as long as it's well preserved and expiry date is a tactic that these manufacturers use to make you buy their products soon even though the product is well preserved. I found the brake fluid sitting in a dark place for ages without any signs of discoloration as it was clear and transparent, and believe me I live in a humid climate. It's been 3 months of using it and the breaking is solid and it still didn't show any signs of spongy breaking.

@@avim4896 I'm glad you've had a good experience, so far. Have you used any brake fluid test strips to determine the fluids 'state'? It just so happens that I'm a retired Master Certified Tech. I worked for Midas of Alaska as an instructor. I train other techs. Midas does more brake jobs every year than any other 'Brake' Shop. I happen to be an expert on the subject. And, what it means is that you've taken a huge risk with your life and the lives of other motorists over a $5 bottle of brake fluid. Don't cheap out on your brakes. I get it, you want to win this argument. However, you are flat out wrong. Those dates are there to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Midas is a cheap a$$ company. They'll cut corners every where they can. Believe me, I know first hand. But, they don't when it comes to brake fluid. Just think about that for a moment. Have a good day.

Rubbish I have used open bottles of Dot 4 that had already been open for several years , & my brakes were perfect .

we need to develop new brake hydraulic systems that only use water to do the job ...

hahaha i always did that before using them...i tot they were like oils and needed to be shaken ..cant tell the performance difference anyway! brakes still work well🐱👍🏿

Top tip: if you buy brake fluid online for delivery, let the bottle sit for a day before using as you cannot know what 'shaking' the bottle has been subjected to on it's journey.

my car is 17 and also has drums on the rear. as for the bike it has cable operated drum breaks

DOT 5 is not recommended for ABS systems because it forms bubbles when it becomes agitated.

@@timsharpe3498 Yes, heard it before. But, considering the ABS has never shown itself on either my st1100 or st1300, we'll give it a go. Maybe my braking ability is so dam good?

You can mix DOT 3, 4 or 5.1. Just not DOT 5

@@Maree_Customs Depends. Many manufacturers specify that you can’t put DOT3 in their DOT4+ vehicles due to the boiling point, and if you need to add DOT4 to a DOT3 vehicle then it’s probably time to flush the brake fluid anyway… like you might even with DOT3 to avoid mixing old/new.

@@emmettturner9452 it's not about boiling point but viscosity, as newer cars use brake fluid for ABS, autonomous braking and traction control purposes wich involves a lot of tiny valves.

That is very simple to answer: there is no need on a modern machine. There was a time, perhaps 30+ years ago when there was an advantage with braided hoses. With improvements in materials and manufacturing over that time the advantage has reduced to zero. Take a look at some very fast sports cars and you will see they still use rubber hoses - there is a reason for that!

Likely the rear brake reservoir cap needs loosening to let some working airspace in? _..it could be_ when you replaced the pads you didn't check or replace the rear brake fluid & somehow removed the air space/amount that allows the fluid to move (affectively locking up the systems action to 'off', ..or the rear brake pistons were/are pushed too deeply &/or off angle/twisted in the piston bores of the rear caliper = locked up, or the rear master cylinder has blown/degrades/corroded its seals. If lucky it is just the rear pistons being twisted and or dirty, or an airlock in the reservoir, or a badly bled brake line, ..but *I would definitely* consider getting a set of new rear caliper pistons seals, clips etc, carefully taking apart, cleaning, mesuring and examining, then rebuiding the rear brake assemblies, and hopefully the rear master cylinder & its seal(s) are ok too. If in doubt or unsure, just replace the old seals and brake lines when/where possible (race spec braided lines are suggested - not cheap shit ones from China or PRC-Chinese companies/manufacturers)

I used Motul 5.1 on 2 bikes (2 and 4 years), no problems (interval of 2 years).

Yeah he said bike shops, but any automotive shop is going to have plenty of DOT 3 (most of the time customers just need some to top it off, so unless they do a full flush in the parking lot they probably won't want to switch to DOT 4 until they or their mechanic do a full drain and flush service).

No difference. Exact same stuff.

@@CycloneCyd .... Thanks mate..

Lower cost, plus DOT 4 is more than adequate for the system. Manufacturers would rather have 1 fluid for all their vehicles than 2 or 3 different fluids.

MT-07 is not a real high performance bike, for example my 636 engine has 134 HP stock compared to 73 HP of the 689cc on the MT. That's about 1.98x more power per liter (or roughly 2x the performance per cc). Hence its not really like a real high performance engine, and its not super racing ergonomics (its more of a standard commuter bike), so since you are not usually track racing those (you could, just like you could track race a moped, or I used to race bicycles), then DOT 4 is probably good enough. If its not good enough (just like anything else), change it, redo the whole brake system if you want, put nicer tires, upgrade suspension, whatever you want since its your bike.

That's very nice

Well that's to be expected since you shouldn't have issues with DOT 4 in 3 years either, its almost like millions of people use it around the world...

@@jakegarrett8109 yeah like personally there was nothing wrong with DOT 4. Never faded or anything. Nor I am a pro in terms of riding to notice small niggles but preferred it anyway just because it was better claimed by journalists 😆 And ofcourse we want thing better