Servicing Questions

Originally Posted by Alpinestarhero

Brake fluid: change it once a year.

Is this really necessary? Not changed mine since I got it 18months ago...and brakes still work fine.

[yorkie_chris]

Yes, it gets bad slowly, so you only notice a difference when you change it. It's a little less squishy.

With stock calipers you probably won't notice as they flex like hell themselves.

Major problem for track though, fluid accumulates water which boils, causes fade.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Yes, it gets bad slowly, so you only notice a difference when you change it. It's a little less squishy.

With stock calipers you probably won't notice as they flex like hell themselves.

Major problem for track though, fluid accumulates water which boils, causes fade.

Good job it's getting a spanner-man doing over before my next track day then...!

In all honesty I thought that this wasn't as essential as it used to be because modern brake fluids repelled or at least didn't absorb as much moisture as traditionally was the case...can't remember the word - began with hydro obviously!

Originally Posted by TazDaz

Good job it's getting a spanner-man doing over before my next track day then...!

In all honesty I thought that this wasn't as essential as it used to be because modern brake fluids repelled or at least didn't absorb as much moisture as traditionally was the case...can't remember the word - began with hydro obviously!

hygroscopic - readily absorbs water. My mate made a compound the other day which absorbs water so quickly and in such a vast amount from the atmoshpere it dissolves itself in about 10 minutes.

Originally Posted by Alpinestarhero

hygroscopic - readily absorbs water. My mate made a compound the other day which absorbs water so quickly and in such a vast amount from the atmoshpere it dissolves itself in about 10 minutes.

Nah, not that one. The opposite - I want to say hydrofear, but that's not right.

EDIT: Hydrophobic!

[yorkie_chris]

You can't have hydrophobic brake fluid, because then all the water would be in one place and would a) boil very easily b) rust or corrode wherever it is sat and c) possibly freeze and crack a part.

Originally Posted by TazDaz

Nah, not that one. The opposite - I want to say hydrofear, but that's not right.

EDIT: Hydrophobic!

Ah, water non-loving

I made some hydrophobic coatings in my final year of uni. Not very good though

[Red Herring]

Hi Mate, don't mind this lot, they always squabble about the strangest of things....

Re your bike as has been said stick to the service intervals with things like oil, filters and valve checks. Brake fluid and hoses will very much depend on how you use it, the fluid in my race bike gets changed twice a year, the stuff in my car has been there five years... Just keep an eye on how they feel, if they start going spongy then they'll need bleeding, so change the fluid at the same time. With regard to brakes do keep an eye on the pads, it's easy to do just by looking and something often overlooked by new riders. If they wear down unevenly it's an early sign the calipers are sticking. They will need stripping and lubricating, not that difficult to do but a fiddle and they always stick at the most inconvenient of times. Check and lube the chain regularly, again well looked after it will last a whole lot longer. Finally get into the habit of going over the bike just checking nuts and bolts. Washing it now and then is a good excuse and opportunity to do this. Personally after a wash I go round with a rag and a can of GT75 or similar, not only does this help look after the alloy bits but it stops the various fasteners, nuts and adjusters from seizing up. Look after a bike and it will look after you, ignore it and be prepared for disappointment.

ps: forgot to say, take a look at the suspension linkage every couple of years. It's often forgotten about and slowly seizes up, problem is once that happens there are loads of needle roller bearings in there and they're really cheap to lube, but really expensive to replace...!

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Hi Mate, don't mind this lot, they always squabble about the strangest of things....

Good morning all.


I personally find it funny that a Yorkshireman is correcting someones English! It's a bit rich when he sounds like he's chewing black pudding Tha-knows!


Cheers.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

Good morning all.


I personally find it funny that a Yorkshireman is correcting someone's English! It's a bit rich when he sounds like he's chewing black pudding Tha-knows!


Cheers.

Don't make me set my whippet on you.