Changing Brake Fluid after 16 Years

yamah177
Profile picture for user yamah177
Posts
37
Joined
8/3/2022
Location
Birmingham, AL, USA
yamah177
Edited Date/Time 11/12/2022 8:40am
My 2006 RM250, so far as I know, has never had brake fluid changed.

It mostly sat dormant in a storage unit or a shed from 2009-August 2022. It last ran in 2014 and I just got it started this past week and am getting it ready to ride again.

I've already replaced my brake pads, but was wondering about the brake fluid.

Should I replace the fluid entirely?

Should I bleed the brakes and call it good?

I just don't want to get out on a ride and not have good brakes when I need them.

Any tips or thorough tutorials would be appreciated!
|
GoggleFiend904 11/3/2022 7:49pm
11/3/2022 7:49pm
A bike I bought a couple years ago had really old fluid (atleast 10 years). I had to rebuild the calipers and masters. I would definitely open them up and have a look.


1
40acres
Profile picture for user 40acres
Posts
816
Joined
7/23/2017
Location
Houston, TX, USA
40acres 11/3/2022 7:51pm
11/3/2022 7:51pm Edited Date/Time 11/4/2022 11:00am
Bleeding brakes takes about 10 minutes per end if you're taking it slow. It has to look like coffee at this point, so not sure why you wouldn't just bleed them out? You're supposed to change the fluid yearly at a minimum. You should also consider replacing the brake lines. I would imagine they're pretty crispy as well.
1
YZed250
Profile picture for user YZed250
Posts
1370
Joined
11/9/2014
Location
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
YZed250 11/4/2022 10:46am
11/4/2022 10:46am
yamah177 wrote:
My 2006 RM250, so far as I know, has never had brake fluid changed. It mostly sat dormant in a storage unit or a shed from...
My 2006 RM250, so far as I know, has never had brake fluid changed.

It mostly sat dormant in a storage unit or a shed from 2009-August 2022. It last ran in 2014 and I just got it started this past week and am getting it ready to ride again.

I've already replaced my brake pads, but was wondering about the brake fluid.

Should I replace the fluid entirely?

Should I bleed the brakes and call it good?

I just don't want to get out on a ride and not have good brakes when I need them.

Any tips or thorough tutorials would be appreciated!
Bike sounds like a write-off to me ... I'll swing by and pick it up right now, lol! What a cool bike to have in storage for so long.

If it were mine, I'd just bleed fresh fluid through the system and ride happy as long as you have a good amount of resistance at the lever once you're done.

If you're a brake dragger or going to be racing, might be worth rebuilding to be on the safe side.
1
Falcon
Profile picture for user Falcon
Posts
12606
Joined
11/16/2011
Location
Menifee, CA, USA
Falcon 11/8/2022 1:54pm
11/8/2022 1:54pm
Change that fluid out. The old stuff has probably absorbed a bunch of humidity by now and will likely bubble up in use.
3

The Shop

See All »
PNWMXer
Profile picture for user PNWMXer
Posts
1804
Joined
1/13/2022
Location
Washington, WA, USA
PNWMXer 11/9/2022 5:15am
11/9/2022 5:15am
What Falcon said. Brake fluid pulls moisture from the air, which will boil and cause fade or even total loss of braking. Flush both ends and after that long, I’d rebuild calipers/masters and do new lines.
1
yamah177
Profile picture for user yamah177
Posts
37
Joined
8/3/2022
Location
Birmingham, AL, USA
yamah177 11/10/2022 10:50am
11/10/2022 10:50am
Appreciate all the responses ya'll.

I picked this Tusk bleeder up and will give them a good bleed this weekend before going out on a ride, but will get some quotes from shops in the area on a brake rebuild/go through in the next few months.
1
FarleyMX25
Profile picture for user FarleyMX25
Posts
224
Joined
10/2/2017
Location
Harrison, TN, USA
FarleyMX25 11/10/2022 7:26pm
11/10/2022 7:26pm
If you can bleed the brakes yourself you can rebuild them yourself also. Many good videos on YouTube to walk you through a proper rebuild start to finish.
1
yamah177
Profile picture for user yamah177
Posts
37
Joined
8/3/2022
Location
Birmingham, AL, USA
yamah177 11/10/2022 8:16pm
11/10/2022 8:16pm
FarleyMX25 wrote:
If you can bleed the brakes yourself you can rebuild them yourself also. Many good videos on YouTube to walk you through a proper rebuild start...
If you can bleed the brakes yourself you can rebuild them yourself also. Many good videos on YouTube to walk you through a proper rebuild start to finish.
I'll definitely look into it - I am not the most mechanically inclined but I want to learn how to do more maintenance myself. So far I've done everything except the tires (ruined the bead and a brand new heavy duty tube trying to do it myself) and the suspension revalve.

I'll probably attempt a top end in the next 6 months or so once I get a torque wrench
lumpy790
Profile picture for user lumpy790
Posts
11800
Joined
9/18/2007
Location
York, SC, USA
lumpy790 11/12/2022 8:40am
11/12/2022 8:40am
FYI ….. In my MC experience I have found that over time a caliper can get corrosion in the groove between the seal and caliper that is causing stiction. By taking it apart and cleaning the groove out can fix it.
vitalriderCrf
Profile picture for user vitalriderCrf
Posts
566
Joined
5/27/2019
Location
Claremont, CA, USA
vitalriderCrf 11/13/2022 6:40pm
11/13/2022 6:40pm
You should absolutely replace all the fluid after sitting for that long. Buy a mini vacuum brake bleeder off ebay/Amazon. They are super easy to use and you can get your brake bled perfectly

Post a reply to: Changing Brake Fluid after 16 Years