I have found the fluid actually stays clean/clear for Months if the reservoir is covered with a sock, I think its something to do stopping the sunlight from penatrating the fluid
it does happen, james ellison had his cannondale mtb nicked from donington at the weekend, rat bastards.
Well you know that brake fluid is a great paint stripper ... so the sock is to catch any spill from the reservoir IMO Of course if you use fully synthetic (like I do) it doesn't harm paint at all
Its called Automec Silicone brake and clutch fluid ... as it is not hygroscopic it has an indefinate life so avoiding regular fluid changes . Also it is non-toxic and virtually inert so is harmless to you and your paintwork . And it is a really cool mauve/purple colour It is £36 a litre tho' ...... but in the long run will work out cheeper .
That does sound nice, doesn't it. I do remember when I got the fluid replaced on my last bike being told to use DOT4 but under no circumstances use DOT5. A mate of mine who prepares racing TVR's did the deed for me and agreed that this was definitely the case but that he would use DOT5.1 as it would be better. I didn't question his superior knowledge at the time or let on that I didn't have the faintest idea what he was on about, so what are the circumstances under which DOT5 is acceptable?
I have a vague recollection that they started being used by racers to conceal the exact amounts of fluid they were running from other teams - might just be an urban myth though. Anyway, they're not chavy......I have 2 genuine rip off Yoshimura ones I bought from eBay. They look nice.
I used Dot 5.1 in both my cbr400rr and GSX-R 750. Basically there aint much difference unless your pushing the limits as its something to do with the fact that 5.1 performs better if your hammering the brakes at speed. Whatever you do though do not mix them. When I changed the fluid I did a full on through clean out of the braking system before I whacked 5.1 in. My next door neighbour got me into using it he rides a ninja XJ-12 or whatever they are think I'll leave whatever is in the Blade when I pick her up Thursday