Colour of brake fluid in rear reservoir

Hi, I have a question / observation

After 1500 miles on my 2011 ABS blade the brake fluid in the rear reservoir has turned dark while the fluid in the front is still pale.
Has anyone else noticed this, should I change it and monitor it.
Fluid level has not dropped at all and all still works fine.

Thanks,

Rob.

 

Im just under 3000 miles now and my fluid is still the light yellow colour i put in when i changed my brake lines at 200 miles .

I would change the rear fluid mate and as you suggested , keep an eye on it .

Do you have a sock over the front res ? Some people say sunlight makes the fluid go dark but i would of thought that would take a while

 

Hi, Yes I have a sock on the front.

 

I can't see sunlight changing the colour so fast thou.. Have you left the bike out in the sun for any length of time ?.. Im not even 100% it is possible thou . Im sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong soon


Have you changed the lines at all recently ?

 

I dont leave the bike out in the sun, most of the miles are done in the sun.

Have not changed the brake lines.

 

Im not sure then really.. You see dark brake fluid from contaminants being drawn through the rubber hoses but this normally takes at least a year or 2

 

If you are in any doubt about the brake fluid in your system, get the system bled and new fluid put in. Assuming that your rear reservoir hasn't got an air leak, then the fluid in the front and rear should change colour at the same rate.

Brake fluid attracts moisture and it is this that causes it to change colour. As the fluid attracts moisture, the performance of the braking system worsens. The fluid also contains a higher proportion of water, which literally results in it corroding braking systems from the inside out - although this is more of a problem with cars that often have metal brake piping somewhere. It certainly won't help your master cylinder etc though.

I am led to believe that bleeding the ABS system isn't as easy as bleeding a conventional system, so I suggest a trip to the dealer. It's really not worth messing around with!

Of course, whether you should be having this issue with a bike less than a year old is a different matter entirely!