19 year old brake fluid

[Dale_K]

I bought a 98 Standard recently and the bike looked well maintained.  Everything worked, motor ran excellently, etc.  I didn't think it really needed brake fluid since everything felt nice and solid and the color in the master cylinders was sort of golden. 

But just on general principle I decided to flush the systems.  Wow, once I got the covers off it looked like root beer colored jello inside.  Hooked up the Mity Vac and did the front brakes without too much trouble.  On the rear brake 20" of vacuum wouldn't suck out the sludge from the caliper but I could squeeze it out like toothpaste with the foot pedal.  Both brakes felt pretty much perfect before I started and I can't feel any change with the new fluid.

I moved on to the clutch this morning with some reluctance because of the threads I've seen about trouble bleeding the system.  I did the same thing as some others and sucked air into the system with the Mity Vac.  No resistance at the lever afterward.  I actually did that a couple of times working by myself before I finally got the air out without letting new air in.  No change in the clutch operation (it was working excellently before I started).

I guess everything else on the bike has been neglected.  I'll take the tank off pretty soon and look at the air filter.  I bet it's 19 years old too.  It will give me a chance to test the petcock.  I'm not taking the carbs off unless I actually begin having issues because it runs so well.

[WintrSol]

Make sure you check the DOT date code on the tires too; or, just replace them. Odds are, they are over 6 years, too.

[Savago]

Did it look like this?
https://goo.gl/photos/AQiFKNrZHuQ2Mbs27

Maybe it wasn't 19 years old. This photo is from my 2008 Vstrom when I flushed the brake fluid in 2015 (so probably 7 years old).

[..]

And a COMPLETE rear end inspection and service. 

[Dale_K]

Mine looked worse than that.  All of the stuff in the corners and edges was thick enough to spread with a butter knife.  I had to use Qtips and scrape it out.  You'd never know based on the brakes and clutch worked, which was fine.

I did take it to the dealer for new tires front and back.  The PO had put a car tire on the back.  The dealer serviced the splines but I'm sure he didn't use new Orings.  I changed the rear gear oil and it looked OK and the magnetic drain plug was pretty clean.

I'm in the middle of a coolant change right now.  Found regular green coolant.  I put in some stuff for use in Asian cars.  No silicates.  But now I have to go back and redo some of the work because I discovered I'd left off the copper sealing washer from the drain plug.

I'm going to pull the timing cover and look at the belts.  Only 21k miles on the bike but surely the belts ought to be replaced at almost 20 years.  I don't quite know how to recognize factory belts but that's what I'm expecting to find.

[Savago]

My 2 cents:

a) Cleanup the crap they applied in your bike's splines and use the good Honda stuff (i.e. Moly grease). *If* they actually applied any grease at all (don't ask me how I learned this).

b) Unless the belts are falling apart (which they are not for 99% sure), just ride the bike. There are many more reports of people screwing up while changing the belts (i.e. bent valves, damaged pistons, etc) than of belts actually breaking.

[Dale_K]

Thanks for the advice on the timing belts.  Right now I don't have a lift or jack or jack adapter to pull my rear wheel. 

[..]

Thanks for the advice on the timing belts.  Right now I don't have a lift or jack or jack adapter to pull my rear wheel. 

To start with you could make one of these so when you have a lift you're ready to operate on your bike

http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/lowtechlift.htm

[cheeseman1969]

I built one of those low tech. Works great. My wood was pine 2x4 and now that I have used it so much, there is grooves and slots where everything fits just prefect.

[Chrisj CMA]

back on topic (brake fluid)  The bike I bought from Bruce (BF) was in need of a purge of hydraulic fluid.  The clutch fluid was a bit gooey at the bottom of the M/C; the brake side didn't look so bad but I flushed all of it.  I used the old way opening and closing and squeezing at the right times.  All went well and I was surprised to see a couple air bubbles come out of the clutch bleeder.  After a couple bubbles it was solid fluid after that.

I haven't test rode it, but the resistance feels just as it was and  all seems fine and dandy with clear fluid now showing in the sight glass.

I didn't do the rear...went back to get started there and the fluid looked brand new.  So I left it alone for now.  Clutch and front brakes took 45 minutes.