Am I cheap or is brake fluid stupid expensive?

mabupa

mabupa

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It was time to do an oil change on the mustang and busa’s clutch fluid was looking darker than normal (at least darker when compared to what is currently in the brake reservoir), so I ordered all these items together, but I’m still shocked at the price of brake fluid. I currently have galfer brand fluid on the busa, but ran out after doing a brake flush on the little dr650. Am I just cheap for complaining, crazy for paying $16plus dollars for this small bottle or .......? Any other brands you guys like/prefer or that is best bang for your buck? I like quality stuff, specially when is fluid that will be put through the pricey brembo MCs.
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Yeah , I'm running high boil point expensive fluid in the bike , cost me around AU $150 for once a year bleed . Officially , really once you open the bottle seal , that fluid start attracting water , so ideally , best use only that initial first time . I pick a dry day and do this inside the house as well , then seal bottle with quality tape and store in dry location for any top ups throughout the year if necessary . My brakes are pretty effective , and I choose to think this helps !!
 
All you guys know your masters have a vent right ;) it's a open bottle all the time. A once opened bottle that gets closed the same day is better 6 months later than the fluid in a master cylinder. I think people get the impression it is absorbing so much water that it's bad. Not really the case. Think of all those new bikes a dealers that sometimes sit years before sold.
Don't take my comments as don't service your brakes often. It is more of me saying consider this a moment.
 
ROADTOAD1340 said:
Yeah , I'm running high boil point expensive fluid in the bike , cost me around AU $150 for once a year bleed . Officially , really once you open the bottle seal , that fluid start attracting water , so ideally , best use only that initial first time . I pick a dry day and do this inside the house as well , then seal bottle with quality tape and store in dry location for any top ups throughout the year if necessary . My brakes are pretty effective , and I choose to think this helps !!
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Toad,
I don’t have dry days to pick in Florida. Humidity is 80% plus most, if not all, throughout the year. I don’t want to spend as much as some of you guys on brake fluid. I can use that money for gas to ride the bike. :-)
 
c10 said:
All you guys know your masters have a vent right ;) it's a open bottle all the time. A once opened bottle that gets closed the same day is better 6 months later than the fluid in a master cylinder. I think people get the impression it is absorbing so much water that it's bad. Not really the case. Think of all those new bikes a dealers that sometimes sit years before sold.
Don't take my comments as don't service your brakes often. It is more of me saying consider this a moment.
Click to expand...
So, how often are you guys comfortable changing your brake fluid? Do you go by color or time/mileage? I just noticed that the clutch fluid looked darker than my brake fluid while looking at the clear tubing I’m using between the reservoirs and MCs. Not sure if I should start tracking miles or dates on clutch/brake fluid.
 
Yeah , I run a wick around the reservoir on the brake pump , about the best I can do . I like the high boil quality , and I guess I spent a lot on my brake set up , so I try to back up all aspects with best pads / lines / fluid etc . I choose to believe this is my best setup for what I run , maybe I could save $ , but I am happy with this choice .
Well if you live in the tropics , like Florida , or top end of Australia among st others , you do what you can , and you will do , and go about how or what you want anyway . I just give you another example of who's also out there riding Busa . I always go for the very best I can afford , proven products all the better , and really I am a believer in quality over quantity . But as mentioned I change the fluid every year , so the expense is part of the yearly service cycle .
 
ROADTOAD1340 said:
Yeah , I run a wick around the reservoir on the brake pump , about the best I can do . I like the high boil quality , and I guess I spent a lot on my brake set up , so I try to back up all aspects with best pads / lines / fluid etc . I choose to believe this is my best setup for what I run , maybe I could save $ , but I am happy with this choice .
Well if you live in the tropics , like Florida , or top end of Australia among st others , you do what you can , and you will do , and go about how or what you want anyway . I just give you another example of who's also out there riding Busa . I always go for the very best I can afford , proven products all the better , and really I am a believer in quality over quantity . But as mentioned I change the fluid every year , so the expense is part of the yearly service cycle .
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You are right about wanting to put good quality fluid in expensive parts @ROADTOAD1340. I didn’t really compare fluids when I pulled the trigger on this, but simply remembered at checkout, that I needed some and picked this out of the amsoil website and “threw it” in my shopping cart. now I’m curious to see how much better these fluids really are. After you guys posting some other prices, I don’t feel so bad. :laugh: I’m like you, in the sense that, I would like quality fluid in these expensive brembo MCs, rizoma reservoirs and braided lines, as to make sure they last me for years and perform as intended without issues, so we’ll see.
 
Hey , if anyone does buy a bike that's been sitting around a dealership a real long time , and potentially out in the weather , get the dealership to full engine service and brake flush before you hand over your hard earned $ . It is the least one should expect from a customer stand point .;)
 
I will bring this thread into a more physical perspective.
The clutchfluid will get darker sooner because of the massive ways it is "travelling". Unlike the Brakes where you Keep pressure but it is not a lot fluid moving.
In regards to the Standards: DOT4 Fluid is most of the time thicker or viscous. You get a benefit in having the Pistons in the pump and the calipers a bit more lubricated by that fluid. DOT5.1 is more thinner and has less ability to lubricate. BUT if you have an ABS-Block (Hydraulic Management of any Kind) this is the fluid because the Little magnetic valves will do the Job finer and more precise.

In regards to water contamination. The higher the dry boiling Point the more it degrades in a short period of time. Personally i Change the fluid every 90days on my bikes. Keep in mind that it makes more sense to go with a cheaper fluid and Change more often, then spending 100$ and Change every 2 years
 
mabupa said:
Yeah, but that’s a $13 dollars for a 33 ounce bottle, the one is 12 ounce.
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I don't spend that much on so little but cheap/expensive is relative. If it makes you feel better the most expensive fuid on earth is copy cartridges or toner. $50 by the once or so. & you love your bike a lot more than the printer!
 
Nastee said:
I don't spend that much on so little but cheap/expensive is relative. If it makes you feel better the most expensive fuid on earth is copy cartridges or toner. $50 by the once or so. & you love your bike a lot more than the printer!
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I guess is all about perspective. Lol.
 
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