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Any history of overheating front brakes and boiling off the fluid on front calipers. Mine cooked and resulted in a crash. What is best replacement brake available. Bike had fairly fresh DOT 4 fliuid. I was told that for my riding style would need synthetic. DOT 4 boils at much lower temp than synthetic.

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I've always ridden my bike stupid hard on twistys cuz I love them. Breaking really hard comes with that. I've never had that issue and I've also upgraded to steel lines which makes amazing stopping power as well.

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Just what were you doing to cause this?

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DOT 4 fluid, which has a higher minimum boiling temperature requirement (446 degrees F dry and 311 degrees wet) soaks up moisture at a slower rate but suffers an even sharper drop in boiling temperature as moisture accumulates. Three percent water will lower it’s boiling point as much as 50%!

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Look at the condition of the entire system, do regular maintenance, and boiling fluid should not be a problem:

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Many experts have long recommend changing the brake fluid every year or two for preventative maintenance. Their rationale is based on the fact that glycol-based brake fluid starts to absorb moisture from the moment it is put in the system. The fluid attracts moisture through microscopic pores in rubber hoses, past seals and exposure to the air. The problem is obviously worse in wet climates where humidity is high.

After only a year of service, the brake fluid in the average vehicle may contain as much as two percent water. After 18 months, the level of contamination can be as high as three percent. And after several years of service, it’s not unusual to find brake fluid that contains as much as seven to eight percent water.

An NHTSA survey found that the brake fluid in 20% of 1,720 vehicles sampled contained 5% or more water!

As the concentration of moisture increases, it causes a sharp drop in the fluid’s boiling temperature. Brand new DOT 3 brake fluid must have a dry (no moisture) boiling point of at least 401 degrees F, and a wet (moisture-saturated) boiling point of no less than 284 degrees. Most new DOT 3 fluids exceed these requirements and have a dry boiling point that ranges from 460 degrees up to over 500 degrees.

Only one percent water in the fluid can lower the boiling point of a typical DOT 3 fluid to 369 degrees. Two percent water can push the boiling point down to around 320 degrees, and three percent will take it all the way down to 293 degrees—which is getting dangerously close to the minimum DOT and OEM requirements.

DOT 4 fluid, which has a higher minimum boiling temperature requirement (446 degrees F dry and 311 degrees wet) soaks up moisture at a slower rate but suffers an even sharper drop in boiling temperature as moisture accumulates. Three percent water will lower it’s boiling point as much as 50%!

Considering the fact that today’s front-wheel drive brake systems with semi-metallic linings run significantly hotter than their rear-wheel drive counterparts, high brake temperatures require fluid that can take the heat. But as we said earlier, the brake fluid in many of today’s vehicles can’t because it’s old and full of moisture.

Water contamination increases the danger of brake failure because vapor pockets can form if the fluid gets too hot. Vapor displaces fluid and is compressible, so when the brakes are applied the pedal may go all the way to the floor without applying the brakes!

In addition to the safety issue, water-laden brake fluid promotes corrosion and pitting in caliper pistons and bores, wheel cylinders, master cylinders, steel brake lines and ABS modulators.

Hope this helps.

Shane

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If your brake fluid (or clutch fluid) is brown it has moisture in it. Change it. End of story.

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