On mine I syringe out most (but not all) from the reservoir, often there's a black residue/film in the bottom I clean off with a cotton bud, fill with clean fluid & bleed through at the slave till it runs clear
Still not done mine, its like tar bleed kits are real cheap on fleabay, theres vids on youtube showing how too...
The clutch fluid on the 848 has a tendency to be cooked by the engine. I changed mine, a week later it was dark in colour again. Pretty easy to change, good idea to remove and clean the pushrod whilst the slave is removed and watch out for the rubber behind the slave. Quite a few vids on YouTube.
Sorry, what I meant was, are you only changing it because of the colour? Is performance in any way degraded? If you couldn't see it, would you be changing it?
There isn't much in there, so worth changing every couple of years, like brake fluid. On the other hand, nothing that tragic would happen if the clutch hydraulics should fail, so you could certainly leave it longer without worrying about the tiny amount of water absorbed into it. On the "always from a sealed container" question, I've always been puzzled as to whether that recommendation means "a brand new container", or "a container that you have bothered to put the cap on properly last time you used it". Personally, I don't throw away partly used containers of hydraulic fluid just because I have "broken the seal".
I use a mityvac mark, takes 5 min. Flush the system and its like new . But the fluid does have a tendency to cook as the line runs along side the engine. I'm sure some guys with 1198 ect change the clutch fluid every 4 weeks in summer as it cooks fast.
If you use an aftermarket clutch slave, you may find that the liquid goes dark brown quicker and after a very short time, becomes harder and harder to find neutral. A quick fluid flush and all's good again. 10 minute job.
Keep your top-up bottle handy, an old rag wrapped around the clutch master cylinder to catch any spillages when topping up and a length of rubber hose or windscreen-wasker hose to fit over the bleed nipple at the clutch end of the pipe, which has it's loose end put into a milk-bottle containing enough brake fluid to allow the pipe's end to sit below the surface (to stop air being sucked back up the pipe when you bleed the system). Then, loosen the bleed nipple sufficient to allow fluid to flow but not so much that it is so loose it leaks or worse still, falls out..... one full turn should be enough. Now start pumping the clutch lever in a brisk, positive way. You may find a bit of back pressure makes the reservoir splash, if so you should lay the cap loosely back on. If brisk pumping doesn't seem to work very well, slow the strokes down a bit..... always keeping a weather-eye on the fluid level and topping up as required. As you will quickly discover, there is something of an 'art' to bleeding hydraulic systems... brakes are no easier nor more difficult. I would urge you to avoid letting the reservoir empty, as trying to bleed air from the system can prove a very troublesome exercise. Sometimes, just gravity will be all you need...... just watching the top level creep down and the drain bottle fill up. Sometimes you can cable-tie the clutch or brake lever up to the handle-bar and let it bleed itself over an extended period of time.... there are various kits about that profess to ease the process, the cheapest and most cost effective being a little orange rubber pipe with a ball-bearing stuffed in one end and a small split just upstream of it. This forms a primitive one-way valve to stop air being drawn into the bleed nipple onto which you pushed the other end. Good luck with your efforts... it's fun doing your own maintenance. Oh, Black fluid shows rubber wear from the piston seals and brown fluid has either been heated or is rather old. Change your fluid annually on a high performance bike.
Bike is 2.5 years old and has only done 1200 miles from new. Clutch release point is right out at the further limits of the leaver. I'm now wondering if its problems with the clutch and not the fluid thats causing this.
Bleeding the clutch is unlikely to adjust the bite point in any way or form, assuming you have it bled correctly that is, which if it's working, then it likely is. What bike is it and do you have an adjuster on the clutch lever ?
@ markm sound more like worn plates to me, not far from slipping when lever fully out. Very strange after so few miles.
Not good news then especially given the mileage. Any idea what its going to cost me to replace the plates?
I've never ridden the bike in town traffic. 2.5 years of ownership with a blast around Warwickshire countryside on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. I could understand it if I had done this but generally the bike never sat in any traffic at all.
