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Do people actually replace ALL the brake lines every 5 years?

4.5K views 42 replies 15 participants last post by  1barron  
#1 ·
I was looking thru the service manual and it states that you swap brake fluid every 2 years and change ALL the brake lines every 4. This seems insane to me. I looked up the cost of swapping out all the OEM lines and it is something like $500. I know the manufacturer is just covering their rear in with such instruction since they don't know if you are storing this inside or out in a desert.

My bike is never stored outside, is a 2015 and frankly still looks showroom with all rubbers feeling supple, soft and have so signs of wear after about 11,000 miles.

Just looking to start a conversation to see what people actually do for brake line maintenance if anything at all.

Ride safe.
 
#4 ·
I agree with this. I am getting ready to replace my front line, only because there are a couple bad places in the outer jacket. I certainly don’t believe it needs done on a schedule though. A quick Inspection every year or anytime the odd rock gets kicked up in front is all I do. As for brake fluid…. I do in fact replace every year only because I live in a humid wet environment and have seen evidence of moisture intrusion in the past. That is a quick, easy, and cheap job though.
 
#5 ·
As anal as I am about maintenance, even I don't change the lines that often. Some folks never change them and never have an issue. It's not exactly common, but it's also not rare for the lines to get too soft and can't hold the pressure needed for good braking. And it is not unknown for them to completely loose integrity at the worst possible moment.

I'm sure the original lines are on my 2010 Voyager. I had planned on changing them for steel braided lines a couple of years ago, but haven't done it yet, because I'm likely going to downsize to a smaller bike. Good quality steel braided lines should outlast me, though, if I decide to keep it and change them.
 
#7 ·
Aftermarket braided lines would likely be cheaper than buying OEM new but a word of warning, if you have ABS it comes with hurdles.
A few years ago Metzroth (one of our members) upgraded to steel braided lines to get that nice firm brake feel but had trouble installing/bleeding the lines. ABS unit cannot be easily drained or bled either.
 
#9 ·
Apart from totally neglected, left to rot in the sun basket cases I can't say that I've ever seen a hard line go bad from normal use. I probably replace my rubber lines every 5-7 years but I make my own lines so it's much less expensive for me. I have stainless braided lines on 2 of my bikes that have been on there for at least 10 years and they seem to be just fine. The bikes they are on are cruisers, like Vulcans, so even if they have gotten a little soft I'd never notice. My personal choice is to never have ABS on a motorcycle so I disable/delete those systems immediately. It makes brake maintenance much easier. When I do change my soft lines it usually isn't because they are going bad, it's because I am always changing and tinkering with different setups and often times that necessitates different lines.
 
#10 ·
I was looking thru the service manual and it states that you swap brake fluid every 2 years and change ALL the brake lines every 4. This seems insane to me.

Just looking to start a conversation to see what people actually do for brake line maintenance if anything at all.
I asked a shop I trust about this (also about replacing coolant hoses every 3 yrs, fuel lines every 5 years), and was told modern materials last a long time, so inspect and leave it if it all looks good.
 
#13 ·
High temps, high humidity, UV, and sitting for a long time without any change in stress causes rubber to deteriorate faster. I think that bikes that are ridden constantly are at less risk of the lines getting soft. Think of rubber bands in constant use vs. ones that sit in a drawer and are never used. The ones you use regularly, stretching and relaxing them often, will last a long time. The ones that just sit in a drawer will get brittle. Ones left stretched continuously for a long time will get brittle even faster.

That said, they do get soft, even on bikes that are constantly ridden. I think the manual schedule is overkill, but we have seen enough post on this forum about brakes. Some have suddenly lost the ability to stop due to soft lines, and I have known several folks that had that happen, and worse, had lines burst causing the back tire to slip and the rider going down. I won't push it until I find a soft hose on examination.

Like the AT&T "OK is not good enough" ad about a brake service said, "Our work is OK. But if your brakes don't stop you, something else will." o_O
 
#27 ·
I think that bikes that are ridden constantly are at less risk of the lines getting soft.
Yes. Motorcycles that are ridden at least somewhat frequently age better than those that sit for long periods of time.
 
#14 ·
OK , I do agree with the above.
I as well will inspect and leave it alone if it looks and acts good.
In fact my 1995, I'm sure, still has the original brake line.
I have had cars that went 10 years for me that I bought several years old and never had the brake fluid changed and still worked fine.
I know the brake fluid changes color, and it will get water, ect... BUT is it really a big problem or is it like ethanal in the gas, just conspiracy theory??
 
#15 ·
OK , I do agree with the above.
I as well will inspect and leave it alone if it looks and acts good.
In fact my 1995, I'm sure, still has the original brake line.
I have had cars that went 10 years for me that I bought several years old and never had the brake fluid changed and still worked fine.
I know the brake fluid changes color, and it will get water, ect... BUT is it really a big problem or is it like ethanal in the gas, just conspiracy theory??
Not a conspiracy theory. The more moisture in the brake fluid, the lower the boiling point. If the moisture vaporizes, you will loose most or all ability to brake. The moisture won't help the components in the master cylinders either, and will cause the inner lining of the brake line to deteriorate faster, which can stop up the ports in the master cylinders. If you can't push fluid out of the master cylinder, you can't stop. Stopped up ports seem to be the most commonly reported issue with brakes (or maybe second most next to trapped air) on motorcycle forums.
 
#19 · (Edited)
As I said I agree with all the statements about brake fluid.
But then why can a 13 year old car with no fluid change have NO braking problems?
And we all know 99% of people never have the fluid changed!
Maybe since the vast majority of bikes are bought with the intent of riding, and then never are, and its the not using that causes trouble.
I'm just wondering why my 2010 Ford which has had no fluid changed but stops very well.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Water in itself isn't any more compressible than brake fluid.

As Sabre-t alluded to earlier, the presence of water reduces the boiling point of brake fluid. The other problem mentioned is corrosion.

Corrosion, if already present, would not be fixed by changing the fluid. So, aside from corrosion, water would decrease braking performance only if the brakes were used hard enough to get the fluid hot enough to reach the "wet" boiling point.

Before anyone gets their undies in a bunch, that's not an implication it's OK to neglect your brake fluid.
 
#23 ·
So corrosion aside, unless you brake hard and/or long enough to get the fluid hot (to the boiling point), the brakes will preform fine.
And yes I do NOT want corrosion.
So again, if the fluid is boiling, water will still be there only maybe turning into steam, and will still not compress, so how will the brakes not work correctly?
I'm just trying to understand this as I, just like others, have always heard change out the fluid so that the water in the fluid is taken out.
 
#26 ·
Good brake performance can mean different things.
Take a brand new car or motorcycle and slam on the brakes 10 times in a row from 60mph and you will have very consistent stopping distances. Do that same test with a 15 year old ride and the results will likely be different.
That first stop will most likely be fine though, and driving/riding around town sort of stopping work will feel fine. Water in the lines can't compress, so it works like brake fluid with going to the corner store, but on the highway when a deer pops out into your lane, and you are going 80mph, that water in the line near the caliper can boil and that is when the system can fail and you have a bad day.

Stuff to keep in mind.

That all being said, I just swap brake fluid every 3 - 5 years, takes no time at all. Visual inspection every spring. I will swap parts when needed and ride on.
 
#35 ·
I was looking thru the service manual and it states that you swap brake fluid every 2 years and change ALL the brake lines every 4. This seems insane to me. I looked up the cost of swapping out all the OEM lines and it is something like $500. I know the manufacturer is just covering their rear in with such instruction since they don't know if you are storing this inside or out in a desert.

My bike is never stored outside, is a 2015 and frankly still looks showroom with all rubbers feeling supple, soft and have so signs of wear after about 11,000 miles.

Just looking to start a conversation to see what people actually do for brake line maintenance if anything at all.

Ride safe.
Well if they have never been replaced and they are approaching 10 years old I may replace them and get another 10 out of them. Once every 10 years isn’t a bank breaking maintenance schedule. It’s just up to you. If a car turned in front of me and I had to brake hard and quick, I would want to know the lines weren’t going to burst.
 
#36 ·
Adding my two cents here. I bought my Vulcan 2007 VN 2000 brand new and have 1117k miles on it and take good care of it. Every time I take the bike in for new tires which is once a year I have the mechanics do a full fluid look over and I may have had fluids changed one time ever. They always say everything looks good. Surprising to me too.
 
#39 ·
I have zero interest in BT stereo or new shinny paint. I just put new tires on my Vulcan S ABS and my brakes have fresh fluid from last year. Ride looks showroom and I have had it for 5 years now.

I am all for spending what you got before the end, I am also not for just burning cash with no reward. We all define value per $ differently and that's why there are so many options. You found an option that works for you, great. If I did that it would feel like a complete waste of money. I am all about long term ownership.
 
#40 ·
Good above post!
Nope dont want a stereo on my bike - ABS - I've never had it but wont buy a car without it - you know snow and ice and all.
IF I could find a good modern bike to replace mine, since it is getting old, but then I ride mine and all is good. Call me old fashioned!
How do you even get a good feel for your bike if you never keep long enough to get to know it??
 
#41 ·
I was looking thru the service manual and it states that you swap brake fluid every 2 years and change ALL the brake lines every 4. This seems insane to me. I looked up the cost of swapping out all the OEM lines and it is something like $500. I know the manufacturer is just covering their rear in with such instruction since they don't know if you are storing this inside or out in a desert.

My bike is never stored outside, is a 2015 and frankly still looks showroom with all rubbers feeling supple, soft and have so signs of wear after about 11,000 miles.

Just looking to start a conversation to see what people actually do for brake line maintenance if anything at all.

Ride safe.
Well, if you only change them every 10 years, then I would just replace them. That’s a long time so if you figure at $300, that’s only $30 a year. Not a bad price for a 10 year service.
 
#42 ·
Agreed that $30 a year is no big deal at all.
Wonder how much of a pain it is to swap every single line and then purge the ABS system...

Not saying it isn't worth it, but would be great if someone does the job to document and post here.

Maybe in a couple of year I will do it, if no one else has documented it by then.