07-20-2021, 05:56 AM
Just like changing the oil, you don't do it just so the fluid is pretty. It's to protect the internal parts the fluid comes in contact with. If you let it go too long, you'll get corrosion on the internal parts and the seals will fail at some point (likely at the worst possible time).
When I bought my '86 Nighthawk S used, the fluid was nasty, but the internals were worse. Everything needed rebuilt to make it safe. The brake level went all the way to the bar, even after a flush because there was a ball of old fluid that had turned to jelly and wouldn't come out without removing the pistons from the calipers. The ball of goo compressed when you pulled the lever, so the brakes barely worked.
An ounce of prevention...
When I bought my '86 Nighthawk S used, the fluid was nasty, but the internals were worse. Everything needed rebuilt to make it safe. The brake level went all the way to the bar, even after a flush because there was a ball of old fluid that had turned to jelly and wouldn't come out without removing the pistons from the calipers. The ball of goo compressed when you pulled the lever, so the brakes barely worked.
An ounce of prevention...