Stored '83 R100 RS needs some restorative TLC
![Mike Buhler Mike Buhler](http://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Will-2019-deliver/i-jfjFzvg/0/9b78026a/L/IMG_0620-L.jpg)
I'll take a stab at it when I'm back in town and can get to it.
![Mike Buhler Mike Buhler](http://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Will-2019-deliver/i-jfjFzvg/0/9b78026a/L/IMG_0620-L.jpg)
My brakes were seizing up again so I drained the master cylinder and sure enough you could see some crap in there. I cleaned it out again and went poking around and trying to put tiny wire into the ports it wasn't opening up. I got some canned air and gave it a hit with that. Blowing on a tube back through where the banjo bolt gave me some flow through. A quick bleed and good to go.
![Mike Buhler Mike Buhler](http://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Will-2019-deliver/i-jfjFzvg/0/9b78026a/L/IMG_0620-L.jpg)
![Richard W Richard W](http://www.airheads.org/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/avatars/wobbly_12394.jpg)
Posted by: @16813My brakes were seizing up again so I drained the master cylinder and sure enough you could see some crap in there. I cleaned it out again and went poking around and trying to put tiny wire into the ports it wasn't opening up. I got some canned air and gave it a hit with that. Blowing on a tube back through where the banjo bolt gave me some flow through. A quick bleed and good to go.
Yes, the max life on DOT4 brake fluid is 5 years, or crud starts to appear. This is why BMW recommends replacing your DOT4 every year. A lot of owners skip this necessary maintenance because 1) it's a pain, and 2) DOT4 is corrosive and an easy way to spoil a nice paint job.
Owing to the way BMW brake hoses are routed, they can trap a lot of air. I always had better luck pushing new fluid in from the caliper end. But we all use the tools we have.
► Due to the highly corrosive nature of the fluid, I really recommend dousing the entire bike in HOT soapy water to make sure all the DOT4 got removed.
► Just for your personal education, here's some suggested reading...
https://www.airheads.org/community/parts-is-parts/brake-hose-failure-causes-cures/#post-6217
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
![Mike Buhler Mike Buhler](http://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Will-2019-deliver/i-jfjFzvg/0/9b78026a/L/IMG_0620-L.jpg)
Thanks Richard. I'm sure the old fluid had been in there for many years.
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