Hi, what color is the DOT 5 fluid, I read its a purple color? But in my bike 2000 RK has yellow colored fluid, I am hoping that the fluid was DOT 4 as I have just bled the system with 4, I also read that many UK based companies use Dot 4 as the 5 is hard to obtain.

 

Dot 5 is purple when new but doesn't stay that way...I rebuilt my bike last winter, and the dot 5 that was in it was quite yellow looking.

 

Oh dear! or words to that effect! I just got the message from the net and rushed out and drained the system down, then flushed it out with brake cleaner. Found some fluid on ebay and some s/s lines. It was only in there for 2 hours so fingers crossed it didn't contaminate the seals too much, yikes!
Its no excuse but was told by two so called experts that the fluid was mixable, the one time I didn't read up on the web and its all gone wrong big time!

 

Well my thoughts of having contaminated the lines got the better of me and I decided to remove the calipers.
Once split I had to remove the pistons, two ways I thought of doing it, 1: hydraulic pressure or 2: use the proper tool, which I did.
The contaminated (DOT 4) fluid was only in the system for 12 hours and it already started to jell up, all now cleaned out with brake cleaner and blasted out with compressed air. New lines are on order and so are the seal kits. I did find that two of the pistons were extra hard to remove and when they finally came out, had some pinching on the seal so its just as well I had to do this job, as the pads were tight on the disc and have worn down on one side more!
The bike has only done 5500 miles so they are original pads.
I have never before gone plunging into a job without first checking things like fluids etc, just was very busy that day and tried to fit in too many jobs in, less haste from now on!!!!!!!

 

When in doubt, I put some of the fresh fluid in a container, add a little fluid from the master cylinder to it. If they are not the same you will see it right away.