Scooters in India are evolving with time.
But there function remains the same even today. To make city commute smooth and hassle free. Over the last few years, scooters have seen countless upgrades and addition of latest feature such as mobile charger, bluetooth connectivity, fuel cap on the outside and the likes.
Last year the Indian government has taken a closer look at motor vehicles plying on Indian roads and the safety aspect of these vehicles and it has called for some positive changes.
One of those changes was the addition of disc brakes in scooters with an engine capacity of 125 cc or above. With that law in place, we have a handsome number of scooters sold in India that sport a disc brake at the front wheel.
So how does a disc brake work?
In Simple words, when you pull the brake lever, pressure is transferred instantly using a fluid to the brake pistons which in turn pushes the brake pads to the disc, thus result in stopping of the scooter.
Conventional brakes make use of wire to transfer this pressure. However, at high speeds, this method is less recommended.
Now the fluid that is used for braking in automobiles come with a higher boiling point. The reason behind this, every time you apply the brakes, the brakes can reach a 100 °C in no time which in turn would vaporize any other liquid instantly. Moreover, the brake fluid is exposed to atmospheric water which degrades the quality of the fluid over time.
Thus over the course of time and also if your daily commute consists of heavy traffic routes and you have to brake at short interval of time, the brake fluid depletes and calls for a refill.
Types of Brake Fluid
There are basically 3 types of brake fluid that you can find in the market and these are also approved for scooters.
1. DOT 3 - Wet Boiling Point 140 °C (approx)
2. DOT 4 - Wet Boiling Point 160 °C (approx)
3. DOT 5 - Wet Boiling Point 180 °C (approx)
There is also a racing formula with higher boiling point, but, you wont be needing that if even if you own the Aprilia models sold in India (Those are for professional racing models)
Most manufacturers usually recommend DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluids. You can gather that information from your scooter's owner manual or from the service center officials.
You can also mix brake fluids from different DOT levels. However, draining the older fluid and then inserting the new fluid is always considered more effective.
So when is 'the right time' to change the brake fluid of you scooter?
Well, there is no designated time frame post which you have to change your brake fluid. It solely depends on the kind of usage you involve your scooter.
If your scooter has to traverse through bad roads, or dense traffic conditions, you might have to change your brake fluid sooner. If your travelling covers smooth roads, less traffic and you keep your scooter well protected from nature, the brake fluid will surely last very long. By very long I mean over a year.
The brake fluid is store in a small can that is usually near the brake lever. That's the best case scenario. If it is clearly visible, then all you have to do is check the brake fluid level, if it hits the 'minimum mark', drain the old fluid, open the can and add the new fluid.
The not so good scenario is when the brake fluid is neatly placed inside the plastic fender of the scooter. In this case you will have to remove the plastics and the follow the procedure mentioned above.
While changing brake fluid, there are a few things that you should be careful about:
A. Make sure that you do not touch the brake fluid with your bare hands. Always use latex gloves.
B. The brake fluid should never come in contact with the body of the scooter as they have the tendency to damage the paint
C. While refilling brake fluid, make sure that there is no formation of air bubbles in the brake line.
Now that you are aware of all the basic factors when it comes to changing your brake fluid, I think you should go ahead and check your brake fluids and have them replaced if needed.
But there function remains the same even today. To make city commute smooth and hassle free. Over the last few years, scooters have seen countless upgrades and addition of latest feature such as mobile charger, bluetooth connectivity, fuel cap on the outside and the likes.
Last year the Indian government has taken a closer look at motor vehicles plying on Indian roads and the safety aspect of these vehicles and it has called for some positive changes.
One of those changes was the addition of disc brakes in scooters with an engine capacity of 125 cc or above. With that law in place, we have a handsome number of scooters sold in India that sport a disc brake at the front wheel.
(Piaggio Vespa Image Source: Imghulk)
So how does a disc brake work?
In Simple words, when you pull the brake lever, pressure is transferred instantly using a fluid to the brake pistons which in turn pushes the brake pads to the disc, thus result in stopping of the scooter.
Conventional brakes make use of wire to transfer this pressure. However, at high speeds, this method is less recommended.
Now the fluid that is used for braking in automobiles come with a higher boiling point. The reason behind this, every time you apply the brakes, the brakes can reach a 100 °C in no time which in turn would vaporize any other liquid instantly. Moreover, the brake fluid is exposed to atmospheric water which degrades the quality of the fluid over time.
Thus over the course of time and also if your daily commute consists of heavy traffic routes and you have to brake at short interval of time, the brake fluid depletes and calls for a refill.
Types of Brake Fluid
There are basically 3 types of brake fluid that you can find in the market and these are also approved for scooters.
1. DOT 3 - Wet Boiling Point 140 °C (approx)
2. DOT 4 - Wet Boiling Point 160 °C (approx)
3. DOT 5 - Wet Boiling Point 180 °C (approx)
There is also a racing formula with higher boiling point, but, you wont be needing that if even if you own the Aprilia models sold in India (Those are for professional racing models)
Most manufacturers usually recommend DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluids. You can gather that information from your scooter's owner manual or from the service center officials.
You can also mix brake fluids from different DOT levels. However, draining the older fluid and then inserting the new fluid is always considered more effective.
Well, there is no designated time frame post which you have to change your brake fluid. It solely depends on the kind of usage you involve your scooter.
If your scooter has to traverse through bad roads, or dense traffic conditions, you might have to change your brake fluid sooner. If your travelling covers smooth roads, less traffic and you keep your scooter well protected from nature, the brake fluid will surely last very long. By very long I mean over a year.
The brake fluid is store in a small can that is usually near the brake lever. That's the best case scenario. If it is clearly visible, then all you have to do is check the brake fluid level, if it hits the 'minimum mark', drain the old fluid, open the can and add the new fluid.
The not so good scenario is when the brake fluid is neatly placed inside the plastic fender of the scooter. In this case you will have to remove the plastics and the follow the procedure mentioned above.
While changing brake fluid, there are a few things that you should be careful about:
A. Make sure that you do not touch the brake fluid with your bare hands. Always use latex gloves.
B. The brake fluid should never come in contact with the body of the scooter as they have the tendency to damage the paint
C. While refilling brake fluid, make sure that there is no formation of air bubbles in the brake line.
Now that you are aware of all the basic factors when it comes to changing your brake fluid, I think you should go ahead and check your brake fluids and have them replaced if needed.
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