2009 Monster 696 clutch brake fluid

[pineapple]

Hi guys,

The reservoir on the left is clutch, the one on the right is brake, do they both take brake fluid?

And have anyone tried Galfer brake fluid from cyclegear?  Would this work? I know the manual recommends shell advance dot 4 but I can't find that at any store around here (Central Florida, Tampa Bay area)

Sorry for the silly questions.

[bevel]

The reservoirs line up with your levers, so left is the clutch reservoir and right is the brake reservoir.

They both take DOT 4 Brake fluid, as both the clutch and brakes are operated via hydraulics.

I don't have any FHE with Galfer fluid, so I'll let the more technically inclined speak to fluid choices and recommendations.

[Slide Panda]

All brakes and the clutch take DOT4 fluid. Different brands will have different formulations that have slightly different properties, like different wet/dry boil temps than other brands, but they all conform to the DOT4 specification, so Galfer should be just fine.

[thought]

Just to add the usual warning, make sure to never use DOT 5 (silicone based) though, it's incompatible with DOT 4 (e.g. glycol based fluids).  You can, however, use DOT 5.1 as this is a higher performance glycol based brake fluid (higher boiling point, doesnt attract water as fast)

In a pinch, if you really need to, you can use DOT 3 and under too, but those have a lower boiling point than DOT 4/5.1 and, I believe, absorb water faster.  But DOT 4 should be a general minimum for bikes.

[pineapple]

Thanks guys.