I work in the industry, and I know more about this stuff than most people (even in the industry). I have multiple sources.
What I have stated in my previous post is absolutely factual, and is not widely known.
You could probably Google it and find the info yourself in obscure places on the net.
Like I said DOT 5.1 is basically the same as DOT 4. It's just designed to perform better under all circumstances/conditions in ABS systems.
DOT 4 will work just fine in ABS systems.
Some DOT 4 fluids are much much better than others.
DUCATI most likely doesn't think DOT 5.1 is necessary in their bikes, and they think DOT 4 is more than adequate. I personally would be inclined to agree.
This makes sense as a standard servicing requirement.
It's just that I have DOT 5.1 in stock, and it's much less susceptible to discolouration than DOT 4 (in accordance with one of it's primary design parameters).
So I use it instead of buying DOT 4 for the bikes and I don't have to change discoloured brake/clutch fluid as much, and helps to use up dregs left over in the bottles so it's not sitting around.
For all intents and purposes it works the same as DOT 4 only potentially better in every regard, and is more cost effective for me
IMO, It's also better to keep brake fluid on constant stock rotation rather than having bottles sitting around for too long as I buy it by the box full, like I do with motor oils and filters.
It's cheaper
It may be coincidental, but I also don't have to repeatedly bleed any part of my brake/clutch system due to poor performance like others do
So i'll stick with what's working perfectly for me
Remember this is the first time that DUCATI has put ABS on a superbike.
Car manufacturers have been integrating ABS, EBD and ESC systems into cars for over a decade, and I think they know a thing or two about their requirements
To date, the "only" bike manufacturer that's had extensive experience in this area of technology is BMW. "At this point in time" they still don't specify DOT 5.1 for their bikes.
Read into it what ever you like.
But DOT4 and DOT 5.1 share the same technology and are basically interchangeable except for where DOT 5.1 is specified by the manufacturer (like it is stated in the owner manual for my car).
Then for me, it's probably not a good idea to use DOT 4.
The only exception for me is in my work ute where the old DOT 3 is required, so I buy it as cheap as possible where ever I can get it 1 bottle at a time
If you read what I said in my previous post, one may well encounter a DOT4 fluid from brand "A" which has a higher boiling point than brand "B" DOT 5.1.
Either way we generally don't keep the fluid in our bikes long enough for the boiling point to become compromised by water absorption.
Water absorption and heat are directly responsible for brake fluid degradation.
So in that regard, I should imagine the ultimate boiling point is not an issue for us.
We could possibly run DOT 3 fluid and get away with it
Use what ever you like in your machines.
Personally I wouldn't pour Motul anything down the throat of a dead cat.
It's all so overrated and priced accordingly.
The Motul marketing machine is better than Castrol's
IMO Motul is very poor value for money.
Even though I do strictly use only one Castrol product
