I had to store my bike outside for a while, and now the clutch and brake reservoirs are crazed (tiny cracks in the surface). Has anyone used aluminum reservoirs or should I just buy the stock ones from bike bandit or whoever. If I get stock ones, I'll have to get all the internals and caps too I think. Or, should I just switch to a different master cylinder that has the built-in reservoirs? I don't ride real hard, so I don't need the braking power of a swap. I just don't want these things to start leaking. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a link to aluminum brake reservoirs.

http://www.streetfightersinc.com/BrakeReservoirs.htm

 

Do you have a picture? From the way you describe it, mine have been that way since the first month I had the bike. Never had any issues.

 

Don't have a picture. It's just that surface cracking. I didn't know if they would get all the way through eventually or not. It bugs me because it looks bad too. If it won't mess anything up I'll just deal with it i guess.

 

I don't see why the aluminum ones wouldn't work. But it's just bling and not function.. If you want to dress up the bike, go for it.

 

So what I am coming up with is that they will work fine with these minute, tiny little cracks in the surface of the plastic? Please let me know if someone else thought this and found out the hard way that's not true.

 

Long exposure to sunlight makes plastic brittle. How long was it outside? Throwing a cover over it might prevent further damage, but I don't you would experience catastrophic failure anyway. So it may be just cosmetic. As said before, a closeup picture would help.

 

I put aluminum reservoirs (brake only, obviously..) on my sled. They work just fine, and the sleds see harsher conditions than bikes. If you are leaving you bike outside alot (buy a cover..) - aluminum can pit and corrode when not cared for - and when it starts to go, it goes fast, so keep that in mind. I can't imagine the cracks in your current reservoirs are that bad, but e-mail us some pics, and we'll check it out. I guess my opinion is better be safe than sorry - when in doubt, whip that wallet out!!!

 

If the cracks are surface only it should be fine...

Look at the inside of the reservoar... Are there spiderweb cracks there... then worry...

 

I checked this weekend, and the cracks are only on the exterior surface. The interior is fine. Thanks.