Originally Posted by
Avalanche325
As far as brake fluid / mineral oil goes, why not use silicone brake fluid? If you get that on your paint it just makes it shiney.
Silicone fluid is not recommended for automotive use because it's very
non-hygroscopic. It seems like that would be a good thing (it doesn't absorb moisture), but then again, it allows moisture in the system to collect in nooks & crannies, sitting in the pistons (and in cars' ABS systems). That's when stuff rusts and the whole system goes to crap.
Bikes don't have tight-tolerance ABS, but they do go outside a lot, and both rain & condensation would cause internal problems if silicone fluid is used.