SS brake line replacement

[Arnie]

Ribbert said, "I doubt you would see a 'recommended life' for replacement rubber lines either."

Not true.  
Certainly the owner's manual for my RG500 specified replacement of the rubber brake lines at 4yrs, though I can't find a similar spec in the OEM FJ manual.  I have 2 other bikes that came equipped with SS brake hoses and neither of them specify a replacement interval, so all things considered, I'll just stop worrying :-)

And, I take you point about factory engineers..... Their biggest concern is CYA issues so they tend to be very conservative.

[FJmonkey]

And, I take you point about factory engineers..... Their biggest concern is CYA issues so they tend to be very conservative.

I have an issue with that statement.... It is not the engineer that decides that. They ask the engineer what the worst case duty cycle is. The engineer is thinking that some poor [%$#@] will not have a car and ride his ass off every day, uncovered, rain, snow, hail, solar flairs, etc... Never change the fluid. The engineer considers the construction, the extensive test qualification results of the lines and reports back that they are good for 20 to 30 years. Accounting and legal reports back that we will lose our ass if we don't tell them every 5 years.... Been there and done that....

[andyb]

I have an issue with that statement.... It is not the engineer that decides that. They ask the engineer what the worst case duty cycle is. The engineer is thinking that some poor [%$#@] will not have a car and ride his ass off every day, uncovered, rain, snow, hail, solar flairs, etc... Never change the fluid. The engineer considers the construction, the extensive test qualification results of the lines and reports back that they are good for 20 to 30 years. Accounting and legal reports back that we will lose our ass if we don't tell them every 5 years.... Been there and done that....

That's most likely true.  The engineer's boss(es) is/are the one who's setting things up like that.  You can nearly always blame the legal people.  And punch HR, they probably deserve it, while you're beating folks.