Triumphrat

GTiPilot · 05-27-2009, 01:35 PM

I haven't had any issues before, the bike has not been dropped recently, at least not to my knowledge, and I don't see any oil leaking anywhere after I pulled the fairings off.

However, after a fairly hard county road ride with my wife on the back, I could smell oil. No smoke was visable. I changed the oil and filter about a month/800 miles ago. I had put just a little too much in (the whole gallon, instead of just shy of it) and ran to the gas station and back like that. I didn't run the engine very hard, no more than 8K rpm and only about five miles total. The oil was about an 1/8" above the hash marks on the dipstick. I dropped the oil level to just a hair below the top hash mark.

After the hard ride, and the bike cooled down my oil level was below the bottom hash by an 1/8". The last two years, with the little bit of riding I've done, I've never noticed the bike burn oil.

I'm hoping its just because we rode the bike a little harder than normal, but that just doesn't sound right to me. From the couple searches I've done, it could possibly be a bad gasket somewhere (but wouldn't that show some trace of a leak), or possibly a cracked block.

I'm not very mechanically inclined, though I'm trying to expand my knowledge. Thanks for any info, and I'm sorry for posting this when there are pages of this topic in the search as well as it being on the sticky.

Cheers.

GTiPilot · 05-27-2009, 01:54 PM

Oh, and I always let the gauge go from "LO" to a temperature reading before I drive, and in the case of my wife's and I ride, the bike was already warm before we started going higher RPMs. I'm using the PureOne PL14610 filter with Rotella T synthetic 5w-40. The bike has 17K miles on it, and I'm the third owner since 12.5K at which time it did have a stealership check up/mx done by the previous owner. He had Motoprimo do everything. Now I go ahead and change my own oil, which should be a simple proceedure and somehow managed to fuss it up.

I did not do any of the scheduled 16K MX that I posted in a thread a couple weeks ago besides change the oil and filter and obviously chain adjustment. The dealership said that Triumph changed the time frame to 6K intervals instead of 4 indicating that I should bring it in or learn to be less helpless by 18K.

GTiPilot · 05-27-2009, 03:40 PM

Ok, more info.
Now that I think back on the ride. My fan normally kicks on @ 213F. The highest I noticed the temp rise to was 218.

I filled the oil back up to the top hash. I started her up and noticed a little white smoke out of the exhaust, no blue, as she warmed up. It is chilly today though, roughly 54F and humidity is pretty high as we have had spouts of isolated showers. When for a gingerly ride to my sisters about four miles away. Went I stopped and let the TT idle before I shut it off, there was no smoke or burnt oil smell.

The ride back home, I brought the Rs a little higher, though the temp only climbed to 185F or so. No smoke that I could tell, or any oil smell of any kind when I parked. I had my wife come out as she has a much better sense of smell than I do. She said it smelled a little hot, but she couldn't find any hint of oil. It did drizzle on me on the way back.

I'm hoping that I just ran the bike a little to hard the other day, she burned up some oil, and hopefully that's the end of it. I guess I'll just have to ride her to work easy a day or two and see if the dipstick shows any oil disappearance. So far no drips or leaks of anykind.

Please somebody step in and let me know if I'm being an idiot. I don't want to burn down or cause self inflicted damage to my first real motorcycle.

Thanks.

themaster · 05-27-2009, 06:05 PM

I don't have one of these any more, but I seem to remember the manual saying not to use any oils lower than 10W. If you've had the 5W in for some time then it probably isn't the problem (though I like simple problems because I have a simple brain).

Other than that it could be a dodgy breather. Have a look in the airbox and see if it's covered in oil, which would be an indication that it's gone bad. I'm afraid I'm unable to help on replacement should that be the problem.

Sorry. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable might post...

GTiPilot · 05-31-2009, 07:08 PM

The good news is that since I've filled the oil back to the hash mark, I have not smelled any burnt oil and the dipstick is showing exactly to where I last filled it with over 300 miles put on it. Most of those miles have just been standard interstate traffic though.

So far it seems me crossing my fingers and chalking up the burning a little oil to a hard ride.

BombFactory · 06-03-2009, 05:17 PM

I'm slightly confused as to what is causing you to think the engine is burning oil. You say you smelled oil, but you typically aren't going to smell an engine burning oil unless it is burning a decent amount, which would probably be seen out the exhaust. Maybe it was some road grime/asphalt that was cooking on top of the engine?

It doesn't matter how hard you run the engine (within appropriate rpm range), the rings should not let any oil pass into the chambers. I'd keep an eye on the oil level, as 17K miles on the rings should not cause blow-by unless the engine was overheated, cylinder walls washed with fuel, or too low of oil level.

I think 5W50 is too thin a viscosity to adequately protect the parts. I'm of the opinion that 15W20 is the best to run in any climate above freezing, as the added protection is great, but certainly something with a winter rating of at least 10. Oil is a debated subject that becomes much more complicated than it scientifically is.

yakoo11 · 06-05-2009, 01:48 AM

i will photograph my odometer but I have 80000 miles yes 80000 thats eighty thousand.... this bike has seen 15 track days and PLENTY of wheelies and all the hooliganism associated with motorcycles... and I burn 0 yes ZERO oil.... now I change oil after every trackday and I change oil filter as well along with my standard 3 thousand miles...

I run Repsol 4T and have never had a problem... umm oil and oil filter change = more than 1 gallon required so that was probably why your stick was low.... try 4 liters next time not 4 quarts!!!

GTiPilot · 06-08-2009, 10:13 AM

Thanks guys. I've been keeping an I on it, and now 500 miles or so and I haven't noticed any decline in the oil level on the dipstick. Seems to be running fine.

I don't think I imagined the drop in oil level. I definitely added oil back up to the top of the hash from just below. When I had changed my oil earlier, I'm very positive I added enough to reach the top of the hash on the dipstick, but maybe it just hadn't settled.

I'm hoping my bike isn't burning oil. I don't smell anything anymore, and like I said above, for the last 500 miles I haven't noticed any drop on the dipstick. I'll just keep checking and hoping it stays at the same level.

Thanks again everybody.

josbar742 · 06-08-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTiPilot

Thanks guys. I've been keeping an I on it, and now 500 miles or so and I haven't noticed any decline in the oil level on the dipstick. Seems to be running fine.

I don't think I imagined the drop in oil level. I definitely added oil back up to the top of the hash from just below. When I had changed my oil earlier, I'm very positive I added enough to reach the top of the hash on the dipstick, but maybe it just hadn't settled.

I'm hoping my bike isn't burning oil. I don't smell anything anymore, and like I said above, for the last 500 miles I haven't noticed any drop on the dipstick. I'll just keep checking and hoping it stays at the same level.

Thanks again everybody.

I did the same thing last season and had the same smell... I ended up taking off the tank and noticed that the pressure from the extra oil causes a small leak in the valve cover gasket... which was leaking down onto the exhaust pipes. You may want to inspect that... pretty easy, undo the 3 tank bolts, lift slightly, then disconnect the gas lines and sensor cable. The gas lines are quick release but do those after you disconnect the sensor cable since you may get a little gas leakage as you remove the tank. Then inspect the valve cover gasket for any oil film...

Just a thought. Hope this helps.

GTiPilot · 06-09-2009, 02:15 PM

Thanks. I'm been planning to take the tank off soon anyways so I can change the air filter. The stock one is around $34 or so. The K&N is 40. I'm almost thinking of buying the K&N just for the lifetime cost savings.

Next time my fuel level gets low, I'll take a peak.