Triumphrat

10-08-2006

HIi When the red light came on on my Tri Bonnie I got into a panic and put too much oil in

When I lift the bike straight up the sight glass is full

As I am a novice, and dont have manual with me, I am not sure how to drain some of the oil

The internet said, open the sump but I dont know where that is or how to do it.

Please advise. Robert

ps. Thanks Chris and Bon tons :???:

rodburner · 10-08-2006

That would be the drain plug on the front bottom of the engine.Drain out a goodly amount into a clean container,then pour some of it back in to the proper level. Do it with a cold engine so the oil is thick and easier to control.

357Bob · 10-08-2006

The best way to assure yourself of a clean container is get one of your wifes (mothers, significant others, etc) Tupper Ware large containers. She shouldn't mind. It is for your Triumph after all.
A 6 inch extension & socket (15MM I think?) & ratchet work great from the front.

357Bob · 10-08-2006

Maybe 13 MM? I said 15 MM.

kliff · 10-08-2006

knew whatcha meant Bob....I do that occassionally myself...

357Bob · 10-08-2006

Occasionally doesn't even enter into it. I do it ALL the time.
I always ask. "What's the difference between 15 MM & 13 MM?" 2 MM of course.
Like I said on his other thread he has started. Use Tupper Ware from kitchen for oil draining. (Is there an echo in here?)

357Bob · 10-08-2006

As for the oil light may have came on. If you shift slowly from 1st to 2nd you will see the neutral light flash. Especially at night. Makes you glance down to see what that was.

Mecchanica · 10-08-2006

There is a fitting near the drain plug that feeds the oil cooler. Put a pan under it and crack the fitting just enough so that at idle, it leaks a bit. Very conrtollable. If you do the drain plug thing, you run the risk of draining the whole shabingus, if you drop the plug into the oil and can't get it out of the swamp in time.

markbvt · 10-09-2006

Actually, depending on what kind of oil you put in when you thought you were low, you might want to drain all of the oil and replace it. If you dumped in regular 10W40 (or something) automotive oil, your bike now contains a mix of regular and synthetic oil. Mixing oil isn't the greatest idea, and if I were you I'd replace it. (If, on the other hand, you used Mobil 1 motorcycle oil, you should be fine.)

Take a look at some of the oil threads in these forums to learn more, but Triumph specifies synthetic or at least semi-synthetic motorcycle oil (15W50 or 20W50) for the Bonneville; a lot of people here including myself stick with Mobil 1. What you definitely don't want to do is run standard 10W40 or lighter automotive oil in your Bonneville.

--mark

[ This message was edited by: markbvt on 2006-10-09 09:30 ]

357Bob · 10-09-2006

Yeah. What he said.