[Slider]

I posted a couple of weeks ago that the dealer over-filled the oil and I had to drain a bunch out. And the trans fluid was so over-filled that it was bubbling out. I drained those two down to normal levels right away. But I just got the bike back together after fixing something else they did to cause oil splattering all over the back end of the bike. The two oil drainage hoses coming out of the engine had for some reason been re-routed so they ended on top of the rear fender, under the regulator/rectifier below the seat. And one hose had been split and they thought a piece of electrical tape would take care of that. So oil was getting all over the top of the rear fender under the seat, and from there it was getting all over the chain guard, rear wheel, pipe, and pretty much everything at the back end. It was everywhere.

After washing the oil off everything twice and throwing away the mess of hoses they made, I got some new hoses and re-routed them so they run down and dump any drainage on the ground alongside the rear tire, instead of all over it or in front of it. One problem remains: the smaller of the two hoses (the forward-most one where they come out of the engine, just in front of the ignition module) is still draining oil a lot. The oil is dripping out while it's idling. The rear hose isn't draining anything at all after I drained the excess oil out. The oil level is just slightly to 1/4" below the top mark on the dipstick (depending if the oil is warm or cold). I figured that was low enough but I'm still getting excess oil drainage from that hose. The level is about the same as I always kept it before I took it to the dealer and it never had this problem before, so I don't know what's different now.

So do I still have the oil level too high, or am I missing something else entirely?

[pknopp]

 I'd be dumping everything and make sure I wasn't dumping fuel in the oil.

[neil]

Hi Slider:
 Royal Enfields were referred to in good ole U.K. back in the past as "Royal Oilfields" due to their oil leaks. If you have your bike using very little and dripping almost none, you're way ahead in the oil game. Keeping your engine breather hose free and clear is the first step to reducing oil dripping. Also, many who post on this site say their machines will exude any un-needed oil through any and all joints that are not sealed tight. When the engine gets the oil level down to the proper level in the crankcase, the oozing will stop. Over filling will keep the oozing going.

Having your crankcase vented through a tube to the back of your bike equipped with a "duck-bill" will also help to keep the crank-case operating at below ambient pressure. The engine will be less likely to discharge unwanted oil.  Most owners do not fill the tank much above the lower level marking. Check the level when the engine is cold and you'll get a more reliable reading of how much oil is in the tank. Remember there's a few nooks and crannies where oil can be stored which does not show up on the dipstick but never-the-less remains in the engine to circulate as soon as the engine is fired. You don't have to have the tank near the top or HIGH mark on the dipstick.

Just my "Tuppence"
Neil and Buzzy the Bullet.   

[ace.cafe]

^ This.
What Neil said.

[Slider]

I'm aware of their 'leaky' reputation. I'm just at a loss to explain what's going on since, like I said, the bike didn't have this problem before I took it to the dealer, so I don't know what changed. But I drained some more oil and the drip slowed a lot. I'll try a little more and see if it stops.

Most owners do not fill the tank much above the lower level marking.

But this I wasn't aware of. For some reason I had it in my head that the correct level was half-way or a bit higher. I don't know how I got my information mixed up. If this is the case, then that's obviously the problem.

But just to make sure I'm not mixed up on something else, the oil should be checked with the cap screwed in or not?

[ace.cafe]

I think that part of the problem is that there are no "oil drain hoses" anywhere on any Bullet motorcycle. Never have been, and never will be.

What you have done to your breather hoses, which you mistakenly thought were "drain hoses" can cause, and probably is causing some of that oil discharge.
Actually routing those hoses up high and out to the back on the rear fender is a perfectly good method for proper breather operation, as long as the duckbill valve is placed on the end.

Do a search for "breather" in the archives, and there are probably at least a thousand posts that I have written in the past on how to properly set up your breather hoses, and none of it includes "draining".
 

A good oil level in the oil tank is half-way on the dipsick. Over-filling causing more oil to come out the breather than necessary.

[flyboy]

Half-way on dipstick, check cold on level surface, NOT screwed down.

[Slider]

I think that part of the problem is that there are no "oil drain hoses" anywhere on any Bullet motorcycle. Never have been, and never will be.

Yeah, that sounds like it would be a large part of the problem. The reason I assumed the purpose was excess oil drainage and the down-low routing was correct is because that's how the bike was originally set up. Then they changed it (and severely over-filled it) and it started spitting oil everywhere. I figured the answer was to drain all that extra oil they put in and put the hoses back the way they were. But apparently it wasn't correct to begin with. Thanks for the heads-up, I'll look for the information and get it sorted out. And I'll get the duckbill breather kit.

Another question. I keep seeing references to an oil catch can. Do I need one if I install the duckbill kit? My bike was never equipped with one.

[Slider]

Half-way on dipstick, check cold on level surface, NOT screwed down.

Well, at least I had that much correct. lol

[neil]

Hello again Slider:
The catch can was instituted by R.E. to try to keep emissions down for import purposes. Originally, the duckbill, was in the bottom of the catch can which was an attempt to lower crankcase pressure while running to keep oil in the engine. When this did not work satisfactorily, most owners did away with the can, because it had to be emptied from time to time. Getting at the poor location of the can made this daunting and the breather hose for most of us was changed to go up high and out the back a couple of inches beyond the rear end of the bike and equipped there with a duck bill breather. When my bike is idling, I can feel pulses exiting the duck bill each time the piston is in a downward motion. If you get the same result, that will be ideal.

Neil and Buzzy the Bullet: