[Geirskogul]

This morning I went to start my bike, and it had a really hard time keeping an idle.  I'd either have to hold the throttle, or adjust the idle screw a LOT, even after restarting once.  I had the random idea that maybe something was wrong with the breather system (I have 370 miles on the bike, and just inspected the tubes a little bit ago - they were clear) so I unscrewed the oil dipstick with the engine running.  Wow, there's a lot of pressure in there.  The moment I unscrewed it, the bike went from coughing and chugging to a smooth idle, even after I screwed it back in.  What's up with that?

Didn't have a problem for the rest of the day, even after an eight hour break.  Maybe because it was a hot (39 C) day?

[ace.cafe]

If I had pressure build-up coming out the oil filler cap when I unscrewed it, I'd be looking for why the breather vent isn't venting that pressure.

[Joe28]

Wow!
That is a WEIRD one??
If it were a 2 stroke, I'd understand the back PSI causing the problems.
Like Ace said , I check my breather assy and make sure it's all clear, also my airfilter.
Let us know what you find!!
Joe
I ride, therefore I must still be alive!

[Geirskogul]

Well, it hasn't happened the past few days, but they've been really hot nights, so I wonder if it is a temperature thing

[Geirskogul]

I found this picture, and did something akin to it.  Except I took the breather hose from the crank (the middle one, I assume) and made it come up three inches, then right back down onto the chain with a duckbill.  Hasn't given me a problem today yet, but one day does not constitute testing.

If my bike will explode doing this, please let me know.  Otherwise, I really like the solution.  Don't know how feasible it is, though.

[Geirskogul]

Wait I've got the picture.  Sorry for the crappy cellphone pic.

[PhilJ]

Way to go Gierskogul, that was my pic. The crank vent should work just fine down on the chain. I just didn't want any chance of oil dribbling out where I stop and have someone ask "What kind of Harley is that".  But what it really was is that before I went with this method I ran a hose to the rear with a duck bill. It puked oil constantly, with every stop I had a puddle. I remembered once that Vince (I think) said that there was a problem going all the way back. That's when I went the way I did, which was to take the remainder of the catch can drain hose and run it down beside the brake and plug the hole. I get very little oil in the catch can and drain it every month or so. I checked more often until I knew it wasn't filling the catch can.

[Geirskogul]

Ah, I just love the fact that the catch can is gone now!  No more scraping it with my pants and having a stain anymore.

I always park the bike outside.  If I parked the bike inside I'd have something a little cleaner set up.  As it is, I think it'll do well.  The best part is, you don't have to buy anything to do this.  RE was kind enough to give you perfectly nesting hose sizes to use, and they even hid a duckbill inside the catch can for you to use. 

I see you removed the rubber stops inbetween the fins on your head.  Any noisier?  It'd be a lot easier to clean if I pried those things out, but I don't want anything bad to happen.

[PhilJ]

I guess it's just the angle in the pic. I haven't removed them. What I did do once was make and handful of other rubber baby buggy bumpers. I put those critters in every open spot that had a reasonably large surface. I thought that might quieten the engine more. Couldn't tell any difference.

[Motor]

I see you removed the rubber stops inbetween the fins on your head.  Any noisier?  It'd be a lot easier to clean if I pried those things out, but I don't want anything bad to happen.

One of the first things that I did to my AVL-engined RE was to jerk those things out.  There is no way for me to believe that they were in any way beneficial to the cooling.  Cooling fins blocked off?  Break-in procedure creating extra heat?  See where I'm going with this? 

Nothing bad has happened to date, (605 miles so far.) hope the E.P.A. doesn't conduct a drive-by noise check.  I wonder if the fins are now emitting some kind of noise that repels mosquitoes.  I can't tell any difference.

Motor