Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Engine Oil Leaking from Exhuast Pipes

Just finished a long trip and now have oil leaking from both exhuast pipes. Oil level got very very low at the end of the trip. Have oil spray all over rear fender, and small baseball size puddles under pipes.

Bike ran and started perfectly for whole trip. No power loss when passing, no popping, no hesitation any time.

Has anyone else experienced this oil leak? This has to be serious, right?

have many miles on her ??

about 15K. No smoke at all.

Is the oil coming out of the header pipes where they come out of the head? Check that the nuts have not come loose. How far did you ride like that?

I have not heard of this on one of our bikes but it is possible. I have heard of people running our bikes when very low on oil with no ill effects but would certainly not recomend it.

Actually I think I would take it back to the Stealership myself. How old is it?

I think you might have a hole in the oil filter.

I gotta say it sounds like leaking valve seals.Get it compression checked very soon.Its the 02 in your profile?

Check the filter first. If it's spewing oil, it will end up all over the back end of the bike with some actually sucked into the pipes. I really think it's the filter leaking. The description of the problem sounds EXACTLY like what happened to me when my stupid K&N delaminated.

the bike is the 02 in the profile. I rode the first 250 miles with no leaks. After 100 miles on the way home oil was puddling under both pipes at the back tire, none at the header pipes. Whole trip about 500miles. why was your filter leaking? what do you mean by delaminated? I use a k&n filter also.

I would look at the filter too, especially if the bike is not smoking.

Oil filter is dented with crease. Didn't see a hole or crack, but does have chip in paint. Swing arm has layer of oil. A few days before the trip I did clip a narrow board in the road with my front tire, but not the back tire. Forgot all about that until now.

My plan now. Buy new filter, add new oil, wash fender and swing arm. Ride and check level.

Sound plan or not? What would you do?

make sure you wash it well or you could end up chasing a phantom leak

this has also happened to other's with the stock oil filter not just the k&n it's getting that if I were taking a long road trip with this bike I would carry a extra oil filer and a few quarts of oil ..

Ed

Make sure you check the oil level with the bike perpendicular to the ground, not on the side stand.

If there is not un-burnt oil in the exhaust pipe or leaking from the connection between the header and muffler, it's not your pipes or valves. That's good news.

If it is not a damaged or lose oil filter then you probably over filled with oil, causing oil to blow out the overflow tube located generally in front of the rear tire. At 500 miles of highway speeds this can make a mess.

Good luck.

Thanks for that thread. It helped me to understand the oil in the pipes. The "Search" drives me crazy, seems I can never find what I need, no matter how simple or detailed I make the Search.

Thanks to all for your advice, update you later.