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[PHAZE]

I've had three or four bikes with this issue.  Oil blows out of the air filter area and splatters on the pipes, right saddle bag, drips down on the area below the air filter, and just generally makes a mess.  I'm in Milwaukee on my '06 CUSE.  It was clean when I arrived up here, but in the last day or two the oil problem has shown up.  I've complained when I've had the bike serviced (and did the same on previous bikes) and they've told me something about some valves that have to be changed, some business about how this could happen if the oil is over filled (they do the service, so a problem of their creation), it could happen if I'm "getting on" the throttle, etc.  What causes this problem?  Is there something that I can do to fix it or is it a dealer service issue (I'm under warranty)?  If there was something that I could do, I'd like to make a change before I ride back to the Memphis area.  I'm looking for input!

Thanks,
PHAZE

[Ride n Shine]

This can happen if you have a little to much oil in the tank, I had it happen in my '01 Softail when I first got her and after a heap of stress it turns out the guy that sold her to me had just put a wee bit to much oil in. Hope thats all you have to deal with. If you've got a Softy get her hot then wait a few moments then check the oil with the bike up right, it should be between the full & min marks. Good luck.

[SERK3]

Mine was doing samething and would puff blue smoke out the left pipe, it would happen when i would get on the throttle hard then back off, Dealer told me it was because i went from SE SYN oil to oil, I went back to SYN oil and has not happened since, have appox. 4,000 miles on this oil change and is on the full mark.

LIVE EASY, RIDE HARD

[pado]

Cox's HD removed the black bracket because I had a hi flo A/C.   After pic will follow.  Seemed to correct the problem for me.

[grc]

Short answer is that it's caused by a design flaw in the crankcase breather system, and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on Harley to fix it.  Keeping all the oil on the inside is something that Harley has had problems with throughout it's history, and as you 110 owners have found it's a tradition that is still going strong.  I haven't had the issue on other brands, and I haven't had it on cars since about 1980 something, so it isn't something we should have to live with.

You will find all kinds of "fixes" available from the aftermarket, some which actually help and many which just relieve you of some cash.  If you search the site on "blow-by" and "breather" you should find several threads which discuss this problem as well as many of the "fixes".  The first thing to try is running the oil about a pint below full.  The only foolproof fix I've seen so far involves running a hose from the heads to a collection bottle, bypassing the air cleaner entirely.

Jerry

[skreminegul07]

This can happen if you have a little to much oil in the tank, I had it happen in my '01 Softail when I first got her and after a heap of stress it turns out the guy that sold her to me had just put a wee bit to much oil in. Hope thats all you have to deal with. If you've got a Softy get her hot then wait a few moments then check the oil with the bike up right, it should be between the full & min marks. Good luck.

Newer bikes require the bike on the jiffy stand to read the dipstick properly.  Tranny too.

[ultrafxr]

Hi Preston.  Hope you guys are having a blast in Milwaukee.  There are umbrella valves up in your rocker that are supposed to help control the oil mist venting.  They are like a rubber diagraphm and can get brittle, crack, etc.  So if they've never been replaced you could have that done under your extended warranty.  Other than that and keeping the oil level on the low side of acceptable I don't think there is much you can do.  There are numerous aftermarket devices that claim to fix the problem but many members report that they do not.

[pado]

After.  I haven't cleaned the old oil off yet.

[Free]

Short answer is that it's caused by a design flaw in the crankcase breather system, and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on Harley to fix it.  Keeping all the oil on the inside is something that Harley has had problems with throughout it's history, and as you 110 owners have found it's a tradition that is still going strong.  I haven't had the issue on other brands, and I haven't had it on cars since about 1980 something, so it isn't something we should have to live with.

You will find all kinds of "fixes" available from the aftermarket, some which actually help and many which just relieve you of some cash.  If you search the site on "blow-by" and "breather" you should find several threads which discuss this problem as well as many of the "fixes".  The first thing to try is running the oil about a pint below full.  The only foolproof fix I've seen so far involves running a hose from the heads to a collection bottle, bypassing the air cleaner entirely.

Jerry

Jerry - it is funny that MOCO has had this issue for ever. In my EVO FXR, with the gravity fed system, if i left my bike inactive for too long (maybe 3 to 4 weeks), when i start it up, its spews oil (if i dont clean the air filter before).  When i rented a bagger in Reno, the guy tells me that if i lug the bike in 6th gear, i may have oil spew out so dont worry about it if it happens.  i just think to myself, i cant imagine the Germans sit around saying "oh, Heinz, dont worry about fixing that oil problem, we will just tell our customers not to keep their bike idle for more than 3 weeks and dont lug the bike"

best

Free

[Hoist!]

Jerry - it is funny that MOCO has had this issue for ever. In my EVO FXR, with the gravity fed system, if i left my bike inactive for too long (maybe 3 to 4 weeks), when i start it up, its spews oil (if i dont clean the air filter before).  When i rented a bagger in Reno, the guy tells me that if i lug the bike in 6th gear, i may have oil spew out so dont worry about it if it happens.  i just think to myself, i cant imagine the Germans sit around saying "oh, Heinz, dont worry about fixing that oil problem, we will just tell our customers not to keep their bike idle for more than 3 weeks and dont lug the bike"

best

Free

Their breather system has always been either too small, inadequate, or poorly designed. Simplest is when we vented directly from the cases. Do what you want with it at that point, and just be prepared for dumping an occasional wet sump on the floor, after it's been sitting awhile. Nothing but a PIA since they moved it to vent thru the heads. Requires overhead plumbing instead of below. But either way, the surest way to get it from misting all over everything, is to replumb it to the ground! Look at the Kury Bluegrass Breathers. They're adapters to allow you to get it from the heads to the ground or a cannister. Pipe them to a tee, with a single line down to the ground. Done!

Hoist!

[Ride n Shine]

Newer bikes require the bike on the jiffy stand to read the dipstick properly.  Tranny too.

All 88" Twin cam B models say it both the owners manual and my Haynes service & repair manual "to check lubricant level 1, Ride the motorcycle until engine is warmed up to normal operating temperature. 2, When the engine reaches nomal operating temerature turn the engine off and posistion motorcycle STRAIGHT UP and LEVEL". I don't have a manual for a 96" or 110" as I don't own one of those bike's but the guy that over filled my '01 Softy told me he checked it on the jiffy and that was why it was over full.

[BigR55]

Had a case of this on my 06 while riding the dragon and back and forth over to Gatlinburg. Seemed to be from a lot of third and fourth gear high rpm engine braking that caused the oil to foam. Changed the filter and have not had a drop since. I still have the original filter and backing plate.The lower oil level approach seems to work. My Honda buddies carry a real looking plastic oil spill and are always putting it under my bike.

[Ironhorse]

My '91 Evo Heritage did it, so did my '95 Evo Ultra, and so does my '01 TC Ultra. I have heard others say that it's better to run half a quart low. I route mine down to the frame and let it leak and blow by down there. It does make the bottom of the bike a bit messy, but better there than on the side of the engine. Somehow it gets worse when I climb. Going from sea level to a couple thousand feet really makes it puke. So rather then spend money on "Umbrella Valves" and stuff like that, I'll let it blow out and run the oil levle a little lower.

[altugo]

My 06 SEFATBOY does it after every oil change.It turned out that i had too much oil in.Theres a strange way to read how much oil you should have in your bike.You got to run it for a while then steighten the bike to do the reading.It got fixed for now tough.

[Ride n Shine]

My '91 Evo Heritage did it, so did my '95 Evo Ultra, and so does my '01 TC Ultra. I have heard others say that it's better to run half a quart low. I route mine down to the frame and let it leak and blow by down there. It does make the bottom of the bike a bit messy, but better there than on the side of the engine. Somehow it gets worse when I climb. Going from sea level to a couple thousand feet really makes it puke. So rather then spend money on "Umbrella Valves" and stuff like that, I'll let it blow out and run the oil levle a little lower.

And on to your back tyre? Maybe you could drain it into a catch bottle.