Took my bike for a small blast yesterday after it was sitting for a while, this morning, I checked the oil it it was way too high, what could be the cause, could my bike be sumping oil back into the crank case while I was riding during the warmer months, I ride it pretty hard on the highway cruising at about 85 for long periods, and now that it’s cold and I just went for a short ride at lower speeds that the oil just cycled back into the oil bag, that’s one theory, this is the first time this had ever happened, either way I’m gonna do an oil change tomorrow and start fresh. Bike is a 1997 Fxdl.

 

Checking and Putting oil into a Cold System is one way this happens... all the time in fact...

 

What Racepres said ... you can check the primary and make sure the fluid level is correct ...

 

Yep.

Check warm. Add warm.

Do that and you can't go wrong.

 

So is that because all of the oil went back into the oil bag, why does cold weather cause that, this is the first time I’ve ever checked oil in the winter, I usually do an oil change at the end of the season, so I really never worried about oil till spring rolled around.

 

That’s pretty much what I’ve been taught, but it’s really high, higher than when I check after an oil change.

 

As FreedomRider mentioned - check or drain your primary and compare amount to what you normally put in it.

 

I’ll look at that tomorrow, are you saying that it is possible that primary oil is getting into my engine oil.

 

Yes. Generally a top breather engine will put oil into the primary. Bottom breather engines will too, but often as not, will suck primary fluid back into the oil tank. Either way, it's the main crank seal and bearing spacer where it happens.

Don't panic yet. Assuming you are the one who changed the primary fluid last time and still remember about how much you used, drain it or pull a cover and look/measure. See if it's way off (low) and go from there. (And you did use an Evo filter - not a twin cam oil filter, right?)

 

Primary oil is where it should be.