The 2016 touring bikes with this problem was also mentioned in post #982 on this forum.

 

Yes, the '16's were involved. Buddy of mine has been tracking. My dealer is in Peoria with fairly good sales volume but mine is the first one they've seen. Either there's a lot of ignorance with routine maintenance or...I don't know. But I'm convinced this is not a relatively rare occurrence.

 

Well folks, I never had trans fluid migrate to the primary through the first 6500 miles... Until I rode 1100 miles to Sturgis. I'm pissed. First day, I rode 700 miles on 75 mph interstate, and I did not check the level the next morning before setting off. Second day, I rode 400 miles on 65 mph roads. Before setting off to Devil's Tower the next morning, I thought I might give the fluids a check - trans dipstick was bone dry! So I filled it up. I can guarantee you that I did not go over 3500 rpm the entire trip - 80 mph is ~3000 rpm.

Funny enough, over the next 1000 miles while I was there, I didn't lose an ounce. On next 1100 miles on the way home yesterday and today, there's still fluid on the dipstick... I'll have to check it when it's cooled down in the morning.

I did stop by Black Hills HD and told them what was happening and they didn't seem surprised by it. They just told me that they would need my bike for 4 hours to replace a seal in the primary, and since I was leaving, I couldn't afford the extra time there. So, I bought a baster and transferred the fluid back lol.

 

I'm sorry to hear you've joined the club. Your absence of problems was reassuring...

 

It was in the upper 90s the entire first day, and upper 80s the second day - these are the days that I had migration. The next three days, which included a lot of 80 mph through Montana and North Dakota and "mountainous" riding in South Dakota, no transfer and the temps were 75 at the highest. 85 was the highest for only three hours on the way home.

 

Good post.. While I don't mind bumping the limiter. I typically don't see any transfer unless running 75 and above for any distance..

When I first got my bike on the second day I did a 400 mile trip which included a bit of freeway driving at 75.. I checked oils at 500 and found tranny low but on the stick and primary level high. I assumed that the levels were miss filled.. When this stuff came up I start checking. No change even tho I ran the bike hard. The thing was that Rs weren't consistently high. Did a 200 mile trip that was all freeway and the levels changed..

 

Latest info from my dealer: beside changing the transmission, HD Germany told them to change the crankshaft seal.
Another German dealer believes the source of the problem is the clutch cylinder in the primary.

 

Sounds a bit like roll the dice....

Clutch cylinder in the primary?

 

This is one of the many things that my dealer is doing to my bike while it's in there for the big "Checklist" procedure since the new tranny didn't fix the problem. It just seems like a long shot for the crankcase to be pulling enough vacuum in the primary case through a bad crankshaft seal to suck that much oil out of the tranny to cause the amount of transfer that we're experiencing. I mean, I guess it could, but, why not do what someone else here, (sorry, don't remember who), already suggested and drill/tap a 5/16" NPT hole in the top of a sacrificial primary cover, put a brass filter/breather in it, and let that puppy breath? The path of vacuum is broken at that point without having to dive too deep into the bike. I'm hoping that the dealer gets my bike delivered back to me sometime this week so I can start on a different chapter of this saga.........

I still need to check into California's Lemon Law too.

 

I'll add that I typically ride 30 minutes each way to work at 70-75 mph and never had transfer.