Thx for all of the replies. I will try the less oil ideas. Would not riding it much have anything to do with this also?

Chop

 

I would never run my oil level low. In my experience, blow by only becomes an issue if the air filter becomes over saturated with oil. I use a washable filter and clean and oil it about once a year.

If you ride with anyone who re-routes the vent tubes so they drip on the road, you might not want to ride directly behind them. I got oil all over the front of my bike, my helmet and my goggles from riding behind someone who did that.

 

They'll generally spit oil a little worse after sitting for a while because oil will seep into the crankcase while they sit.

 

Thx for your reply, str8jacket , going to checkout airfilter and see what it has. Thinking about a K&M if one is not in there.

Thx again,
Chop

 

We're not talking running it low. Just not quite 100% to the full line. Mine is run at about 1/4 to 1/2 way and I have not had a problem with oil ever.

I once had a guy ask me about oil and I checked his tank and it didn't even register on the dipstick. He had ridden 200+ miles that day without a problem. Topped it off and didn't worry 'bout a thing.

There is a bit of over-engineering done in the cooling/oiling system of all vehicles for reasons like I mentioned. You can run it 1/2QT low, and likely the system was designed to be ok with less oil than that in order to prevent problems or having to micromanage the oil level.

It's kinda like car radiators, they are designed to run on about 60% of their capable heat transfer, so even if you run it low on coolant, your car really has no clue. You just might miss the heater circuit on those cold days.

 

If U've seen any threads on this through the yrs it seems like its all is related to running the oil level right on the high line when running hard.

Most fill till the oil level till it show 1/2 way between low and full on the stick so we wont get the blow by.

 

I can't see running the oil a little lower than the full mark on the dipstick on softails doing any harm to the motor.
First of all, unlike a car motor all the oil is not in the oil sump in the bottom of the motor.


On our bikes the motor sump only holds about a quart of oil. The other 2-1/2 quarts of the oil is held in the seperate oil tank under the seat. That oil just gets recirculated back in the sump of the motor.

So just for example, if you were a quart low of oil in the oil tank there is still enough oil to circulate and the sump would still remain full and the oil pump would always be primed with oil. Of course running a quart low would make your bike run slightly hotter because theres less oil for heat transfer but none the less the motor would remain fully lubricated.

 

Ditto what str8jacket said. I have been sprayed with oil from an oil puker in front of me while riding in groups. It happens. I was thinking dirty air filter also, the high flow washable (such as the K&N) is the way to go.

 

Get a new oil tank cap that fits tight. Fill the oil to the proper level and not a mm. more.

C#

 

I never said it hurt the motor to run the oil level between the low mark and the full mark (or even at the low mark for that matter). I just don't see anything to be gained from not keeping it close to the full mark. Maybe I have a vision problem, but I just can't see how running the oil level lower in the reservoir can reduce the amount of oil that comes out of the crankcase vents. To do that it would have to cause a reduction in the amount of oil in the crankcase itself, since that's where the oil is coming from.

...as you stated above, "the sump would still remain full" and "the motor would remain fully lubricated", meaning there is still the same amount of oil in the crankcase. So how is it exactly that there is less oil coming from the crankcase vents?