BRAND NEW Rocket III with Oil leak

[*Nemesis*]

Looks like it could be the cosmoline. I have had 2 Triumphs that have looked like oil leaks but wasn't. What i did was after i put a few hundred miles on and discovered what looked like an oil leak, I then used simple green(diluted for heavy cleaning) on the engine area and gave her a good washing with Matte Paint friendly soap and it never appeared again.

 

[garyclem]

Try not to panic just yet, my 2015 did exactly the same in exactly the same places but turned out to be the stuff they prepare new bikes with (as others have said) ..... just wipe it off with a rag and if it comes back then you may have a problem. Does it smell like engine oil or something else? The bubbling on the badge is just the plastic film that covers some badges on new bikes. ......... but the dealer should know this ?????

 

[breeze]

could it be the dreaded porous motor? insist on a new one no reason to tear into a new bike look at it this way "is this how its going to be from here on out?

 

[Red Back Rocket]

Thanks to everyone that answered so far.

What I'm concerned with first is reason for the fan working constantly, a large amount of heat coming from the engine on 23 degres nice sunshine day! It does not seem to be quite small problem!
Also a friend who is mechanic had a quick look next morning before I took the bike back, he said it was definitely an oil from the engine.
I phoned the dealer and got ok to ride it back to their shop. When I arrived at the dealer which is about 10km, there was almost twice as much oil on the engine than what it was initially when I took this photo that I posted.

I will keep you guys posted with my progress, again thank you to all those that posted their opinions on what I should do.

 

[keno351]

hope it all goes well, looking forward to hear result

 

[keggar47]

Hello to all, I am new to this forum Please Help!!!
I have read a couple of posts, however there is nothing like my problem!
I bought a Rocket III 2015 model 2 days ago with 3km after mechanic had tested it. After 30km on the way home this happened

I must also mention that the fan was working constantly, as soon as I stop at the traffic lights the fan was already on! And I could feel enormous amount of heat coming from the engine! But no warning lights were blinking at all. The engine was soo hot that the triumph plastic sticker on the badge has bubbled.

Today the bike is at the dealership with even more oil dripping than in the photo and they said that they do not know what the problem is, or how serious it is because this hasn't happened on a brand new bike before. They are guessing it might be head gasket, or factory fault head or whatever else Triumph are telling them to check. They don't have a clue....

So today I sit at home with an empty bank account and no bike for at least a week after only enjoying my ride for only 2hrs. Not happy Jan.
Can anybody tell me how serious this problem is for a brand new Rocket III.

P.S. Hope the image will appear!!!

Perth, Western Australia

I bought a 2016 Rocket Roadster this year and experienced none of the problems you mentioned. If the fan ran constantly that should have been your first red flag. Did you check the coolant level before leaving the dealership? I check my new bikes out completely before my first ride. Too many people have ridden away with low oil, tires, and low coolant levels. Good luck with your problem and if they don't satisfy you, lawyer up!

 

[Filthy Phil]

I had similar oil leak problems with my 2015 Rocket X but mine wasn't overheating.
The first time I took it back to the dealer they reckoned it was the cosmoline. They gave it a quick wash, took it for a 5 minute test ride & told me it was fixed.
A couple of days later the leak reappeared so I cleaned it with engine degreaser & washed it. That worked for about a week until the leak came back.
I booked it into the dealer. They looked at it & said the O-rings behind the oil tank were leaking. They had to order O-ring which took a couple of weeks but told me it was ok to keep riding as the leak wasn't too bad.
So a couple of weeks later they replace the O-rings. Next day I walk out to the garage & there's a 20mm patch of oil under my bike.
Booked it into the dealer again. This time when they have a look at it they reckon the head gasket is leaking. So they order a head gasket. Mean while, I'm still riding to & from work every day.
3 weeks later I get a phone call to say the new head gasket has arrived so I booked the bike in for the following week while I was away on holidays.
I get another phone call while on holidays saying that while replacing the head gasket they find that the tappet cover is warped & they need to order a new one.
so this time I'm about 4 weeks without the bike while they wait on a new tappet cover. So they tell me that they've finally fixed the oil leak, they've tested it & everything is good now.
I pick the bike up, ride home 20kms & find that the idiots didn't tighten the inspection cover just above the oil filter & there's oil everywhere again.
I can tell you that the Service Manager got a very nasty phone call & I had the bike back down there straight away for them to tighten the cover & wash the bike.

I hope you don't get stuffed around like I did. It's all good now, 2 months & no leaks.

 

[cr0ft]

Today the bike is at the dealership with even more oil dripping than in the photo and they said that they do not know what the problem is,

My new Touring also dribbled oil. There's a semi-known thing where the oil tank itself is not properly seated and the o-ring there can leak oil, according to the mechanic at my local place (he used to be a Rocket pilot himself and rebuilt its gear box and such so he's pretty experienced with the engine.)

He went in under the oil tank, loosened it up and spent 20 seconds or so gently twisting it, wiggling it back and forth, and then tightened it up again.

Not so much as a drop of oil has escaped the bike since. Worth trying.

As for the heat, this is a big engine. If it was 23 degrees C and sunny and you are in stop-go traffic, the propeller up front will kick in frequently and blow hot air at you. Just the nature of the beast. If it wasn't that hot and you were moving, that's something else of course.

 

[Wrecka]

Hello, Red Back Rocket,and welcome.....this could be your lucky day!!When I purchased my R3T from private party with only 500 miles on it, i had the same type of leak you are showing. I went into panic mode as I was 1000 miles from home. I stopped at a repair shop and was instantly relieved when the mechanic told me that when new, the bike is sprayed with cosmoline, a protecting waxie substance to protect the bike during shipping. He said that some areas are difficult to get to when cleaning, hence the dripping you are seeing. I would contact the dealer and not have them do anything but a little more cleaning and ride the bike just checking the oil on occasion. As far as the triumph sticker it may very well be just a plastic cover for protection on a new bike. Good Luck!!

Yep what krmike said

 

[mully95]

Man that oil looks black as soot.