Oil leak or overfilled?

[nullpointer]

I bought a 2nd-hand 2024 Rocket 3 GT with ~1800 miles on it around a month ago. I went on a 9-day trip just finished last weekend, doing around 300 miles a day in the unusually high Europe temperature we've had over here (so up to around 40'C a day at peak). Before leaving, I checked the fluids according to the owners' manual, and found the oil level to be spot on the min marker. I thought it would be a good idea to put a bit of oil in just to keep in the comfort zone. I added around 500ml. It was a bit tricky to check the level after that, but I figured it would take it up to somewhere above the midpoint on the dipstick. After the first short day's riding, I didn't notice any oil marks under the bike but by the end of the second day, it was visibly dripping oil from the back of the engine block somewhere, but the whole width of the back for around 3 inches was oil-soaked, together with the joint at the start of the swingarm joint. I kept an eye on it, and after each day's riding, it would drip for a hour or so before stopping. I tried checking the oil midday at one point, and unsurprisingly, it was way way above the max mark because the engine was hot. The following morning it was around midway between min and max. Over the following few days, it continues to drip after riding, but the level on the dipstick after the manual process has not gone down significantly.

Is it possible that the oil leak existed beforehand, but the longer days made the leak more noticeable? Or is it possible that the manual-described process for measuring the oil is wrong, and I somehow overfilled it? It doesn't leak after the bike has cooled down significantly.

 

[Einar]

Pics would help eliminate known leaks (such as the gear position sensor).

 

[nullpointer]

Pics would help eliminate known leaks (such as the gear position sensor).

Yeah sorry. I washed it when I got home. But I'll try and provoke it again this weekend and see if I can grab fresh pics.

 

[Nashvegas]

I bought a 2nd-hand 2024 Rocket 3 GT with ~1800 miles on it around a month ago. I went on a 9-day trip just finished last weekend, doing around 300 miles a day in the unusually high Europe temperature we've had over here (so up to around 40'C a day at peak). Before leaving, I checked the fluids according to the owners' manual, and found the oil level to be spot on the min marker. I thought it would be a good idea to put a bit of oil in just to keep in the comfort zone. I added around 500ml. It was a bit tricky to check the level after that, but I figured it would take it up to somewhere above the midpoint on the dipstick. After the first short day's riding, I didn't notice any oil marks under the bike but by the end of the second day, it was visibly dripping oil from the back of the engine block somewhere, but the whole width of the back for around 3 inches was oil-soaked, together with the joint at the start of the swingarm joint. I kept an eye on it, and after each day's riding, it would drip for a hour or so before stopping. I tried checking the oil midday at one point, and unsurprisingly, it was way way above the max mark because the engine was hot. The following morning it was around midway between min and max. Over the following few days, it continues to drip after riding, but the level on the dipstick after the manual process has not gone down significantly.

Is it possible that the oil leak existed beforehand, but the longer days made the leak more noticeable? Or is it possible that the manual-described process for measuring the oil is wrong, and I somehow overfilled it? It doesn't leak after the bike has cooled down significantly.

Yeah, that 500ml should have put it at about the halfway mark. I don’t think you overfilled it and I don’t believe the heat had anything to do with it. Hopefully it’s something easy to fix.