A slight hot oil smell

[its just rain]

Because of the weather I've only been able to put about 1,500 miles on my '10 NT700 since I bought it a couple of months ago. It now has about 5,500 miles on it (got it used). The last two times I've taken it out for a 100 mile ride or so I've noticed when I'm stopped a hot oil smell.

At least that's what I think it is. Maybe this is normal, maybe not. I've not noticed any leaks nor does it appear to be burning any oil. The dipstick shows the same level since the last oil change.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[elizilla]

Not much oil has to come out, to make an unholy mess. It takes even less oil to smear it into a film that will smell when burned off. If, say, you dripped a little oil on the exhaust pipe, when you were draining the oil for a normal oil change, and then instead of wiping it off thoroughly, you just smeared it with a rag, then there would be enough oil on the pipe to smell when the bike is warmed up. Have you ever changed the oil yourself, or are you still running on whatever oil the previous owner put in?

 

[its just rain]

Hi Katherine,

When I bought it I took it into the Honda dealer for service. It was right at 4,000 miles; they changed the oil.

 

[elizilla]

Maybe they dripped oil on the pipe - it's easy to do. And if they were careless wiping it off, it would smell of burned oil.

No visible smoke, right? Are you finding any oil on the floor, or migrating around on the outside surfaces of the bike? If you aren't, I wouldn't sweat it. Just a tiny oil leak will make a huge mess long before the motor loses enough oil to measure. And a small amount of oil spilled during an oil change can take a while to burn off.

 

[Lorien]

Just for the record the longer my NT sits in the garage between rides the more likely I will get a very slight hot oil smell just as it is warming up. If ridden every day I never notice it. Never seen the slightest sign of oil on the engine.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Could be the front valve cover gasket is seeping from the front, just a bit. Putting a drop of oil on to the exhaust header. it only takes a drop to get the smell of oil burning. Next time you are in for a valve check, inspect the gasket for pinch marks. Did you all use a thin coat of gasket sealer (I use the blue permatex, it stays pliable).

 

[DirtFlier]

[...my original fork seals on my ST1300 were still good after 9 years and 100000 miles. As soon as I said that the right one started to leak....] Clearly a case of customer abuse!

 

[elizilla]

Ah, the smell of motorcycles, it is like a perfume...

 

[RedLdr1]

Ah, the smell of motorcycles, it is like a perfume...

If you add a Skidmarx lower fairing you had better like the smell of cooking fiberglass....:rolleyes1: I wouldn't be able to smell Pepe Le Pew if I ran over him....

 

[Phil Tarman]

My left fork seal on the NT went away at 30,000 miles. I put the NOJ seal protectors on right after that.

 

[Phil Tarman]

If you add a Skidmarx lower fairing you had better like the smell of cooking fiberglass

Hah! That's one advantage to the OEM undercowl. It hasn't smelled yet.

 

[RedLdr1]

Hah! That's one advantage to the OEM undercowl. It hasn't smelled yet.

Bring to Hotlanta on a +90?F day and test it in heavy traffic for a couple hours....it will probably melt! This winter the Skidmarx is getting a few mods in an attempt to better cope with the heat here. Now where did I put my Dremel tool????

 

[Phil Tarman]

Bring to Hotlanta on a +90?F day and test it in heavy traffic for a couple hours....it will probably melt!

Well, I rode off and on all summer in temps of 90-107F. It never smelled. 'Course, Joanne tells me my smeller doesn't work as well as most people's do.

 

[its just rain]

An update on the hot oil smell. I installed my Stebel horn this weekend, while I was doing that I noticed that a piece of foam had dropped down from up under the plastics. I hadn't noticed it before because it was resting up on some hot parts of the exhaust. Mystery solved....melting foam smells like hot oil

 

[dnktng]

I noticed that a piece of foam had dropped down from up under the plastics

Was it theat 6" long by 1/2" square piece of foam rubber that seems to have fallen out on almost every NT? If it is, it should have been glued around the turn signal.

 

[Bear]

Was it theat 6" long by 1/2" square piece of foam rubber that seems to have fallen out on almost every NT? If it is, it should have been glued around the turn signal.

"Merlot" seems to be doing fine without that piece of foam. I think that it is somewhere in my shop. The next time my tupperware comes off, I'll glue it in its appropriate spot.

 

[jmoore]

I don't know Rick, mine resides in a tool box drawer seems to work very well there. jim