dropped bike

craig bush · Apr 1, 2022

0260n25 said:
My Japanese bikes never minded a little extra oil (30 years of bike ownership), but my Ducatis spit it out on the very first ride (crankcase vent tube, airbox, and sometimes oil cap). My XDiavel gets very unhappy with even the slightest overfill (top line is too much). My wife's Yamaha R3 doesn't mind extra oil either. Obviously, I try not to overfill but it is hard to notice on the Japanese bikes, whereas the Ducati will tell you right quick (in my experience).

Interesting. Why is this?

Paul G · Apr 1, 2022

I would think its due to piston design and crankcase volume, its all well and good having a more oil on the level (to a point) but centrifugal force and lean angle have to be accounted for. The pistons pump both ways and if you took it to the extreme i.e 100% fill then you would have hydraulic lock. There is no mystery here, just fine tolerances.

craig bush · Apr 1, 2022

Paul G said:
I would think its due to piston design and crankcase volume, its all well and good having a more oil on the level (to a point) but centrifugal force and lean angle have to be accounted for. The pistons pump both ways and if you took it to the extreme i.e 100% fill then you would have hydraulic lock. There is no mystery here, just fine tolerances.

Which tolerances being tight causes the motor to spit excess oil into the airbox, while a “loose” motor accommodates an 8 oz overfill without any problems?

Paul G · Apr 1, 2022

As I said, its crankcase volume, not mating surface clearances. Pistons pump both ways

craig bush · Apr 1, 2022

Paul G said:
As I said, its crankcase volume, not mating surface clearances. Pistons pump both ways

So Panigale crankcase volume is less than the Japanese bikes? If so, why?

BP PanigaleV4S · Apr 1, 2022

You'd have to ask Ducati to be certian, but I'd say it has to do with the packaging constraints of a V4 or even a V2 engine.

0260n25 · Apr 1, 2022

craig bush said:
Interesting. Why is this?

I don't know. I would imagine it has to do with the differences in engine design of the Vee vs Inline (and the sump). I thought it was odd one day when I saw a few drops of oil on the garage floor where my wife's R3 sits, but then I remembered that I had moved her bike and parked my XD there for a few days, LOL.

dropped bike

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