Too much oil!

[Maxmanta]

Hi, all.....

I'm returning to riding after twenty years, and starting from scratch.

I bought my Trident used and have only gone around the block a couple of times.  I finally checked the oil, and it seems to be WAY over full.

I pulled some if the oil out with a syringe and it's better now but how much damage could I have done by riding it like that?  There was no smoke or leakage and I barely go past 3000 rpm.

Should I be worried or am I excessively OCD?

[mtraphagen]

I wouldn't worry too much. The difference between the right amount and too much is such that an engineer could love -- as you could probably tell by taking some out with a syringe. I don't know how much you took out, but I have to think the bike will be OK, assuming it's running well now.

[Jaymz]

I had to do the same after my first service. They left the oil over the maximum level and oil started to appear wherever I parked the bike.

[vims]

Probably fine. General issue with too much oil is foaming due to crankshaft hitting the oil in sump - introducing excess amount of air in pump, resulting in too little oil for critical parts. But the max level is likely conservative, and seeing the oil isn't old, anti-foaming agents probably still does a good job if case is the crank would meet the oil in sump.

That said, I don't know the engine design, so please regard my reply as an assumption.

[JGA]

The oil level is obviously going to be impacted by how level the bike is, so I place a digital level on top of the tank. I wish Triumph had put a sight glass on the side of the engine and didn’t specify that the oil level be checked with the engine at full operating temperature. When the engine is cold, the level drops on the stick somewhere around 3-5mm, so I would shoot for about half way between the sticks’s upper and lower marks when filling the engine with oil. If you fill to the upper mark, it will definitely be slightly overfilled when the engine is hot.

JGA

[tridentmania]

The general rule of thumb is after returning/stopping with the bike at running temperature, let it stand for five minutes, for the oil to settle, then check the level. My method is to sit astride the bike with both feet flat on the level floor, unscrew the dipstick and wipe it then screw it back in and remove it, there's your level, easy peasy.