Oil leak,in a need of advice

[Jasmina]

I recently started to notice a small leak under my '09 250r Ninja.Dince i have 0 mechanical knowledge and like a 100% tendency to freak out (not a good ratio ) im in a need of some advice from a more knowledgeable people here.I have recently took my bike for a major service 20000km one,everything was done good,bike doesn't have any problems,about 1300 km's after service (which was about a month ago) first a minor drop here and there started to pop up,and now it's becoming more frequent.I found that the oil is not coming from drain hose,rather coming down the suspension and onto the ground.I will attach pictures below of the leak and suspension.Upon a further inspection i noticed that my oil level is high,i took my bike for a 1hr drive,left it to sit after it for 30 min,checked the oil level window which was full all the way.Could that be a part of the reson why the leak is happening,and if so,what steps should i take to avoid any damage to my beloved ninja?
Please note that i was not the one who changed the oil,it was done as a part of major service by the licensed dealer.
I apologize for the bad quality of pictures,i will try to get better ones in the morning.
Thank you in advance,any assistance will be highly appreciated.

Pics:
First and second one represent the ammount of oil it releases every five minutes.





The third picture is cicrcled where the oil seems to be sliding down.



Thank you.

[1uglybastard]

can you take a pic of where the oil originates? that far back, i wonder if it's coming from a breather hose.

You're measuring your oil level with the bike standing up and off the kickstand, right?

[adouglas]

Resized the pics to make it easier to see (when posting, look at the menu bar... yellow square with two blue triangles).

Yes, pretty much impossible to tell without tracing the source. All these pics tell us is that there's a leak.

Given that the puddle is near the shock, it could possibly be a blown shock seal. If that's so, the engine itself ought to be reasonably clean and oil-free.

Take the fairings off and have a good look/feel, starting from the top of the engine down. Oil won't go upwards, so if, say, the valve covers are okay there shouldn't be oil there.

Basically your engine is like a big sandwich. From the top down, you've got the valve cover, head, cylinder block, oil pan and filter cover. All that stuff is bolted together, with gaskets between the various layers. A leaking gasket will weep oil from the place where two pieces are bolted together. There are also things like oil pressure switches attached at various places... also potential leak sources if they come loose.

Even if you're not mechanically inclined, a look at a parts diagram (you can find them at places like BikeBandit and CheapCycleParts) can clue you in regarding how stuff is put together. Fear comes from lack of knowledge. So get some knowledge and banish the fear.

But the thing is, it's really rare for any of this stuff to come loose at all, barring accident. If it's put together right and it's not damaged, it should be nice and tight.

Never ever assume that because a dealer did it that it was done right. Most likely source of any issue is the most recent service... improperly placed gasket, improperly torqued filter cover or drain bolt, failure to put a crush washer under the drain bolt, etc.

When you find what you think is the source (an oily, greasy place), clean and degrease thoroughly. Then come back later and see if there's fresh oil there. That will confirm your initial finding.

Originally Posted by Jasmina

I recently started to notice a small leak under my '09 250r Ninja.Dince i have 0 mechanical knowledge and like a 100% tendency to freak out (not a good ratio ) im in a need of some advice from a more knowledgeable people here.I have recently took my bike for a major service 20000km one,everything was done good,bike doesn't have any problems,about 1300 km's after service (which was about a month ago) first a minor drop here and there started to pop up,and now it's becoming more frequent.I found that the oil is not coming from drain hose,rather coming down the suspension and onto the ground.I will attach pictures below of the leak and suspension.Upon a further inspection i noticed that my oil level is high,i took my bike for a 1hr drive,left it to sit after it for 30 min,checked the oil level window which was full all the way.Could that be a part of the reson why the leak is happening,and if so,what steps should i take to avoid any damage to my beloved ninja?
Please note that i was not the one who changed the oil,it was done as a part of major service by the licensed dealer.
I apologize for the bad quality of pictures,i will try to get better ones in the morning.
Thank you in advance,any assistance will be highly appreciated.

Pics:
First and second one represent the ammount of oil it releases every five minutes.




The third picture is cicrcled where the oil seems to be sliding down.



Thank you.

[Triple Jim]

Right, careful and thorough cleaning will help find where the leak originates. My bet is on the breather, since you say there's too much oil in the engine/trans. Remove some until the level is correct and see if the leak stops.

If the oil level is way too high, big problems can happen. If the crankshaft gets in the oil, it will make a lot of foam, and foam doesn't lubricate as well as liquid.

[Panda]

Your chain looks like it could use a good oiling.

[Jasmina]

Thank you all for your comments,i apologize for bad sizing of the pics
I will try to do as instructed,and identify the point of leak.
How often am i supposed to oil the the chain?
Thank you in advance.

[adouglas]

That chain could have dry lube on it. The PTFE (i.e. Teflon) lubes leave a whitish, dry film behind.

Wipe the gunge off and lube the chain every few hundred miles. No need to get obsessive about it or overdo it. The purpose is to keep the chain from getting completely dry, at which point it can start to corrode and bind. If you overdo it, all you'll accomplish is create a dirt and grit magnet. So as the wise man said, moderation in all things.

Since your bike will go about 200 miles on a tank you can use that as a rough gauge... every three or four fill-ups, wipe down and lube a bit.

I get the feeling you don't have a rear stand, which makes lubing a bit of a chore. No biggie. Make a habit if wiping and spritzing the lower run of chain (the part you can easily see when the bike is parked) from time to time. Since the chain never winds up in exactly the same place, over time you'll wind up hitting the whole thing.

Slightly better to lube when the chain is warm, i.e., right after you ride.

DO NOT use WD40 to lube your chain. Either use chain lube, or if you're cheap, heavy gear oil.

[Jasmina]

I greatly appreciate all answers.
Update on the situation,took it to a local bike mechanic,he came to a conclusion that the problem is in the rear shock,the engine itself is clean as a whistle. Adouglas here is right,the ptfe lube was used by dealer to lube it.
The shock is leaking and will need a replacement,as i bought the bike second hand i have no idea how the previous owner used it,most likely like a mule with little to no regard for speed humps
I tend to avoid them or crawl over them if i cant avoid
Thanks again for all answers,you guys are making my noob life easier

[Triple Jim]

I'm glad you're getting the problem repaired. I've hit many speed bumps in the decades I've been riding, and my usual procedure is to get off the seat and maintain speed. Unless they're the really wide type that can launch a vehicle, that is. If a shock absorber can't take a speed bump, it was time to replace it anyway.

[Jasmina]

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

I'm glad you're getting the problem repaired. I've hit many speed bumps in the decades I've been riding, and my usual procedure is to get off the seat and maintain speed. Unless they're the really wide type that can launch a vehicle, that is. If a shock absorber can't take a speed bump, it was time to replace it anyway.

Same here,270$ AUD and i will be at peace.Bike will be all good by Tuesday.For now i wrapped a small piece of cloth to soak up some of the fluid comming out of it so the leak doesent end up on tire,taking it easy because its my only form of transport.
Can't wait to be fully back on road again.