I went to take the Multistrada to work today (a 2011 1200s Touring) , for the 1st time in 2019. When I wheeled it round on the drive, with the engine running I noticed some small oil trails and small puddles. The liquid appeared red (looks to me like hydraulic oil, I'm assuming from the Ohlins electronic suspension) I haven't had time to investigate as I was going to work so I've taken my other bike. Before I start taking things apart, does anyone have any ideas of possible places to look first. The oil is dropping off the sump drain bolt, so I think it's maybe coming down from the Ohlins unit somewhere. I'm in East Midlands (South Derbyshire) , so I'd love to know of any experts local to me. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers Adam
Coolant would be my first guess too as they use a pink colour now. Coolant has a distinctive smell, just don't taste it
Thanks, the clutch/ brake fluid is straw coloured though, so not sure how that could be. Apologies if I’m missing something.
What colour is the engine oil.... or we go back to your theory... I think the Ohlins is oil a golden colour..... I'm looking at the oil stains on my office wall. I took the rear one apart...... A screw one end said "DO NOT REMOVE", so I took the one out of the other end.....
Thanks for your efforts, much appreciated. The engine oil seems more of a brownish colour but it's possible in small quantities that it could appear red. I only got the bike from a dealer last May and they said they had changed the oil. If it's oil, its much more red than other oil I've seen. Thanks again.
Sounds like engine oil to me My Ducati dealer users an oil that is Red in colour, very Red when new, so I think it will more likely be an engine oil leak you are looking at
Thanks very much for the reply. That would be a huge relief, to be honest, as I know how expensive and specialist ohlins can be. It was a Ducati dealer that did the oil change when they sold me the bike, so hopefully that is engine oil. I think where I wheeled the bike round it may have come from the sump guard as I probably leant the bike over to turn it round. If it's been dripping occasionally over winter, I guess it could add up to quite a bit accumulated in there. I guess I just need to get in amongst it and check for oil leaks.
Both the Agip engine coolant and Motul 7100 oil (when new), which my dealer uses, are bright cherry red. However what you have on your finger definitely looks like engine oil. If the workshop over filled the bike with fresh oil, it is not unusual for the engine of that age to chuck it out through the breather. The newer engines have a complicated catch bottle. With the bike on level ground, on its wheels, check the level. If it is above half way in the window, over filling is the most likely cause especially if the bike has been laid up for a while. Andy
Thanks very much for the reply. That's very interesting actually, as I did just that before putting the bike away and the oil level definitely seemed to be over halfway. You may well be onto something. I think I might just order the oil and filter and do it myself, making sure not to overfill it. Either way the centre stand has to come off, which seems crazy, seeing as a centre stand is usually really useful when doing oil changes. Thanks again
There’s a simple mod you can do so you don’t have to take the centerstand off again. Google it should come right up. Did to mine. Now the skid plate can come off without disturbing the centerstand.
