Mystery oil leak

[bobrx3]

Originally Posted by AZRider

As the owner of a BSA 250 and a Lambretta TV175 in my youth growing up in England, leaks were a way of life. Since moving to the States and owning multiple Japanese bikes, those days seem so far behind me. My RX-3 may leak, but I know that if I tighten something, the leak will stop. Wish I could have said that 50 years ago.

Speaking as a Brit, the engineers of the 50s, 60s and 70s never really seemed to grasp the idea that fluids should stay inside the engine! They had vertically split crankcases and carbs that never seemed happy unless they were seeping fuel. They also seemed to have trouble with electricity and keeping fluids (like water) out of them.

I guess sometime in the 80s or later they caught onto the idea a gaskets that actually sealed and were made out of materials that didn't dissolve in oil or gas.

Apart from this one annoying drip, the RX3 has been very good. When I started it up after its winter hibernation (about 3 months here in Maine) it fired right up at the first touch of the starter.