XUV550 Oil leak / crankcase pressure

Hi:

New guy here, Frank-in-Tallahassee.

My XUV550, new in August of 2012, 77.4 hours now, has started to smoke. Looked under the bed and seats, and found a bit of engine oil around the dipstick grommet at the block, but it seems to be getting onto the hot exhaust pipe which is quite high up as well. It also seems to me to have a LOT of crankcase puffing, but I don't know what "normal" puffing should be. I was thinking that if it has excess pressure that it might be pushing the oil out. If I spray everything clean so I know it's dry and oil free, and take it for a half mile spin, there is fresh oil around the dipstick base, but it doesn't appear to be anywhere else. Can that are scatter oil up high and onto the exhaust pipe?

It runs fine, and other than the smoke from the oil frying on the exhaust pipe, you would not know that there is anything wrong, so I'm not thinking that it is anything really serious, just a leak somewhere. That said, I hobby in old farm tractors so I have just about every tool, but I am not up to speed on what these B&S Vanguards have for quirks.

Could really use some pointers. And I have to ask...warranty is only 12 months on these, right?

Thanks in Advance!

Frank