I had for a year and many miles, oil pop up around the head gasket on the pushrod side of the engine, with no possible place for it to come from. Keep in mind that oil only passes through the heads on the left side, not the pushrod side. Turns out the wind would push oil from my leaky fork seals in just the right position. You never know man... you never know.

Have you tried a new set of plug wires? I have 10mm screamin eagles on my bike. How long does it take the soot to pop up?

EDIT: I'm wondering if you have a tiny rocker box leak on the front cylinder and wind is just pushing it in that direction and it's catching road grime.

 

I think it's time to try mind over matter. If you don't mind, it won't matter. Ride it.

 

I dont think what you are seeing is a carbon track .
I think its a track of something leaking from the upper area above the cylinder ! I asked if you have recently force lubed your cables and you responded as yes .
I suggest that what you are seeing is possibly cable lube and fine metal powder from the wearing of the cables dripping from the cables mounted above the cylinder ? If there are no cables mounted above the cylinder then i am wrong here., if there are then thats where i would look .

 

Ok, now I'm wondering is this could somehow be clutch dust? My clutch went out on me yesterday and when I took it apart, the basket was full of the same looking dust that is getting on my plug wire. Don't know how it would get up there but, I guess it is possible????? Hell, I don't know... LOL

 

Now it sounds like static from plug and wires is collecting that clutch dust you speak of, does it smell or taste the same?

 

Wind man... it's nuts...

 

Obviously you have a belt primary then....dry clutch. Very possible. When ever voltage passes through wiring, it will create a field around the wire and the higher the voltage the higher the field. Maybe your wires aren't insulated all that well...

 

Wires are new 10mm. I would think they are well insulated. I can hold them with wet hands and not get shocked. LOL

 

I was talking about the magnetic field created... I run belt drive with a dry clutch and have no probs...

 

Just watching because this one has me ??????