Ok, so here's the problem. I noticed some spots on my right side saddle bag. I have a 2003 XLH Sportster, with a stock carb and setup.
It has the carbon canister, I believe it has the California epa junk on it. Well anyway, I noticed the spots and thought they were oil, and probably are. However I looked all over the engine and no oil leaks detected that would put spots on the right saddle bag.
So further investigation took off the air cleaner and the area around the bottom of the air cleaner is soaked with oil or fuel, and or a mixture of the same.
The bike doesn't smoke, doesn't burn oil, and have just really started riding it as the weather here is finally started coming around
Any suggestions on how or why this is so would be helpful, and is it a problem or is that the way these new bikes are.
My old 77XLCH didn't have that problem,...several others but that's another story
By the way, the exhaust's are pretty black, haven't done a spark plug check. And another thing, it wants to after run just noticed that when I got off the bike after a ride the other day. I'm running 87 octane fuel 10% ethanol should I be running a higher octane.
I know lots of questions, but I know you guys know these engines so I defer to your answers.
Thanks
Jim

 

Blow by coming from the breather bolts. Oil is probably too high on the dipstick and venting into the breather bolts. A good aftermarket crankcase breather filter will help eliminate your problem.
Check the DK Customs website.

 

Premium fuel is recommended.

 

Check the oil level only when the motor is hot and set the oil level on the dipstick at no more than 1/2 way up between the ADD and FULL marks.

 

Wait... you run 93 (high octane / premium) in your Sportster? I didn't know that.

I love this forum.

 

You shouldn't need 91+ octane on 2006 and earlier 883s, 87 octane is fine.

 

I would advise against open breather bolts unless you want oil spatter along the side of your bike. Some people don't have it but mine does it a bit even just under the half way mark on the dipstick. Get some banjo bolts and run the hoses to a small catch can. Once your bike levels off the amount of oil you'll only have to dump it once every couple of months or so.

 

Thanks guys, lots of things to check for, yeah I've got the open breather bolts, and the oil level is only about half way up the stick when the bike is on the level and hot.
So I'm thinking from the comments that this is pretty much normal. Gonna try some 91 octane or better and see if that cures the after run problem. Sounds kinda weird when you shut it off and it grumbles to a stop after about a second and a half of stumbling.
That heritage with an evo engine is looking pretty good Now if I can just convince my better half I like the cams being driven by gears, yeah I know you can get a gear set for the 88's but I like the old evo.
Hey back to the oil on the saddle bag, it sure beats cleaning chain oil off the rear wheel and back of the bike.
Thanks everyone.

 

combination of keeping the oil level below half full and a horseshoe breather are keeping the oil where it should be on my bike now- got tired of oil splats on my right leg!

 

My 883R also diesels for a couple of seconds when you shut it off. 91 fuel helped a bit but it still happens maybe 25 percent of the time. Try running Seafoam in the gas tank and spraying a mist straight into the carb mouth while holding a high idle around 2k. It'll burn off carbon deposits that can get really hot and cause dieseling. A high idle can also cause it to happen.