2006 XL-883R

I'm pretty mechanical savy considering i was ASE certified for over 6 years before getting out of the automotive repair business. Internal combustion is internal combustion. With that being said i checked my oil today and had to add 4 oz to bring it up to the oil level it was when i changed it roughly 2000 miles ago.

That was at 1600 miles and now its 3600. Plugs are perfect, no oil burn smell while running, no leaks. Other then being a cold running bastard like most stock Sportsters it runs perfectly. Should i chock this up as normal for a low mileage V-Twin? I know that new or reman automotive engines will consume small quantities of oil for the first several thousand miles breaking in.

Should i consider this normal on a 883? My mechanical inclination thinks so but since i've never hard core wrenched on bikes i wanted to ask? Thanks in advance! I should of been been a marine or motorcycle mechanic lol.

 

Typically you need to keep your oil around the halfway point or you'll get blow-by. Mess with the level a bit till you find the bikes sweet spot. mine is just a touch under half.

 

An 1/8 of a quart in 2000 miles is well within the what HD considers the "normal" range.
Also, when you change the oil, air enters the system (oil lines). It's not abnormal to see the oil level drop that much after the air gets worked back out of the system.

 

Keep in mind, its an air cooled motor, which gets hotter then water cooled motors and needs some clearance between parts so things can expand.

I have not had to add any oil between changes on my bike, but i keep the oil level on the low side, since I hear it just burns off if you overfill, or leaks out the cap....

Brett

 

Thanks guys for the input. I check my oil regularly ie weekly and i just noticed the slight drop today. So far I've kept it about 25% on the low side of the full hash marks on the dip stick. With that being said will the HD V-twin by design consume small amounts of oil over the life of the engine?

 

I think so, since they are in the same realm as other air cooled engines. I know for a fact that the Vanguard in my tractor doesn't burn or leak any oil, however the level has dropped slightly over time. I think there is some minor seepage from the valve guides and seals on cold start, that completely stop once the heads have reached full expansion at operating temp. I also am ASE certified (A1, A5 & T2) and have ran this through my brain a few times. I think the wider operating temperature range these engines see vs a liquid cooled has an impact.