your oil level isn't low unless it is below the 'add' mark. anything inbetween the 'low' and 'full' is in the operating range.

 

This is correct.
A little high in the etching when cold, kinda low in the etching when hot.
That's in da zone!

 

That's the part that confuses me, the owners manual shows full hot at the top of the etch marks but cold around the mid way point on etch marks. Common sense tells me it's exactly the opposite, hot check is mid way and dead cold would be towards the top bc all the oil has settled back down into the oil pan.

 

What you have is a dry sump motor in which there is no oil pan attached to the motor per se.
It uses a remote oil reservoir that feeds the oil pump.
Oil, just like everything else, expands with temps so your oil level will be higher when hot and lower when cold.
As said previously by myself and many others if your cold check is halfway between the full and add marks you're good to go.

 

Ok, makes sense, thank you. Obviously i'm a newbie to the operations of these harleys

 

My '14 RK took 3.5 quarts of M1 20/50 V-Twin with oil and filter change at 5K miles...and that was after an overnight drain of a hot engine on the Jiffy stand. When my cold dipstick reading is half-way while on the Jiffy stand...the hot level is about 3-4 dots higher, again, while on the Jiffy stand. I've checked cold and hot levels with the bike upright too. I adjust my hot level to a few dots below the full mark while on the Jiffy stand...no blow-by after a very long ride in very hot temps. Like was stated previously, learn what levels work for your bike...

I use the shop manual and typically do as much of my servicing as possible. When I took my new bike back to my dealer for the 1K check...they overfilled the motor by ~28 oz and used liquid teflon on all my drain plugs, and all my O-rings were shreaded...what a mess cleaning up the drain threads!!...service manager said they use a "calibrated" reservoir dispenser to fill motors....I told him he needs to "recalibrate" !!%$#@%!!...I won't go back to another HD dealer service dept for work unless I have a warranty issue that has to be repaired by an HD dealer..$360 to have my motor overfilled + $4 for a turkey baster + 2 hours of my time cleaning drain plugs...who needs that?! Hope your dealership service dept is better than mine...

 

Just got done changing all my fluids to amsoil, tranny and primary specific fluids and 20w50 in the engine. Feel much better now. Measured the fluids after draining, tranny and primary drained spot on per the fill capacity in the manual. Engine drained 2.5 quarts, dumped 3 in and now my hot check level is about 3/4 on the dipstick. Not sure why only 2.5 quarts engine oil came out, changed oil about 45 minutes after a ride so engine was plenty warm still

 

I have changed my own Oil since the bike was new it is a 08 with 80000 miles on it I alwasys put 4 quarts in with no problem like leftcoaster said it is a remote oil tank not oil in a crankcase

 

They (the dealerships) also use the wrong size o-ring on those plugs.
Go one size smaller on the o-ring (it should fit snugly in the groove), no thread dope and your troubles will be gone forever. Buna o-rings work great - no need for viton but it's your bike, your money.
I only need to change out those o-rings maybe once every fourth or fifth oil change.

 

this is correct. hot check is at top of etching . cold in the middle. for the most part i dont really care about the cold check. when your bike is running and hot thats when the hot check comes into play. when your cruising down the road, the oil is sucked out of the pan i believe. thats why is high on the stick. ive never had oil come out my filter because of the oil level at hot check.