THIS IS AN ANSWER FROM AN ALMOST IDENTICAL QUESTION............SEE SPECIAL NOTE AT BOTTOM!!!
The Sportsters are notorious for leaking oil from the breather.....this is normal!!!!
Now, the breather situation. Oil coming out of the breather is natural and normal, with basically no way to stop it. There is about 1/2 qt of oil in the bottom end of an engine, as the pistons travel downwards, the air that is under them is being pressurized and is vented out of the engine by a rotary breather valve in the case. The air picks up a small amount of oil from the bottom end as it leaves, then the air/oil mist is vented either into the air cleaner (EPA Regulations) or best if vented to the atmosphere. NOTE: WORN RINGS ALLOWINGS EXCESSIVE COMBUSTION PRESSURE BLOW-BY WILL MAKE THIS SITUATION EVEN WORSE. When it's vented into the air cleaner, some if it recirculates into the engine and out the exhaust, the rest saturates the air filter and then eventually gets blown all over the side of the bike. The best way to vent it, is to route a hose from the breather system down to the frame between the engine and trans, run it under the bike on the right side, point the hose down to the GROUND and zip tie it in place. I can't tell you how many times I see the hose pointing upwards between the trans and the oil tank or pointing at the tire---IDIOTS!!!
To stop the leaking breather BOLTS...remove them, and use brake cleaner to completely remove all oil from them, the washers, brackets and threads in the head. Use liquid teflon thread sealant on the bolt threads, and a light film of black rtv on the faces of all the washers and brackets, install everything, let sit for 24 hours, then ride.......if done properly and rtv is CURED, it won't leak.
Also note that most HD's with the oil tank mounted under the seat and are left sitting for a couple months will PUKE oil from the breather, this is due to the gravity....the oil will slowly seep through the oil pump and collect in the bottom of the crankcase and get blown out the breather when the bike is started.
EDIT: The guy below...obviously doesn't work on HD's for a living and did not comprehend what I stated...he needs to brush up on how HD engine work.......TOO MUCH OIL???.......The HD engine design is a dry sump engine, but there is always a small amount of oil in the bottom end....THIS IS WHERE THE OIL MIST COMES FROM......it is "possible" for too much oil to give your symptoms, if you have too much oil in it, the oil tank is vented back into the cam compartment, causing excessive oil build up in the bottom end, if this were the case, the oil would be PUKING from the breather, because the oil pump does not have the ability to scavenge that much oil back to the tank that quickly, which in this event, the tank doesn't have the room to store any way.
But even so, this is an all to common question and the symptoms are seen on almost every HD on the road.....could it be possible that EVERY HD has too much oil??? In my answer, I tried to explain WHY this happens.....even with or without too much oil.....this will still happen.
.......take my word for it....I have been doing this along time, just take a look at all the HD's breathers/hoses, airfilters the next time you are at an event or HD Dealer parking lot....ask others, ask custom bike shops...etc.
Also....he said to just clean the breather bolts and change the oil.....cleaning the breather bolts without sealing the threads won't do a thing considering oil will just leak from them again without sealer
http://www.dohertymachine.com/articlejan…
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_would_cau…
http://www.hdtalking.com/oil/6860-oil_le…
Source(s):
20yr HD Tech. MMI Grad 1991 and 2009. Factory trained by HD, Big Dog, American
EDIT: ************
NOTE!!!!!!
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LISTEN TO BART....HE IS AN ANTI-HD TROLL THAT KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
A Bart quote....
"The HD883 is a girls bike, why do you want a girls bike for?
Other bikers are going to laugh and make fun of you for riding a girls bike!
being honest, just trying to help you and save you from the aggravation
edit: NO I don't own or ride a HD883, people don't laugh at me and the types of bikes I ride they have to reason to!
I am being friendly, just trying to help you, if you ride a 883 you'll find out later i was right and regret you bought the bike."
Here is what EVERYONE thinks of Bart..............
"Do not give one ounce of credence to any poster whose avatar rhymes with fart. He does not own or even ride a motorcycle. He knows absolutely nothing about any discipline of motorcycling. He jumps at any questions related to Harley Davidson in order to spew anti-Harley rhetoric, visceral hate, outrageous lies and highly exaggerated figures. He was kicked out of a Harley Davidson dealer some time back for apparently throwing a fit in public about not having his credit approved for for a purchase of a Harley, so this is how he gets his
EDIT AGAIN FOR THE VICTORY GUY BELOW:
If you knew anything about what I am talking about when I say to route the crankvent to the ground, you would also realize that it is only a VAPOR....not a spray....it would take the bike sitting still and running at 3500rpm for about 12 hours to even make a mark the size of a quarter.........