I took a test ride today on a 2014 1200 custom with 5k miles. It was a 15 mile ride got up to 60 a couple of times. Heading back to the dealer at the end of the route we got stopped at a light. White smoke started to come off the engine around the air filter. The oil light did not come on or anything else. The salesman said it looked like someone had put too much oil in it and it was burning off through the air filter. It makes sense but I was wondering if it could be something else. Any suggestions about what else could it be?

 

It could be as the salesman suggested, over full oil level, but that could easily be confirmed by checking the dipstick - did you do that?

It could also be excessive piston blow-by, in which case you wouldn't want to touch that bike.

 

No I did not check that. Newbie here. Thanks. The salesman took it back to the service department after the ride to have them check it. Offered to call me when they had check it over for another ride.

 

Could also be some leftover cleaning product that wasn't wiped off

 

I hope it is something minor. The ride was good and I really liked the bike.

 

If it was blowby you'd be seeing blue smoke out of the pipes. Very likely overfilled and is now being vented out through the air cleaner and burning on the engine somewhere, or it's just a cleaning product.

Do the newer fuel injected HD's breathe through the heads like my evo? Or do they have PCV valves and all that crap now?

 

No blue smoke just white. I am not sure about the pvc. Thanks for the information

 

Buy it somewhere else. If they can't get the oil right on a new bike, I would call that a problem.

 

Would you trust a used car salesman when they say smoke coming from the hood is normal?

I would just move on to the next motorcycle without thinking twice.

 

It is used one but I was worried that no one from service had taken it out after they took it in on trade. With used cars if you ask for the prior owner most dealers will tell you who it was unless they bought it at auction. Will harley dealerships do that?