Changed the oil and filter in my 04 sportster 883 .
I used Harley D 20w50 oil and a new chrome filter .
I was told by dealer it takes 3 quarts with filter ??
I added 2 1/2 quarts warmed it up and it was full.
I noticed there were oil bubbles in oil ??
I,ve let it sit 4 days and level remains the same ..
Is this o.k. , should it go down and take more oil ??
Thanks,,,,,

 

What year is the bike?

 

Yep 3 quarts if drained perfectly........keep in mind some oil might of been left in the engine and some of the lines. So if you used 2.5 quarts and it's full then your good. And also take it out for a short ride and re-check the oil. Don't worry about bubbles.....sometimes it can take a bit of running before the air is worked out.

 

Your 2 1/2 qts is probably OK, just depends how much of the old stuff you got drained. The foamy thing happens. Check the oil level cold and you'll see no foam, oil level should NOT be appreciably different from hot, just easier to read without the foam. Same thing happened to me my first change. Dave

 

Changed oil in my '07 XL883 twice so far, and 3 quarts seems like almost too much! The owners manual and the Service Manual list the capacity at 3.6. But it also states that when changing oil, you do not need to drain the case, just the oil tank.
I havn't noticed oil leaking out anywhere as is sometimes observed on an over fill, but my next change I will put about half a cup in the filter, screw it on and add 2.5 quarts in the tank and then check after warm-up.............meathead

 

After 24k milesand many oil cahnges, 2.5 is about it. Never rely on checking the oil if the Bike has set long enough for the engine to get cold. At times some of the Oil drains down into the crankcase, and the level will be seen as low, and if you fill it, you will just get alot pushed back out or burned. Always check the oil on a Hot engine to get a true reading. Actually my 05, 883 likes it about half way between low and full.