You got a good point there Geez.

 

well, with only 250 miles on it, if it's not the dealers fault, then someone stole his oil?

 

I would bet that the oil was checked while the machine was still hot (just after riding it home from the dealer).

 

Or the oil was checked cold and the oil in the tank had drained down into the crankcase...It is possible that it was actually low...It just amazes me how it is always the dealers fault when we don't even know if the oil was checked correctly.

 

On the other hand, since he added a quart, and it did not come shooting out somewhere, it was probably low to start with. I am pretty sure I could not get a quart overfill in mine.

 

On a Sportster it will end up in the breather...Takes a little while to saturate it before runs out on the bike.

 

The problem is...the OP said that he was a quart low after only 250 miles. I've never seen one of these new motors "consume" that quantity of engine oil in so few miles. That's ridiculous.

Either the OP doesn't know how to check his oil level, or the dealership screwed up big time.

I'm sure that dealerships perform some kind of pre-delivery checklist before they turn a bike over to a new owner. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that "check eng oil level" is somewhere on that checklist.

After some of the boneheaded **** I've seen from dealership's service departments, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the tech doing the initial set up on the bike underfilled it.

 

You all again are wonderful - in a manly sense of course. As a new harley owner I appreciate your comments. Well, I ended up adding a quart as that is what the dipstick was showing me - even after I drove 5 miles like a bat out of hell in short sleeves...
So put in the quart yesterday and had the dipstick to 3/4 full at the end of my 5 mile hot drive -exhaust was cracking like a homecoming school fire with 500 pounds of woods flaming.
When on my 9 am drive about 30 miles on the freeway (didn't go on the freeway yesterday for my final oil check- before I went and purchased the quart of oil) and at 35 miles going 50-60+ I needed more gas. So I pulled into Ramona for gas and oil had squirted all over the rear after blasting out the oil cap!. Drove home around 50-55 and I figure after cleaning up the bike I lost ~ 1-2 cups of oil. I'm going to drain ~ 1/2 quart out when it cools down. - Hotter than H out here today especially in my garage.
I've come to realize that the oil dipstick is about as useful as a weiner on a pope. ( I use that term only because the term that may be called in bad taste has been in the paper so much recently. Also, I do attend Catholic church occassionally as I am a godfather and the family is Catholic - I respect the Church)
Now that I've humbled myself before you the members of this wonderful site and the church, let me say a few things.
There is nothing I can say that you don't all ready know about the beautiful sound of that motor. It just purrs. I love it. I rides nice.
Before I go, I do want to add, and as an aside I used 409 to help get the oil off wherever I could see it, the sqeek I had from the rear brake is now gone. I guess that's one good thing from my story.
Anyway, I will be moving my craftsman tool set from my apt. to the garage, I'm converting more of my good T-shirts into rags, and buying more cleaners.
Now, get outside and enjoy the 4th of July. I hope to see some fireworks from apt tonight. If California allows fireworks. There was a lawsuit that ruled them illegal because they disturbed the fish. I'm not joking. A good judge said this year they would overturn the EPA, fish lovers etc, but next year - guess we'll just make nosie with pots and pans - if they don't oulaw that.
God bless you, your families, and Harley Davidson.

 

Mine used a1/2 qt in the first 600 mi and yes I do know how to check oil,it can use a little oil till the rings get seated

 

Is it just me, or can anybody else decode this post?

Kevin,

Nothing personal, but your post is rambling and confusing, to say the least.

I'm getting the feeling that you're not really sure how to check your engine oil level. Are you confident that you're checking the fluid level correctly, in accordance with the owner's manual? What you're telling us here doesn't make a whole lot of sense.