I smell Oil
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 0
From: WireGrass, AL
if your seeing a little oil inside of your air cleaner you might have to much oil in the can which you can adjust by using a baster borrowed from the kitchen. When i smelled oil from my departed 95 FLSTN that was the source didn't take much oil just a little bit.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 471
Likes: 9
From: Far NorCal
You all are smelling the normal blow-by into the air cleaner..........breathing!
Worst when run hard or hot, very normal. I've been smelling it since 1978 and smell it on my new TC.
On my last 2 Evo's I routed it outside to a breather real low on the bike and didn't smell it as bad and a-c was stayed clean.
Keep your oil at 1/2 mark, helps a lot.
Worst when run hard or hot, very normal. I've been smelling it since 1978 and smell it on my new TC.
On my last 2 Evo's I routed it outside to a breather real low on the bike and didn't smell it as bad and a-c was stayed clean.
Keep your oil at 1/2 mark, helps a lot.
Last edited by Holster Maker; Aug 20, 2011 at 02:21 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 779
Likes: 4
From: Upstate New York
You all are smelling the normal blow-by into the air cleaner..........breathing!
Worst when run hard or hot, very normal. I've been smelling it since 1978 and smell it on my new TC.
On my last 2 Evo's I routed it outside to a breather real low on the bike and didn't smell it as bad and a-c was stayed clean.
Keep your oil at 1/2 mark, helps a lot.
Worst when run hard or hot, very normal. I've been smelling it since 1978 and smell it on my new TC.
On my last 2 Evo's I routed it outside to a breather real low on the bike and didn't smell it as bad and a-c was stayed clean.
Keep your oil at 1/2 mark, helps a lot.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 434
Likes: 2
From: Wisconsin
The transmission is vented, that is why you can smell something. I never really noticed much in smell on my bike till I switched to Redline heavy shock proof, now I smell gear lube which is very distinctive. I really like how much smoother the shifting is that I just deal with it. Just look around your bike and make sure you have no leaks, if none, ride it and enjoy the day.
As a side note, I needed to replace a clutch cable, while doing that I seemed to had gotten some oil on the exhaust bracket. No matter how much you clean up, you just don't get it all, well it makes a little smoke and really smells when that bracket got hot for a few rides.
As a side note, I needed to replace a clutch cable, while doing that I seemed to had gotten some oil on the exhaust bracket. No matter how much you clean up, you just don't get it all, well it makes a little smoke and really smells when that bracket got hot for a few rides.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 459
Likes: 1
From: New Port Richey, FL
Look where your clutch cable enters the trans, the clutch cable may have just a drop of oil on it and/or it may be , one drop at a time, working it's way down the cable to under the engine, when the engine and clutch cable is hot it will omit the oil smell you're smelling, don't try to stop it, you can't, it does'nt hurt anything and it gives you that "Harley smell" !!!!
I had the same leak at the clutch cable dealer said they tightned it at my last service.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 56,052
Likes: 88,322
From: Western South Dakota
Check the 2 fasteners where your pipes mount to, right under your tranny cover and make sure that they are tight..
You may have to remove one of the heat shields to do this unless you have the right tool.
Also if you smell gear lube, check the back side of your right muffler for "crusty" feeling debris. If you can feel something like that on your muffler, you more than likely have a leak, and it is more than likely coming from the the 2 fasteners where your pipes mount under your tranny and then leaking onto your muffler.
You may have to remove one of the heat shields to do this unless you have the right tool.
Also if you smell gear lube, check the back side of your right muffler for "crusty" feeling debris. If you can feel something like that on your muffler, you more than likely have a leak, and it is more than likely coming from the the 2 fasteners where your pipes mount under your tranny and then leaking onto your muffler.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 9
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,459
Likes: 57,015
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
I think it's the nature of the beast ... mine's had an odor ... fragrance ... aroma .... since it was new and I now refer to it as "Eau de Harley" .... Never noticed it on any of my older scooters.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 8
From: Atlanta, GA
You are smelling the natural musk of a Harley-Davidson. You probably are smelling blow by vented into the air cleaner and a nice aroma coming from the tranny. Damn that is a great smell, isn't it?