1999 Halrey 883 Hugger Hot Oil

The oil reservior on my daughter's 199 883 Hugger gets VERY hot when she rides. MY wife has a newer 883 Low and the oil reservior does not get nearly as hot. What might be causing the oil to get so hot on the Hugger? We just bought the bike used and I am not sure when the oil was last changed. Will something as simple as an oil change make a difference.

Doc:rant:

Hot Oil in 1999 Harley Hugger

The bike is pretty much straight stock, but was not ridden much by either of the previous owners (the bike only had 6,500 miles on it when we bought it). I am actually taking it in today for the oil change and filter replacement. Thanks!

Doc

might be a good idea to get a dip stick with a temp gauge. i don't recommend one of those electronic ones. just a regular olde fashion one. that way you know just how hot, hot really is:devil:

oil weight might just be to light. Mine gets hot also, you can't say what's normal without a gage, but since it's a air cooled system it's gonna get hot.

come to think of it now, my back thiegh sits right over mine, can actually feel the cap, but no heat

Absolutely & the 883 "Hugger" is different from the newer 883 "Low" model in several respects. The exhaust pipes do stick out farther on the newer model (different frame & rubber-mounted engine) & the exhaust crossover pipe is not right there in plain view underneath the carb like it is on the earlier model.

The top of the oil tank cap/dipstick also sticks out from the tank on the earlier model, while the newer one's cap is flush-mounted with the tank. I've got the older models & use a cap/dipstick with an analog gauge in the cap (kinda looks like a cooking thermometer) & the advice not to get the digital one is good, as the digital ones are often way off (stick the dipstick part in a pot of boiling water & see what it reads). But the top of the older model's oil cap is pretty darn close to your right thigh & you can often feel the heat from that & the tank.

My bikes normally run 160-180 degrees oil-temp which is great, but that's pretty "toasty" on your leg, so might want to check seating position. And with the good analog gauge, if you see oil-temps over 200 degrees for any length of time, you've got a problem. Which is most often associated with running too lean & assuming the Hugger is stock, it is.