[redcat]

I am getting black spots on my tan seats and saddle bags.I don't know if they are coming from the exhaust pipe or the chain. My Chain is not over lubed and does not seem to be the cause but I'm not sure. These spots do not come off with anything I have tried. A friend suggested trying a little gas on a rag, but I am a little unsure about trying that. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Bankerdanny]

Do you have the duckbill crankcase breather? If so the spots are probably from that. My bike rim always had a thin film of oil on it. Fortunately it didn't get on the tire. I could definitely see a few drops finding their way to the seat and/or bags.

[redcat]

I think my crankcase breather ends up in a small cannister between the battery and the toolbox on the leftside. Is that what you are refering to? A friend of mine told me that they used to drain out on to the chain,but mine does not.I have emptied this once or twice,and I don't think this is causing the problem.

[Bankerdanny]

No. The duckbill is a rubber tube with a pinched end (like a duck bill) it replaces the catch can setup.

With this set up small amounts of oil are vented out the tube onto the chain.

[jest2dogs]

Try "Dawn" detergent. If you have oil spatter, as I have from a leaky head gasket, it removes it quite easily. I just got a hot wet rag, a few drops of Dawn, scrubbed and rinsed.

You did not say where the black spots were. Are they on the sides of the seat & bags or on the top? If the spots are on the top you might be seeing bird droppings , mold or pitch. I like to try a non-petroleum product on these things first, like vinegar. Peanut butter will remove pitch but the peanut oil might stain the leather bags and you have to wash with a detergent to remove the p'nut butter afterwards. Some folks have used WD-40 (fish oil base) but again the bags might stain (try it on the underside of the bag to test).

I don't want to get into catch can issues, that a whole other, much discussed to death, topic. Leave it with the notion that many (most) of us here, have deleted the can setup for a simpler tube and duckbill variation.

-Heloise (aka Jesse in P.A.,WA)