Art Webb wrote on 10/13/15 at 18:15:00:I don't think oil is actually a problem Harleys have a dry sump oiling system last I checked
The dry sump system has a scavenge pump that picks up the oil from the bottom of the crankcase - the pump is large as it is picking up foamy oil that has been bouncing around in the crankcase and it pumps the foam oil into the oil tank. The oil/air mix separates in the tank as the air rises to the top and vents, and the oil drops to the bottom. The pressure pump takes oil off the bottom of the oil tank and pumps it to the engine....and it oils the moving parts.
The scavenge pump picks up the oil at the bottom of the crankcase and the pressure pump picks up the oil at the bottom of the tank - but those places are no longer at the "bottom" when the bike is vertical on the back wheel. The oil will build up in the crankcase and be thrown around by the crank and rods, some of it will try to flow into the bottom of the rear piston/cylinder....and the pressure pump will keep picking up oil until the volume in the tank drops below oil pickup (which is now on the side of the tank). Once the bike returns horizontal the pumps will work to get things back to normal.....I don't know how many seconds it would take to get the oil out of the crankcase and back into the tank.
Since he is not traveling at high rpm and drops the bike down occasionally......I guess it works out OK. I don't expect this to be a bike that makes it into our Mileage Hall of Fame!