Ok, so i got my 2003 roadstar silverado put back together. its running, wich is a big stepp for me, considering i put it together from a rubber crate and have never done enternal engine work before. anyway to the point.

when starting cold i put the choke and hit the start. as it starts to crank it sounds as if a black cat is going of and sprays what looks like black dust out of the front of the cylinder head and to the right side of the bike. scared me at first thinking i had trown a rod but i started up and ran fine after?? anyway i know this can't be good! the second time this happened. i was watching for it and it looks as if it may be comeing from one or a couple of the the rubber spacers on the front of the cylinder head. not sure though. agin started up and ran good as it seems.
also i had filled crankcase and transfercase with oil as directed in service manual but oil in transfercase is really high when i checked it tonight. (checked it cold)

what would cause these things and what steps should i take to fix?

the rubber between the fins are just to dampen vibes. the transfer case oil check level can be done cold or hot, but the bike needs to be level and check by the weep hole just below the and to the right of that big fill plug. The transfer case oil should just start to weep out of that small hole.

big jes,
Can you post a picture of where the puff is coming from?

Ray

If it's black dust, that sounds like soot from the exhaust pipe to me. Check to see the header is seated properly and fully tightened down. If it only does it at start up when it cold, then goes away as the bike heats up, that could be because the the exhaust is the first thing to heat up and as it does, it expands and seals the leak.

That would be my first guess.

Best of luck.

Doc_V