Harley Davidson XLH Sportster 883 Hugger - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support

kinda sounds like you broke a ring or crank case vent plugged

Question edited for clarity and all the typos :>D Question moved to make / model category. Clutch replacement. My guess is something not right. https://www.google.com/search?q=1986+harley+davidson+sportster+883+replace+clutch+plates Service manual

1986-03 Sportster XL XLH Service Manual

https://www.ratbikeservice.com > dwnld > 1986-03 ... PDF This detailed and comprehensive manual covers. 1986-2003 XL/XLH Sportster models. The text provides complete information on maintenance, tune-up, repair and. 638 pages

On most vehicles rocker covers are not normally bolted down that hard. Install the bolts by hand until finger tight then tighten in sequence a Quarter turn at a time until you get to 20 Ft/lbs and NOT tighter. Rocker covers are not normally exposed to full oil pressure so don't need to be a high torque setting. I often go to 15 Ft/lbs first and run the vehicle for one or two miles to check for leaks. That gives me that extra 5 Ft/lbs to avoid over tightening bolts.

I don't know the answer to your question but it would be wise to obtain a wiring diagram so you can see the function of the wires you joined together and can have a more educated guess as to the source of the popping.

If this is the original H-D battery in your bike, you've gotten good service out of the battery. Time for a new one. The general rule of thumb on motorcycle battery life is two years although I have seen them last as long as five when kept on a charger designed for this.
The reason for the short life is heat, vibration and overcharging.

Due to it's small size, it is not advisable to charge a motorcyle battery using a standard car charger. If they are charged too quickly, they will overheat. With the standard car charger, even with the charger set on the 2 amp position, the initial charging rate can still exceed 20 amps. You need a charger that is limited to 1.5 amp output. The new "smart chargers" are the way to go these days. The most popular of these smart chargers is the "Battery Tender" but they are also made by Yuasa, and others. They are specifically designed to maintain the battery even after it reaches full charge. A standard car battery charger will overcharge and boil the battery dry once it fully charged. Using the "battery tender", I have gotten five years of service out of batteries in the past.

There are two cables leading to the throttle. Both have two pieces.
Cable 1 goes from the throttle about 12" long and connects to an adjustment piece joining it to cable2 which goes to the throttle body.
Cable 3 also goes from the throttle and is about 12" long and connects to and adjustment piece joining it to cable 4 which goes to the spring on the throttle body.
To change any of them you must loosen the adjustment piece until the ends can be removed from it.
Then to change cables 1 and 3 you have to remove the throttle cover on the grip. you will be able to see how they are removed. Then reverse these steps to install the new cable.
To change cables 2 and 4 in no more difficult but more time consuming as you will have to route these longer cables from the adjuster to where they connect to the throttle body.
When cables have been install and all parts reassembled you can carefully adjust the tension on the cables until the throttle responds the way you like it.
Hope this helps

You put the spring plate on first (after putting on all the clutch disks) with it being held in the compressed state. Then you insert the snap ring into the grooves in the center of the clutch. Then you can re leave the pressure of the compressed spring plate. The snap ring is used to keep the spring plate under pressure at all times in normal operation.

Yes not in the hand peace but on the carb/throttle body. They place it there as a safety shut off if a cable was to brake.

I would check the needle valve in the carburetor to confirm it does shut off, float level, and such in the carb. Doesn't sound like timing to me.

speed sensor locale on a 2003 sprotster(whoops) sportster is pretty much the same as where it is on the 2004 storpsert - the same question about the location was asked a few lines earlier...scroll up!

See if bulb sockets are corroded, check blinker unit & check all electrical connections & grounds.