Oil in engine sump

[newbie17]

Pulled both cylinders on my 2004 XL1200R for a top overhaul. Drained oil from tank. How much oil remains in the bottom of the engine. I removed about 1qt. with a suction bottle.
Is this amount of oil normal?

[rigidthumper]

If it has sat for a while, that's normal- the pump is gravity fed.  Because the tank sits higher than the pump, there will always be some transfer over time. As soon as you start the engine, almost all of it will return to the tank.

[newbie17]

Thanks for the prompt response. I bought (2) H-D piston/cylinder kits, James gaskets and CompCams lifters.
Got the cylinders and lifters instld. Waiting for new exhaust valves to finish the job. Have a little over 80,000 mi. on the engine. Doing a detailed cleaning of the machine while I'm waiting on the valves to get here. Great forum-thanks!