HOW TO: 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 Oil Change Tutorial, by CYCLEMAX on YouTube. 4 min 38 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 38 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Start the engine and let it idle for two or three minutes. Warm oil drains faster and carries more dirt out with it. Then switch off and let it sit briefly so it is warm, not scalding.
Park on level ground and put the bike on its side stand or a paddock stand. Slide the drain pan under the engine so it sits below the drain bolt.
Wipe the dirt from around the drain bolt and the filter. Take off the oil filler cap on top of the engine so the oil can flow out freely.
Hold the drain bolt with a socket and crack it loose anticlockwise. Keep pressure on it as you spin it out by hand so it drops into the pan, not your fingers.
Let the oil drain completely, which takes five to ten minutes. While it drains, remove the old filter and take out the old crush washer from the drain bolt.
Wipe the filter sealing face and the drain bolt hole clean. Smear fresh oil on the new filter gasket, fit it and tighten it by hand only, or to the torque in your owner's manual.
Fit the new crush washer and thread the drain bolt back in by hand. Tighten it with a torque wrench to the figure in your manual, roughly 25 Nm on this engine.
Pour in about 2.4 litres of 10W-40 through a funnel, then check the level with the bike held upright. Run the engine for 30 seconds, wait a minute, and top up to the upper line.
Tips and common mistakes
Check for drips under the drain bolt and filter after the first run before you ride anywhere.
Do not overtighten the filter or the drain bolt, because it crushes the gasket and strips the thread.
Always use a fresh crush washer, since a reused one often weeps oil.
Pour the used oil back into the new bottles and take it to a recycling centre, never down a drain.
Questions
How much oil does a 2024 Ninja 500 take?
Around 2.4 to 2.6 litres when you change the filter as well. Fill to about 2.4 litres first, then top up until the level sits between the marks on the sight glass with the bike upright.
What oil should I use?
A 10W-40 motorcycle oil rated JASO MA2, which is made for a wet clutch. Avoid car oil, because its friction modifiers can make the clutch slip.
How often should I change it?
Most riders do it every 6,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. Do it sooner if you ride in a lot of dust, short trips or heavy traffic.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
