Ninja 500 oil change

In this page we will illustrate how change the engine oil on a Ninja 500, the bike we are working on is a 2000 Ninja 500R

 Make sure that the motorcycle is supported properly, place a clean drain pan under the bike and remove the oil drain plug shown in the image.





















While the oil is draining and the pan is under the bike, proceed to remove the oil filter located in the front of the engine ( see picture )

















 Coat the seal of the new oil filter with a light coat of oil prior to installation to ensure a proper seal, tighten the filter by hand in the same way you tighten your car's oil filter, it the filter is too tight, it will be hard to remove during your next oil change, if it is too lose oil could leak out and damage your engine.















 Once all the oil has been drained, and the oil filter has been installed, proceed to install the oil drain plug making sure that it is tightened properly, remove the oil filler cap located on the right hand side of the bike near the clutch cable.


















 Note that this particular bike uses the same oil to lubricate the engine and transmission, it is highly recommended that you use high quality oils designed to fit this application ( wet clutch system ). We chose to use Mobil one synthetic oil because of its high quality and ability to stand extreme temperatures without breaking down.













 To check the oil level, make sure that the bike is standing up straight, look through the glass located on the right hand side , you will notice a high and low mark, fill the crankcase to the full mark, install the filler cap and start the engine for a minute or so to allow the oil to circulate through the oil filter, turn the engine off and check the oil level again, add if necessary, this particular bike takes about 3 1/2 qts.

















It is recommended to check all other fluids during an oil change, the coolant recovery tank is located on the front right side, remove the filler cap and verify that the coolant level is ok.



















 And just to make sure that the radiator is full proceed to remove the radiator cap located on the opposite side of the coolant recovery tank, sometimes the small hose that connect the radiator and the recovery tank can become obstructed not allowing the coolant to travel back to the radiator when it cools down, giving you a false impression that the coolant level is normal when is not.





















 Carefully remove the two front brake fluid reservoir and remove the lid to check the brake fluid level, add DOT4 brake fluid only if needed, carefully install the seal and lid back on, tighten the screws properly.

















Remove the two grab bar retaining bolts and remove the grab bar from the bike.



















Remove the right rear fairing screw.





















 Using an allen wrench remove the lower screw,  to remove the fairing pull gently on the front par of it first to release the snap clip, next slide towards the rear of the bike to release the rear snap clip, remove the fairing and set it aside.
















 Check the brake fluid level for the rear tire, add DOT4 brake fluid if needed.



















 Remove the air box side cover to inspect the air filter.



















 Look at the condition of the air filter, in this bike the filter is not dirty, we will cover the steps involved on air filter replacement in future pages.