I just changed the oil in my KLR250 earlier today and out of boredom I decided to see if anyone made a video of it--- this is basically the exact same thing except 17 ft-lbs instead of 16.5 on the nut underneath. Great vid, very informative and edited well. Safe riding, cheers. :)
Just changed the oil & filter on my A13, have done it several times over the years, but watched your video as a refresher. Never ceases to amaze me how difficult filter cover is to remove. You struggle & stuggle - then it comes free - like breaking a vacuum? Though seeing using the sidestand cuts down on the mess, I thought I could defy the law of gravity & use a stand. Result: oil running down the side of the engine after removing the cover & even more after removing the filter USE SIDESTAND!
Dude you are awesome, thanks so much for these videos. From my experience, handling a camera while doing maintenance is about 5x harder than actually doing the wrenching, so THANK YOU for all these vids. Also, your bike sounds nice and throaty, and I love the trim around the plastics and tank.
A straightforward guide to what should be a straightforward procedure. I'll be watching this a few more times before going ahead by myself. Thanks, and consider yourself subscribed :)
The Kawi manual says 2.5 L of oil, which does put the oil out of view of the window by a little bit. Be careful with just guessing how much oil you're putting in. Too much can be just as bad a too little. Get the oil in the liter container (or quart container, which I've been using for a few oil changes so far) and put in 2.5 bottles. Glad I could help! Have fun riding and be safe.
Nicely done! Maybe a small remark if I may: the Clymer manual says (just like the customary practice) "...install a new seal washer on the drain plug, ...install a new, lubricated O-ring onto the filter cover" Though re-using the old ones won't necessarily cause it leak, you won't save much by being cheap on this. You've got my favourite KLR color and the prettier decals. Mine is the dullest green and ugliest letters there is. We are good friends just the same. Safe fun!
Perfoming the oil change on a KLR is piece of cake. One thing though...from personal experience, I do not recommand using a ratchet for removing and/or tightening the 2 screws on the oil filter cap. I broke the head of one of those last year and having to drill into the screw to remove what was left of it was a real pain in the ass!! Good old screwdriver is perfect!!
2.5 qts (it's roughly equivalent to 2.5 liters). On the side of the engine near the sight glass it should say "2.5 L." As far as I know, yes, it should be. Check your owner's manual to make sure.
10R: the drain is in the same-ish location, but pointing down (like the KLR), and the filter is tucked behind the exhaust on the front of the engine. If you have small hands and small wrists, you MIGHT be able to get to it without removing anything / too much, otherwise it looked like you'll need to pull the left shroud off. If you warm the bike up first (recommended (by me)), just pour some water on the exhaust so it's only warm to the touch. Reach in from the left and unscrew (it's car-esque).
I'd say it's pretty important. Just pull the cap off and put an o-ring on there (provided it's the right size) and reinstall. If oil does come out, it shouldn't be very much. Do this before you ride (so it's not hot and so the filter housing hasn't recently filled with oil.
No, there is no cam chain adjustment that you need to do - it's fully automatic. So you know what not to wrench on: it's on the back left side of the cylinder level with "Made in Japan" with 2 mounting bolts and a raised center bolt. (I'll probably cover the cam chain adjuster in a valve check / adjustment video.)
Great video, thank you. Just checked it to make sure that I had put that metal thingy that goes through the oil filter right way in (thin part towards the bike). I did, but at least it's not bothering me anymore
Thanks for the advice. I've been putting it in one gallon milk cartoons and then taking it to the dumpster. I went to an oil specialty place for cars (Midas?) and asked them if the wanted it (to recycle), but they said no, which surprised me.
I stopped by the dealer today to gander at a ZX9R, but they only had a ZX6R and a ZX10R for my viewing pleasure. I don't know which one the 9R is closer to, so I'll describe what I saw on both). On the 6R, the drain is on the bottom left side of the engine, left of the exhaust, screwed in horizontally (drain oil shoots out forward). I didn't see any oil filter flags.
Thanks! I watched 3 times then went out and did it without even thinking about it (much). My oil fill cap was missing the O-ring. I'll have to find out exactly what kind to get. But by bike's previous owner should have changed the oil a bit sooner. I really noticed a difference in the engine's smoothness and idle speed. Then I cleaned the air filter (really dirty) and the engine suddenly got Power. Nice.
Very thorough. Thanks! I think I did everything right and this was verification that I did. I had an after market pan protector o n the bike and managed to spill some oil on it, which will stay there until I take the thing off....or hopefully it will fall out of its own accord (what I didn't drain off first). I will not use a lift next time, and just use the side stand and just rock it back and forth when necessary. It would definitely provide more room to work. Hal
I believe that time it was Actevo 10w-40 Synthetic Blend. I've been experimenting with different types of oil since then. My current oil is Castrol GTX 10W-40. So far I've used Torco T-4 10W-40 (usual, but expensive; hence the experimenting) and Quakerstate 10W-40.
If you put in the Kawi recommended 2.5 LITERS, it should go out of view of the window. My last oil change I did use 2.5 QUARTS and it was still above the window top. No problem.
If you use a socket off the ratchet to loosen the oil drain plug then you can tilt the plug away still inside the socket which moves the fingers a bit further from the hot oil as it starts to drain. Never hurts to use a pair of nitrile gloves either. Keeping one's lifetime exposure to hydrocarbons, additives low as is worth the time.
If you were local "in FLorida" I'd be happy to bring the bike by for a demo on how to get that filter off... Besides the lower fairing, It looks like the radiator and exhaust also have to be taken off to get to it. Maybe someone makes an oil filter relocator for a motorcycle to make future oil changes easier?
Good video, made me smile to hear an American using metric bolt sizes (small things entertain small minds). How old's your bike? It's in very good condition.
Dude, I love your guides. Thank you SO much for taking the time to post. I have a question, though. I was having a little oil leak on the left side of the filter cover. It never leaked too much, but enough to get me concerned. I just changed the oil and the leak seems to be pretty much fixed, but when I dab a paper towel where the leak was I still get trace bits of new oil. Should a teeny bit leak, or none at all?
I don't have a washer on my oil drain plug, should I order one? Is it important? Thanks for taking the time to make this video's to help us all, and to do so to help and not for personal gain .. cool. Thanks a lot! I just bought an 04! love it!
I would love to demonstrate an oil change on a '99 ZX9R - would you like to donate one to the cause? I just use the washer and torque it to 17 and it hasn't leaked any. I might try the teflon tape next time and see what happens.
That was good... Now can you show us how to change an oil filter on a 1999 Kawasaki ZX9R ? BTW,,, I usually use a bit of teflon tape on the drain plug threads to help seal the plug.
awesome vid. constructive criticism, it was a bit hard to see some things, maby for the next one you could use a mag light or something? but like I said before, awesome vid!
What do you do with the old oil? I was surprised to hear the guy at the Kaw shop tell me that the book says to change the oil every 4,000 miles. I'd been changing it more often than that.
how often should we be changing the oil filter if we dont need to do it every time and what is a healthy amount of miles between changes? Lastly what did that Bull score above the work bench, he looks like a monster - Thanks
If KLXs behave like KLRs, it's normal. I have never worked on a KLX. I use whatever oil is cheapest of the correct weight that is NOT energy conserving.
Nah, just go to Ace or some hardware store and get a washer; should work fine. I've been using the same non-crush washer for 15,000 miles and haven't had any problems (I'm using an aluminum washer).
Thanks for making the video! When I was doing the oil change on my 94 klx, I let the bike completely drain (15 mins rocking/still standing). Put a half quart through it to flush, replaced plug, then it seemed to fill up only after a total of 1.5 qts (idled for a bit, shut off, bike set upright, window is full). Is this normal, and what oil do you recommend? Thanks so much.
Just did my first oil change on my 02 KLR and it went smoothly. But I did make a much bigger mess than you seem to. How the hell were your hands so clean the whole time. And when I took the cap off the filter oil spilled out before I even pulled out the filter (must have left it to drain for 5-10 minutes before I even took the cap off and did rock the bike back and fourth). What should I try next time to do a less messy job?
Thanks! Truth be told, I like metric for small measurements such as tools. For everything else (pretty much anything over 2 inches), it's pretty worthless to me. The bike's a 1999.
If you use well water, I would strongly advise against pouring it down gopher holes. But seriously, dispose of it in an environmentally safe manner - landfill!
I realize that after doing my oil/filter change that I don't remember seeing a seal on the Filter cap. Now, my new filter came with 2 seals (wasn't sure what for) but I didn't use them. My question is, is it important to have that seal? and if so, what could I do to put one in now that I just changed the oil. If I take the cap off will all the oil drain out? Thanks
*My opinion* is that they're bullshitting you. I think as long as you get something of sufficient weight and it does not have "energy saving," you're good to go.
Was thinking of buying this bike since somone stole my xr 650l, but noticed this is actually a cheaper in price bike, can anyone explain that to me please.
That's odd. Usually they'll take it. There isn't a problem with just tossing it. Landfills have thick, impermeable layers to keep things from leaking to the environment. To say that throwing oil away is going to destroy the environment is a load of rubbish. Pardon the pun.
I just changed the oil in my KLR250 earlier today and out of boredom I decided to see if anyone made a video of it--- this is basically the exact same thing except 17 ft-lbs instead of 16.5 on the nut underneath. Great vid, very informative and edited well. Safe riding, cheers. :)
Just changed the oil & filter on my A13, have done it several times over the years, but watched your video as a refresher. Never ceases to amaze me how difficult filter cover is to remove. You struggle & stuggle - then it comes free - like breaking a vacuum? Though seeing using the sidestand cuts down on the mess, I thought I could defy the law of gravity & use a stand. Result: oil running down the side of the engine after removing the cover & even more after removing the filter USE SIDESTAND!
Dude you are awesome, thanks so much for these videos. From my experience, handling a camera while doing maintenance is about 5x harder than actually doing the wrenching, so THANK YOU for all these vids. Also, your bike sounds nice and throaty, and I love the trim around the plastics and tank.
A straightforward guide to what should be a straightforward procedure. I'll be watching this a few more times before going ahead by myself. Thanks, and consider yourself subscribed :)
The Kawi manual says 2.5 L of oil, which does put the oil out of view of the window by a little bit.
Be careful with just guessing how much oil you're putting in. Too much can be just as bad a too little. Get the oil in the liter container (or quart container, which I've been using for a few oil changes so far) and put in 2.5 bottles.
Glad I could help! Have fun riding and be safe.
great video. straight and to the point. I no longer feel the least bit intimidated to try and change the oil myself.
great video. I like short and sweet, and directly to the point
Nicely done!
Maybe a small remark if I may:
the Clymer manual says (just like the customary practice)
"...install a new seal washer on the drain plug, ...install a new, lubricated O-ring onto the filter cover"
Though re-using the old ones won't necessarily cause it leak, you won't save much by being cheap on this.
You've got my favourite KLR color and the prettier decals. Mine is the dullest green and ugliest letters there is. We are good friends just the same.
Safe fun!
matey thanks a heap, i have just bought a 88 KLR650, and watching this was a buzz, Oil change on MOnday thanks mate
Ive watched a few of your videos. I recommend investing in a tripod, they work great.
Perfoming the oil change on a KLR is piece of cake. One thing though...from personal experience, I do not recommand using a ratchet for removing and/or tightening the 2 screws on the oil filter cap. I broke the head of one of those last year and having to drill into the screw to remove what was left of it was a real pain in the ass!! Good old screwdriver is perfect!!
2.5 qts (it's roughly equivalent to 2.5 liters). On the side of the engine near the sight glass it should say "2.5 L."
As far as I know, yes, it should be. Check your owner's manual to make sure.
aint the most technically orientated guy but this KLR 650 oil change video was amazingly helpful even for a klutz like me ... THANK X ...
10R: the drain is in the same-ish location, but pointing down (like the KLR), and the filter is tucked behind the exhaust on the front of the engine. If you have small hands and small wrists, you MIGHT be able to get to it without removing anything / too much, otherwise it looked like you'll need to pull the left shroud off. If you warm the bike up first (recommended (by me)), just pour some water on the exhaust so it's only warm to the touch. Reach in from the left and unscrew (it's car-esque).
I'd say it's pretty important. Just pull the cap off and put an o-ring on there (provided it's the right size) and reinstall. If oil does come out, it shouldn't be very much. Do this before you ride (so it's not hot and so the filter housing hasn't recently filled with oil.
Thank you for posting this, two questions 1- you mentioned if you don't change the filter use 2.2 !
No, there is no cam chain adjustment that you need to do - it's fully automatic. So you know what not to wrench on: it's on the back left side of the cylinder level with "Made in Japan" with 2 mounting bolts and a raised center bolt. (I'll probably cover the cam chain adjuster in a valve check / adjustment video.)
Great video, thank you. Just checked it to make sure that I had put that metal thingy that goes through the oil filter right way in (thin part towards the bike). I did, but at least it's not bothering me anymore
Thanks for the advice.
I've been putting it in one gallon milk cartoons and then taking it to the dumpster. I went to an oil specialty place for cars (Midas?) and asked them if the wanted it (to recycle), but they said no, which surprised me.
Thanks.
I will as soon as I get around to it. Hopefully it'll be in the next few weeks.
@young35rider Thanks! Glad to hear I helped.
BTW, 2.5 liters of oil.
I stopped by the dealer today to gander at a ZX9R, but they only had a ZX6R and a ZX10R for my viewing pleasure. I don't know which one the 9R is closer to, so I'll describe what I saw on both). On the 6R, the drain is on the bottom left side of the engine, left of the exhaust, screwed in horizontally (drain oil shoots out forward). I didn't see any oil filter flags.
Thanks! I watched 3 times then went out and did it without even thinking about it (much). My oil fill cap was missing the O-ring. I'll have to find out exactly what kind to get. But by bike's previous owner should have changed the oil a bit sooner. I really noticed a difference in the engine's smoothness and idle speed. Then I cleaned the air filter (really dirty) and the engine suddenly got Power. Nice.
Very thorough. Thanks! I think I did everything right and this was verification that I did. I had an after market pan protector o n the bike and managed to spill some oil on it, which will stay there until I take the thing off....or hopefully it will fall out of its own accord (what I didn't drain off first). I will not use a lift next time, and just use the side stand and just rock it back and forth when necessary. It would definitely provide more room to work.
Hal
It's exactly the same for the KLR 250.... Thanks for the great video :)
I believe that time it was Actevo 10w-40 Synthetic Blend. I've been experimenting with different types of oil since then. My current oil is Castrol GTX 10W-40. So far I've used Torco T-4 10W-40 (usual, but expensive; hence the experimenting) and Quakerstate 10W-40.
If you put in the Kawi recommended 2.5 LITERS, it should go out of view of the window. My last oil change I did use 2.5 QUARTS and it was still above the window top.
No problem.
If you use a socket off the ratchet to loosen the oil drain plug then you can tilt the plug away still inside the socket which moves the fingers a bit further from the hot oil as it starts to drain. Never hurts to use a pair of nitrile gloves either. Keeping one's lifetime exposure to hydrocarbons, additives low as is worth the time.
If you were local "in FLorida" I'd be happy to bring the bike by for a demo on how to get that filter off... Besides the lower fairing, It looks like the radiator and exhaust also have to be taken off to get to it. Maybe someone makes an oil filter relocator for a motorcycle to make future oil changes easier?
Good video, made me smile to hear an American using metric bolt sizes (small things entertain small minds).
How old's your bike? It's in very good condition.
Thanks, I wasn't sure which way the tube went back in. Now I know!!!
hey man, best video. just how it should be, straight up and to the point! thanks!!!
Dude, I love your guides. Thank you SO much for taking the time to post. I have a question, though. I was having a little oil leak on the left side of the filter cover. It never leaked too much, but enough to get me concerned. I just changed the oil and the leak seems to be pretty much fixed, but when I dab a paper towel where the leak was I still get trace bits of new oil. Should a teeny bit leak, or none at all?
I don't have a washer on my oil drain plug, should I order one?
Is it important?
Thanks for taking the time to make this video's to help us all, and to do so to help and not for personal gain .. cool.
Thanks a lot!
I just bought an 04! love it!
I would love to demonstrate an oil change on a '99 ZX9R - would you like to donate one to the cause?
I just use the washer and torque it to 17 and it hasn't leaked any. I might try the teflon tape next time and see what happens.
Nice job! Easy and well explained, thank you!!
That was good... Now can you show us how to change an oil filter on a 1999 Kawasaki ZX9R ? BTW,,, I usually use a bit of teflon tape on the drain plug threads to help seal the plug.
@SecretHeritage I haven't used synthetic (semi or full) in my KLR. I like regular oil. You have the weight right: either 15W-50 or 20W-50.
awesome vid. constructive criticism, it was a bit hard to see some things, maby for the next one you could use a mag light or something? but like I said before, awesome vid!
It is a dual sport (or enduro). It is essentially a street legal dirt bike, but not a real dirt bike.
THIS WAS GRATE ,I GOT A KLE650 VERSY MY OIL CHANGE WAS 123
How do you break in an engine?
Like when do you change oil, and how would you ride it? You seem to know the KLR well.
What is the diameter of the oil filter cap o-ring?
Don't get to torque happy or you might (will most likely) strip something. This won't be fun for you. Use a torque wrench set to 17 ft lbs.
What do you do with the old oil?
I was surprised to hear the guy at the Kaw shop tell me that the book says to change the oil every 4,000 miles. I'd been changing it more often than that.
how often should we be changing the oil filter if we dont need to do it every time and what is a healthy amount of miles between changes? Lastly what did that Bull score above the work bench, he looks like a monster - Thanks
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind.
A way to see if the engine is fine is to remove the oil fill cap, flip it, and the oil must look clean?
If KLXs behave like KLRs, it's normal. I have never worked on a KLX.
I use whatever oil is cheapest of the correct weight that is NOT energy conserving.
@shynex2 It's recorded, but I forgot my camera where I recorded it (different state). It will be up after New Year's.
Awesome, thanks. Is there a site you recommend for general Kawi troubleshooting? Thanks again.
Nah, just go to Ace or some hardware store and get a washer; should work fine. I've been using the same non-crush washer for 15,000 miles and haven't had any problems (I'm using an aluminum washer).
hey!
perfect video! even clear for me as a german biker =)
I have a Suzuki 650 around the same year. I was just wondering if the pretty much the same concept of changing the oil on this one?
Need? Not necessarily. I would advise it, though.
not sure about your year bike but the 2006 oil level should be in the middle of the viewing window. but good video
Thanks for making the video! When I was doing the oil change on my 94 klx, I let the bike completely drain (15 mins rocking/still standing). Put a half quart through it to flush, replaced plug, then it seemed to fill up only after a total of 1.5 qts (idled for a bit, shut off, bike set upright, window is full). Is this normal, and what oil do you recommend? Thanks so much.
Just did my first oil change on my 02 KLR and it went smoothly.
But I did make a much bigger mess than you seem to. How the hell were your hands so clean the whole time. And when I took the cap off the filter oil spilled out before I even pulled out the filter (must have left it to drain for 5-10 minutes before I even took the cap off and did rock the bike back and fourth).
What should I try next time to do a less messy job?
Great video. Thank you very much for the info.
thanks bro, i got a yz250f, but basicly same thing
Thanks!
Truth be told, I like metric for small measurements such as tools. For everything else (pretty much anything over 2 inches), it's pretty worthless to me.
The bike's a 1999.
thats a good video, now i don need a mecanic
Very well done! Thank you! :-)
Thank you. It was a very good video.
I'm pretty sure it is.
If you use well water, I would strongly advise against pouring it down gopher holes.
But seriously, dispose of it in an environmentally safe manner - landfill!
so does it matter how hard you turn the wrench just as long as oil isnt leaking around it and its pritty snug or does it make a pritty big diference
good stuff doing it tomorrow
great video... keep it up, buddy!
you forgot to mentioned the volume of oil to put back into the bike. otherwise good video. thanks.
SWEET!
You're welcome.
as long as you document everything to spec...whats the problem?
I realize that after doing my oil/filter change that I don't remember seeing a seal on the Filter cap. Now, my new filter came with 2 seals (wasn't sure what for) but I didn't use them. My question is, is it important to have that seal? and if so, what could I do to put one in now that I just changed the oil. If I take the cap off will all the oil drain out?
Thanks
Thanks for this!
Hope its the same for the KLR 250
excellent video
great work. much appreciated.
Yes, but I wouldn't bother with synthetic on a KLR.
*My opinion* is that they're bullshitting you.
I think as long as you get something of sufficient weight and it does not have "energy saving," you're good to go.
I have a 1976 Kawasaki KZ400. Where is a good place to get a shop manual for it?
Thank you sir!
As goofy as this may sound... What would be your recommended type of oil?
FWConch I'm a fan of Rotella T 15W-40 in the summer and Mobil 1 0W-40 in the winter. Note that "winter" means sustained temperatures below 0 F.
Would you say that the semi-synthetic 15 : 50 would be the best chioce for the oil?
thanks - very good vid
Rotella. End of oil discussion.
Was thinking of buying this bike since somone stole my xr 650l, but noticed this is actually a cheaper in price bike, can anyone explain that to me please.
How much oil does a KLX want?
Would this be all you have to do to switch to synthetic?
hoy many qts of oil did you put in? is this the same for the 2009 model KLR?
how many quarts egg head and what filter part #
You're right; I'm such an impostor!
EFEN A;... I did it right...
THANKS DUDE!!!
I think it's a tie between the Torco and the Castrol. This is based on nothing scientific whatsoever, just how (I think) the bike feels. YMMV.
how about water p. gasket and seals
I think you mean 2.5 qts not L.
That's odd. Usually they'll take it.
There isn't a problem with just tossing it. Landfills have thick, impermeable layers to keep things from leaking to the environment. To say that throwing oil away is going to destroy the environment is a load of rubbish. Pardon the pun.
AOPA sticker on your case?
Erick Prevost Yes.
Merci !! 😇😇
Du rien!
What type of oil did you use?
Not wise (IMO) to use used oil out of the drain pan ....contaminated...just fricken use NEW oil to loube rubber on new filter...no?
The contamination is so negligible and new oil get "contaminated" so quickly anyway. It's a moot point.