Ninja 400 Oil Change Full How-To with Tips, Tricks, and Things to avoid! 

That's awesome! I'm glad I could help out. I agree it's such a simple job and fun to know a new thing and save some coin! Also yeah without a wrench it's a pain! Good move getting the wrench!

Thanks! Glad you liked it

Right on. Good idea!

Yeah it's totally the same process as a car. And yeah if you have a friend to hold the bike level while you check the window or vice versa, that works great!

Thanks! Welcome to the channel!

You're welcome! Happy to help

Whoa!! $380 for a really easy $40 DIY job! Insane. I'm happy to help! Glad you liked the video!

Awesome! Do you love the bike so far? I miss the punch of my R6 on my he straights sometimes but honestly on twisty roads the 400 is plenty!

I'm glad the video was helpful!

@@MotoMangia I love my bike. I'm mostly a commuter and only do fun riding occasionally when I have time off. She's got plenty of punch to keep up with Phoenix traffic. And she's definitely a ton of fun on the twisties. The thing that surprised me the most the first time I rode it was how "relaxed" the seating position is. Good gas mileage, relatively comfy for quick hour or two trips, reliable. Couldn't ask for more.

Goals asf😂🖤

fuck i mean funnel

Totally. That needs to go straight in the trash. I appreciate Kawi tying but jeez that funnel is a dud! Glad you liked the video and glad it helped!

Thanks; I love the skx too! I'm glad you liked the video. 🤙

Thanks!!

Glad you found it helpful!

Considering that you're the most recent comment, I was hoping you can help me out with something? I keep seeing in other videos people mention something about "oil pump didn't prime" After they've done their own oil change. So I've been looking at a lot of these videos but no one seems to be mentioning any of that, I was wondering if you can help out a new rider out just by explaining what that is & how do we do it?

If their oil pump isn't working correctly, that's a warranty issue. Oil changes won't require any work to the oil pump. Some people add a little oil into the new filter before screwing it's on.. The thinking being the engine will pull oil from there as soon as you start the bike so it's better to put a little in vs. having it empty. But a properly functioning oil pump does not need service during an oil change.

@@anthonygarcia3922 @Anthony Garcia I don't know exactly what you mean with " oil pump didn't prime" and sorry for answering 1 month later... RU-vid didn't showed me your reply. But if you are talking about the oil pressure light going on for a few seconds after the oil change... that's normal. You can solve it by filling the new filter with oil before screwing it. See... the oil pump of your motorcycle takes a time to push the oil through the filter and to the pressure gauge, so for that period it will show that the oil pressure is low, it's normal. If the oil filter already have oil in it the oil pressure light won't go on.

@UCLbHE9lEQHwgpH1LQZSVBlA it's all good bro, I ended up changing my oil with no problem, I was just a little hesitant to do it on my own cause I kept seeing people comment that, so I was confused & started getting concerned I might cause it lol mainly cause in one comment section, some guy explained that an hour later after he did his own oil change, smoke started coming out from his clutch I believe & that when he took it to the mechanic they supposedly told him that it was because the "oil pump didn't prime". I still don't know what that means, but I appreciate you still replying bro. I'm new to riding & want to learn how to do my own maintenance, so I appreciate you still informing me on other stuff. Helps a lot!

Thank you! You too!

Awesome! You'll be happy with this bike! So you'll want to ride it according to breakin instructions for the first 600 miles then do an oil change at 600 miles. After that, here's what I was told my my local dealer: it depends how you ride if you're trying to take short trips a lot then you want to change the oil every 3000 miles. If your rides are a little longer regularly, then you change it every 5000.. the theory behind the difference has to do work moisture buildup in the oil from being parked. Short rides don't get the engine hot enough to burn that off regularly. Longer rides do. If you don't put lots of miles on the bike then at least change the oil every 6 months (some say 12), so the oil doesn't sit in it for too long. So every 3-5k miles OR every 6-12 months , whichever happens sooner (miles or months). But this is the kinda thing everyone has an opinion on, so I can only tell you this is what I do and what my dealer suggested.

Thanks! Yeah it's criminal how much shops charge for such a simple and cheap service. I'm glad I could help you and others save some $!!

That's awesome! Congrats. It's a great bike, isn't it?

I have about 500miles on my Ninja 400. When should I get my oil change? Also i was told that the dealership that I bought the bike from are supposed to do my first service for free, is that true?

They can do the firs service or you can. The owners manual will tell you what's entailed in the first. It's mainly an oil change at 600 miles (after break in period). The first service also checks a list of things like cables and levers and stuff. I decided to let the dealer do first one since it entails extra checks after break in but after that it's really just oil changes which you can easily and more cheaply do yourself. After the first one at 600 miles you go longer - more like 7k miles per oil change.

You're welcome! Thanks for subscribing too!

@@MotoMangia ✌️✌️

I got the Norton return spring only, just to get rid of that loose clutch lever pull. I didn't do the internal spring kit.

65mm/14 flutes. Got mine on Amazon for about $20. It makes the job so much easier !

If you read the prior comments there's some discussion of that. Maybe has to do with engine break in, not sure, but I was told to only use conventional til at least 1-2k miles. After that I heard I can switch to synth but it's just not worth the $ for this bike. I was told if it was a liter bike and ridden super hard then sure, but that conventional is plenty for the 400. I'm sure there is plenty of debate over that but this is what I heard from 2 dealers. What seems to matter far more is how often you change it. If you are doing it within 3-5k each time , I'm told, the you're just fine with conventional. Apparently synth helps with not letting condensation get in there, and for breakdown... but if you ride it regularly and let it get to running temp it'll burn off any condensation, and if you change it regularly (5k miles), conventional won't be broken down by then. Hope this helps, but again, others may have different opinions. Oil is probably the most discussed / debated thing in car and bike maintenance

I got mine from my local Kawasaki dealer

There's no bad questions. I replied to your other comment but I'll add that I haven't heard of this happening so I'm not sure what they're referring to happening. This is a standard oil change procedure I've done to all cars and motorcycles I've ever owned: drain old oil, change filter. Replace with new filter, sump plug and oil, Check levels, good to go.

@@MotoMangia thank you man, I appreciate you replying & thanks for the great tutorial as well. It helps a lot of new riders like me enter this lifestyle much more comfortably lol

@@anthonygarcia3922 That's rad. That's exactly why I made the video. This is one of those things we can all do easily (once we know how) and save a lot of $ in the process. Plus its kind of rad just knowing you can work on your own bike, right?! I'm glad the video helped and I hope you're loving your bike!

Hell yeah! I was the same with my first bike especially- just racking those miles up. And for sure you can totally do this job yourself. Super easy, saves a ton to coin, and it's just kinda cool to know you're working on your own ride! I'm glad my video helped!

@@MotoMangia i do my own oil change on my cars too, only if i have time. But on a bike it’s much quicker. Only reason i wanted to take it in for the 1st service is so they can check the bike if everything is working right. U don’t think it’s worth it? I don’t wanna spend that much tho so i might just do it myself lol

@@emster5624 true true. Way easier for a bike. But yeah first one may be worth paying as long as they do a full first service (checks and adjustments to stuff that may (??) need it after break in).. but for sure after that the ones that are oil change only are totally DIY jobs.

It was the dealer/service center's suggestion given the mileage. They said to stick with mineral oil til 1k miles at least but could also keep with it after that. Not sure why. Everyone has their own opinions about oil , super debated topic. I'm not an engineer so I take no sides.

The kit is for a lot of bike models because the main parts (oil, filter, and washer) are common across multiple Kawi models. I'd suggest 1) calling/ going in person (if you plan to buy the kit at a shop) bc you can see the models listed on the box (or at least they were). Or, 2) if easier or cheaper , you can just buy those items on their own (not in the Kawi kit). As long as you get the right weight and type of oil , you don't need it to be Kawi branded. The Kawi stuff is made by an oil company and Kawi just slap their name on it anyway. I was recommended by the dealer to get a Kawi filter tho. Not sure if that's overkill but I do it. You can source those on their own (not in a kit) from lots of shops, or online retailers. Finally the washer for the drain plug- either get it online or a local shop.

@@MotoMangia thanks dude!

That just depends on the filter socket and drain plug socket you're using.

The dealer made that suggestion to me- to not do synthetic til at least the 2nd oil change. At that point it's an option but they said for our bikes conventional is just fine. They said for the 600s-1000s synthetic is more important. As for why, I can't say. And oil (type and weight) is one of those things that is debated widely. I don't have a stance personally, just following what my dealer suggested.

@@MotoMangia nvm.. Got my answer, thanks again😁

Ok. To add more to the mix anyway, I recently asked the service dept at my Kawi dealer if I should switch to synth. He said no bc the 400 was designed to use mineral from the factory. He said no real gain to use jt, but using it could lead to decreased life of the clutch. No idea why, if is true, etc... but just another suggestion to throw into the mix.

I bought it at my local dealership. Maybe you could find it online but Kawi doesn't seem to sell it online direct. Here's the Kawi kit name and details though OIL CHANGE KIT: NINJA® 400 / Z400 Item # 99974-0056

Mineral was what came from Kawi, and my Kawi dealer/service center also recommended it. I later asked more and was told that synthetic can cause excessive wear on the transmission of the 400 compared to mineral. Oil type and weight (and brand) is a rabbit hole of opinions, as any forum will prove, so I dunno. But I'm just sticking with what my Kawi dealer recommends, and what the bike had from the factory. Sorry I can't say anything more definitive

There's 2 data points I'm relying on for using mineral (non-synth). First is the Kawi oil change kit uses non-synth. Second is my Kawi dealer told me do not use synth until at least you've got 2,000 miles on the bike (but he said they don't even after that). Hopefully that's helpful.

@@MotoMangia Man you hear so many thing thanks for the tips !

Happy to help!

@@MotoMangia do you have a link to the Oil Filter remover tool want to get the exact same size

BikeMaster Oil Filter Wrench (65mm) smile.amazon.com/dp/B0041CA48G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZWRN39B6BTE8YNJQJ3J4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

2.1 quarts, which is almost exactly 2 liters

Haha. You're thinking of vegetable oil , but that's a good joke anyway.

Yup, it'll apply. I don't imagine they've changed the torque settings or bolt sizes. They didn't from the start til 2021 (mine) so I doubt it changed in 2022.

What color bro

My dealership told me to use nothing but full synthetic

My dealership told me not to use synth at all until (I'm forgetting now), but I think it was around 1,000 miles. After that they said you CAN use synth, but that conventional is fine too. I spoke to another dealership to get a 2nd opinion and they said for this bike conventional is perfectly fine and that synth is overkill. He said if you're taking it to the track or having it constantly redlined, then synth could be a good idea. He said (and I've heard this from MANY car and moto mechanics) is that the frequency of oil changes is far more important. He said as long as you're changing it at a good interval, you're golden. As for that interval: he suggested every 3K (if you do lots of shorter rides where the moisture that can get into the oil doesn't have a chance to burn off in hot engine temps), or every 5K (if you do get the bike up to operating temp on medium to longer rides regularly). Hope that helps!

Damn! The oil change is dead simple, especially on a motorcycle- definitely worth DIY. Glad you'll be saving some serious coin in your next oil change now!

@@MotoMangia like I said my mistake. Never in a million years thought they'd charge that and of course was never upfront about the mandatory hourly cost

At least a lot of that 500 was for the tire (i assume). Tire changes are always more $ than I'd like, due to the labor. Something to keep in mind - if you don;t mind removing your rear wheel and bringing it to cyclegear, they'll often mount tires (purchased there) for a lot less $ than a dealer will charge to change a tire (with wheel on bike). not always the easiest process, but a way to save some coin

They should have made the price clear up front. I've learned that lesson the hard way too!

That's an option, but I want people to know how to do an oil chance with no extra equipment or cost. Plus it's important to know how to work-around to read your proper oil level anywhere any time, not just when you're at home or the shop. That all said, you're right that a stand is a very helpful thing to have for various DIY jobs! Thx for the comment