First Oil Change

The initial running in oil change is 600 miles. However, I wanted to get a change in at half of that just to have a look at the condition of the oil and what all's going on in the oil circulation system. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, and did the first change on schedule, if not for the many, many paranoia-inducing comments on Discussion Forums about problems (leaks, oil burning, etc.) in this area with the Kawasaki KLR650.

Actual mileage for my first change was 283 miles. This post isn't a how-to; the procedures for oil change and oil filter change is reflected in the Owners and Service Manual and may include procedures I have omitted from this post.

My first oil change also gave me an opportunity to install my new Tusk Low Profile Oil Drain Plug. It has magnetic tip to collect all those shavings coming off internal components during the running in. However, as mentioned in my post entitled Smart Technologies on the KLR650? the factory oil drain bolt hangs precariously low (second photo below) and gives rise to the potential of catching on a rock or tree stump and doing serious damage to the engine case. The low profile drain plug (third photo below) goes a long way to remedy this potential problem.

The Tusk Low Profile Drain Plug uses a 6 mm Allen Head Bit. Eagle Mike offers a Hex (6-sided) low profile drain bolt for the KLR650 for about the same price; theirs also has a magnetic tip and for an extra $1.00 you can get four crush washers. Either one looked to do the job; I went with Tusk.

Wow! What happened to the lower left corner of the above digital photo? Very weird. To date myself, that looks exactly like what would happen to old film in the kodak or when you ripped the cover off the polaroid too early. :)

When using the Tusk Low Profile Drain Plug as shown in the photo above, I would personally advise against using the crush washer that came with it. Rather, the Factory 12x22x2mm crush washer (Part Number 11061-0417) shown in the photo is considerably thicker and more malleable, seemingly able to create a much better seat between the plug and case than the thinner washer that came with the Tusk.

For my first change, I used Castrol 4T Synthetic Blend SAE 10W-40, $6.99/quart (had to buy three quarts, needing 2.1). After April, when it starts getting hotter here in Florida, I'll move to 10W-50 or 20W-50. This particular brand oil, Actevo, is available at Cycle Gear. I used Actevo (which, also comes in 20W-50) exclusively over 25,000 miles of oil changes on my Yamaha Super Tenere and always thought it did a good job. I also used it on my Kawasaki Super Sherpa. It's sorta my dual-sport blend. Here's the Factory Table on types and capacities:

Other parts that I had for the oil change were a Factory Oil Filter (Part No. 16099-004), the O-Ring for the oil filter cap (Part No. 671B2555) and a crush washer for the drain plug (Part No. 11061-0471). My dealer charged me $6.99 for the oil filter and $4.75 for the O-Ring. The crush washer also fits my 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT and, for $0.25 each, I already keep a bunch of them on hand. 

As mentioned above, the main reason for this oil change was to take a peek at the oil and components to see what, if anything, was going on that I should be aware of. I found no unusual materials floating around in the oil, but I really didn't like the looks of it. Not saying there's a problem, just makes me feel better getting an early oil change in the schedule. 

As for the oil filter, that also seemed fine. The KLR650 has an Element Filter (as opposed to a canister type) and must be retrieved from the oil pump.

Poking around, I didn't dig out any weird fragments. Looks to be functioning fine, but I replaced it anyway as there's a chance it's packed with material I can't see. Also, for the record, I always change my filter when I change oil ... cars too. It sorta bugs me to think I left any dirty oil in there.

The photo below shows the location of the O-Ring in the Oil Filter Cover. Although I had purchased a couple O-Rings for replacement, I actually did not replace the O-Ring on the oil filter cover. I felt that the used ring was in too good of a condition. However, I did remove it, check its tension, wipe it clean and oil it up with fresh oil. Service manual says use grease; I use clean oil.

The photo below shows the filter and filter pin that slides through the grommets on either side of the filter. Before install of the pin, I lubed the grommets with fresh oil. (Again, the Service Manual says use grease; I use oil). The pin side with the smaller diameter is pump side; the pins side with the wider diameter is the filter cover side.

Torques (Service Manual):

• Oil Filter Drain Plug = 21 ft/lb, 29 N/m (page 2-8)
• Oil Filter Cover = 5 ft/lb, 61 in/lb, 6.9 N/m (page 2-8)
• Oil Filter Cover = 6.5 ft/lb, 78 in/lb, 8.8 N/m (page 2-55)

Hardly much of a difference on those Cover torques, but I sent Kawasaki an email telling them about the inconsistency. :)

(Kawasaki advised on 12-8 that the information on page 2-55 related to the Oil Filter Cover is the correct torque setting.)

The wet sump oil capacity of the KLR650 is 2.2 quarts when dry, 2.1 quarts when oil filter is changed and 2.0 quarts when oil filter is not changed (see Table above). I drained the oil as advised from a warm engine on the side stand, but tipped the motorcycle up and to the right slightly and got more drain off. I poured in 2 full quarts and ran the engine for a few minutes, then let it sit for a few minutes to allow the oil to drain into the sump. I added another 3 ounces (0.1 quart). The photo below shows the oil level. I rode the bike a mile around my neighborhood and rechecked for a proper level and the absence of leaks.

The KLR650 is kind of a tall bike and getting/keeping it level for the oil level check is kind of tough at first. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but in the mean time, I put a level on the rack to help out. 

I always save my maintenance parts during the warranty period and then for about a year at a time for instances that my dealer may want to inspect the used parts in the event of a post-warranty malfunction. 

UPDATE:

As more fully described in my post, Tusk Drain Bolt Failure, the low-profile Tusk drain bolt that I purchased fractured in three places and allowed oil to leak. Keep in mind that the KLR does not have an oil or engine light or an oil pressure gauge, so this kind of failure could be catastrophic. Tusk is a trade name of Rocky Mountain ATM/MC. They were provided information and pictures but never got back to me.

A low profile oil drain bolt is an important accessory. I now use Eagle Mike's low profile, magnetic oil drain bolt.