You have a quart too much. Did you check it with the bike on the side stand?

 

No it was not on the side stand. Had the bike on a jack stand. I put in 4 quarts, ran it for about 10 minutes. Let it sit for about 20 mins to allow the oil to settle back into the pan. No oil in site glass. Again, it was NOT on the side stand, I know better than that.

But so I understand what you guys are saying, with 4 quarts you can see oil in the site glass? No matter what i did, it didn't register in the site glass until I added about 3/4 of the fifth quart.

 

What works best for me on my 2012 N1K is I put in about 3 quarts and run the engine for a minute or two while the bike is sitting straight on the jack stand. 3 quarts is plenty of oil where it isn't going to damage anything. I then look at the sight glass. It's usually at the bottom so I add oil, run the engine, and check again. I continue that cycle until the oil in the sight glass is right where I want it.

Like Old Fart wrote, you do not measure oil while the bike is on the side stand. You need to do it on a jack stand, or whatever keeps the bike straight up.

 

On my 2012, I can get to just a little higher than halfway between the hash tags with 3.75 quarts of oil.

At the end of the day, you have to go with what the sight glass reads. I'd look at it frequently during stops while you ride (provided you have a buddy that can hold the bike upright while you look.

 

After reading the replies on here, I decided to give everything a second look. Instead of putting the bike back on the stand, I had my wife sit on the bike and keep it absolutely level. The oil in the site glass went up and over the fill line. I pulled the drain plug and let some oil out of the pan until it got to the upper fill limit. All I can say is this thing has to be REALLY level to correctly read the site glass. I appreciate the replies. I feel kinda stupid about asking now. DUH, I guess I learned the hard way. No damage done though since I haven't ridden the bike since I changed the oil. Thanks for the info guys.

 

Glad you double checked the level & found the mistake. I've done the same thing just this year & can't really explain why. I knew how much it took but still overfilled.

 

yep, even having the bike on the rear stand will show a false reading due to the whole bike being canted forward. I learned this myself many moon's ago

 

Straight Up

Do what you like but this works every time........

Too Check oil level anytime ---First vertically balance the motorbike on its wheels with your hand or a partners hand---that position shows the most accurate level of oil in the window...and yes-- the sight view is sensitive to off balance positions.

I place a block of sorts under the kick stand to balance the bike close to vertical...just enough to keep the bike from falling toward the view window.

Do not work on the bike on the block--only on the side or race stand.

The oil/filter change----begins by removing the filler cap then I drop the old oil, then remove the filter, then clean the mating surface on the motor.
When emptied---replace the oil drain bolt, fill the new filter 1/2 full of oil and screw on correctly, then add 4 quarts of oil. Run motor and check for proper circulation. If all is well check view glass -- after motor has been off a few minutes. That procedure has worked for me and no adjustments have been needed.

Experienced people will do basically the same thing but may use different sighting positions for checks with the bike on the side stand.

 

Gotta trust the manual, if it says four quarts belive it.

 

Need drain bolt diameter 2014 Ninja

When emptied---replace the oil drain bolt, >>>>


Does anyone know the drain bolt size. I need to get some crush washers. Incidentally, they manual does not require bolt replacement but does ask that the crush washer be replaced.

 

When emptied---replace the oil drain bolt, >>>>


Does anyone know the drain bolt size. I need to get some crush washers. Incidentally, they manual does not require bolt replacement but does ask that the crush washer be replaced.

12mm

 

Crush washers can be safely flipped over and reused.

 

Does anyone know what size crush washer we use? Will the m12 work?

 

yes, M12 works.
I used these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K3B5966/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Just throwing this out there for future reference.

https://www.amazon.com/Venom-Motorc...6QZ8VQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496674642&sr=8-2&keywords=venom+front+rear+stand

Buy them, lift your bike up and it will be perfectly level for checking oil etc... Best $70 you can spend so you can work on the bike like a normal human being, and not need an extra set of hands. Makes other repairs, lubing chains super easy too.

 

Putting it on both stands is nice, but I still wouldn't base my oil level off the bike while on stands. I've done that before and still put too much oil in it. You want to read the sight glass as it sits how you're going to ride it.

 

Lax, I agree. Even a 1/2 inch difference means a different oil level. It's hard to see if the stands lifted the front, and rear, an equal amount.

 

Mine takes about 3.8L with the filter changed.

 

oil Level

i do the loosening (drain plug & filter replace) while the bike is on the side stand.,,,,then i block up the side stand on a brick that stands the bike near vertical....after draining a while i plug the drain and replace the filter then oil fill motor.....the fill volume is slightly different depending if the filter is replaced or not--check specs-.....when done check the glass gauge level...then i remove the block and lower the bike back on the side stand....get use to observing the oil level while the bike is on the side stand on level ground.....i wouldn't do oil work off the mobile stands as i get slip/fall paranoid, but i like them for cleaning the chain and detailing rims and such................

 

Did three changes today.

I had a tiny bit of left over gasket material from my oil pan fiasco. It was not big enough to be an issue, but I wanted it gone.

I opened and drained the filter, each time. Filter replaced on the last change.

I left the bike on its rear stand, each time, and tried to do the same thing.

The middle change needed to be burped. The first, and last was no,problem.