so i just did my oil change, i purchased two bottles of kawasaki mineral oil 10w40. I saw in the see thru oil display that I am at the full line, but after I run the bike for a while, I see there is no oil level in the display. Looks like it needs more. Is this normal?

The oil level should only be checked when the bike is warm, level (i.e. not on the kickstand) and has been OFF for a few minutes. When running, oil is pumped up into the engine and won't necessarily appear in the sight glass.

Totally normal. After you fill it up the first time, and run it (the way you did), the oil level will drop. Then you just add a little bit more until you see the oil fill up to the top of the sight glass.

BUT

Make sure you are looking at the oil level while the bike is LEVEL on two wheels.

/moved to new-gen tech

^ This

It should be noted in the DIY oil change thread.

After you do the initial fill up you have to run the bike for a few minutes and this will distribute the oil into all the nooks and crannies and saturate the filter causing the initial level to drop because some of that oil will not return to the bottom of the case. You then add just a tiny bit more to bring the level of oil to the correct spot in the sight glass.

If you do need to add more, and you probably will as stated above it will circulate and fill the filter. Make sure to do it fairly slow. Add a little. Give it a couple seconds to run down. Check the glass. Repeat as necessary. It will take a few seconds to register on the glass and the level will raise fairly quick.

Don't use kawi oil..... Rotella T6 or the 15w40 rotella is a much better oil. Only good oil with a manufacturer name on it is yamalube.

When bike is on kickstand you should see almost no oil in sight glass. The oil level is for when the bike is standing upright. Just making sure you are aware of that. Overfilling can be very bad.

Don't use kawi oil..... Rotella T6 or the 15w40 rotella is a much better oil. Only good oil with a manufacturer name on it is yamalube.

Didn't bother to find, OEM should have no problem.

Thanks all :) it is now at the full line!

The rotella 15w40 is better than the kawi oil in every way and is cheaper to boot. You'd be ignorant to use the OEM stuff.

The rotella 15w40 is better than the kawi oil in every way and is cheaper to boot. You'd be ignorant to use the OEM stuff.

So what is the exact problem of OEM Kawasaki Oil?

It doesn't perform well on used oil analysis tests. It shears down to a 30wt very quickly and really doesn't do anything well. If it was cheaper than the other oils I mentioned it would make sense, but its not.

It doesn't perform well on used oil analysis tests. It shears down to a 30wt very quickly and really doesn't do anything well. If it was cheaper than the other oils I mentioned it would make sense, but its not.

Its actually cheaper to buy kawi oil here in canada. But ill consider other oil the next time i change. Thanks for the advice.

If you ride in cold temperatures below 40 then use the T6 5w40 if not the 15w40 will do the job.