Kawasaki Ninja 500R Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule with associated service intervals for the Kawasaki Ninja 500R, referred to as the EX500, and known as the GPZ500S in some markets.

The Kawasaki Ninja 500R is part of the Ninja sport bike series intended for on-road riding. It has a sporty appearance but offers a more standard, upright riding position. The Ninja 500R was the best-selling sporty bike for years and was a popular bike for road racing.

This maintenance schedule is derived from the later models of the Ninja 500R, but it applies equally to all earlier models of the Kawasaki Ninja 500R.

The Ninja 500R’s marketing name was changed in 1994 from EX500 to Ninja 500; the R suffix was added in 1998. All of them have the same 498 cc parallel-twin engine, manufactured from 1987 to 2009, with a partial redesign in 1994.

2009 was the last model year for the Ninja 500, after which only its bigger stablemate the Ninja 650R was sold.

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Maintenance Schedule for Kawasaki Ninja 500R

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Ninja 500R. It has been simplified a lot.

Notes:

• Follow the earlier of a time or distance interval.
• For higher odometer readings, repeat the frequency interval established here.
• †: Replace, add, adjust, or torque if necessary
• #: Service more frequently when operating in severe conditions: dusty, wet, muddy,
  high speed, or frequent starting/stopping.

km x 1000		1	6	12	18	24	30	36
mi x 1000	Every	0.6	4	7.5	12	15	20	24
Carburetor synchronization – check †		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Idle Speed–check †		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Throttle grip play – check †		•		•		•		•
Spark plug – clean and gap †			•	•	•	•	•	•
Valve clearnace – check †		•		•		•		•
Air suction valve – check †			•	•	•	•	•	•
Air cleaner element – clean		•		•		•		•
Air cleaner element – replace	5 cleanings					•
Evaporative emission control system (CA only) – check †		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Battery electrolyte level – check †	month	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Brake hose connections – check †			•	•	•	•	•	•
Brake light switch – check †		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Brake pad wear – check † #			•	•	•	•	•	•
Brake fluid level – check †	month	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Brake fluid – change	2 years					•
Fuel hose, connections – check			•	•	•	•	•	•
Clutch – adjust		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Steering play – check †		•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Drive chain wear – check † #			•	•	•	•	•	•
Nuts, bolt, and fasteners – check †		•		•		•		•
Tire wear – check †			•	•	•	•	•	•
Engine oil – change	year	•		•		•		•
Oil filter – replace		•		•		•		•
General lubrication – perform			•	•	•	•	•	•
Front fork oil – change								•
Swingarm pivot, unit-trak linkage – lubricate				•		•		•
Coolant – change	2 years							•
Radiator hoses, connections – check †	year	•		•		•		•
Steering stem bearing – lubricate	2 years					•
Master cylinder cup and dust seal – replace	2 years
Caliper piston seal and dust seal – replace	2 years
Brake hose – replace	4 years
Fuel hose – replace	4 years
Drive chain – lubricate #	Every 600 km (400 mi)
Drive chain slack – check † #	Every 1000 km (600 mi)

Tyre size and tyre pressure for the Kawasaki Ninja 500R

The Kawasaki Ninja 500R has the following recommended pressures and tyre sizes standard.

Wheel	Tyre size	Tyre pressure
Front	110/70-17 54H	225 kPa / 32 psi
Rear	130/70-17 62H	250 kPa / 36 psi

Stock, the 500R shipped with Bridgestone G549/G550 or Dunlop K275 tyres.

General information about the Kawasaki Ninja 500R

The Kawasaki Ninja 500R was Kawasaki’s middleweight sportbike.

The goal was to deliver useful performance in an efficient and affordable package. The heart of the 500R was a 498cc liquid-cooled inline twin-cylinder engine that made a modest amount of power — but an ample amount to reach freeway speeds without too much fuss.

It’s torque-forward, which means it’s suited to commuting. But it also revs enough to give the sporty at heart a mildly satisfying smile whenever they need to downshift and pull away.

The little 500R also had Kawasaki’s UNI-TRAK rear suspension system, with progressive linkage similar to bigger, sportier models.

The half fairing of the 500R also lets riders commute in relative ease.

In 2006, the Kawasaki Ninja 500R was replaced by the fuel-injected Kawasaki Ninja 650R in most markets. The transition took place in 2009 in the US.

Manual for the Kawasaki Ninja 500R

The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the Kawasaki Ninja 500R, which is available here.