Oil Light on.

So the bike is a 1982 kawasaki kz1000 ltd. I just got it. I have ridden it short distances before and today i had it out and the oil light came on. I put new oil in it when i got it. It had been dry for a few months. Did not replace the oil filter when i added the oil. I am also getting a good bit of white/blueish smoke. Not sure where to start. I have the manual on the way. Thought yall might be able to help. Thanks

Did the engine run with no oil or very low oil level? Is the oil level correct now? Is the oil JASO MA compliant and the correct weight?

I have not run it with low oil. Im running 10w-40 in it. I have no idea what JASO MA. haha so probably not.

The oil light indicates low oil pressure, which can be caused by a variety of things, including--
Very low oil level, or no oil at all.

Clogged filter or passageways.

Incorrect viscosity of oil. Evidently, not the case here.

Extended wheelies and extended severe cornering can temporarily starve the oil pump.

A worn or clogged oil pump.

In my opinion, not changing the filter when changing, or in this case, refilling the oil is false econ0my, You don't know what was in that filter that may be all over the inside of the engine now. The filter could be totally clogged, or there may be no filter at all.

Do you regularly check the oil level? On an engine of unknown quality and history, it is really important to keep an eye on it, since you do not know ho fast it is using it.

The blueish smoke is likely from burning oil. The most likely culprit is rock-hard valve seals. Could also be stuck or badly worn rings.

JASO is the Japanese equivalent of API, the agency that sets and tests standards for motor oil. These air cooled engines with common sumps and wet clutches put extraordinary strain on oil. Modern automotive oil contains additives that are incompatible with wet clutch systems and is missing additives that are important for a healthy transmission. JASO MA is specifically formulated for our engines. API does not have a motorcycle specific designation. Most modern diesel engine oils will work just fine, though there are rumors afoot that their formulation could change soon.

Thanks for the help. I guess i will start with the proper oil and a new oil filter and go from there. What brand and weight of oil do you recommend? I have been checking the oil before I start it every time.

Could having to much oil possibly turn the light on? I just now noticed the two lines on the glass eye sight and its definitely too full.

The oil capacity may be cast into the clutch cover near the oil level gauge. From the manual
it's 3.7 L w/ new filter & 3.0 L w/o changing the filter. Use a motorcycle oil or a heavy duty oil marketed for diesel engine use. I use Shell Rotella-T 15W-40 in the white bottle --- it has the JASO-MA rating as does the Rotella synthetic. I doubt that the type of oil is causing the light to come on.

The oil light could be the wiring --- the switch completes the circuit to ground, so a chaffed wire could be grounding out. Or it could be a defective oil pressure switch or clogged oil screen..

There are a bunch of discussions about oil choices on this site. I recommend reading some of them rather than taking one persons recommendation. That said, for a long time I used Mobil 1 4T. Very expensive. More recently I have been using Shell Rotella T6.
Too much oil should not trigger the light, but can cause other problems.

Any oil is better then no oil.... even the dirtiest oil in any engine you've encountered is better.
JASO-MA means it is approved for running in a engine sharing oil in the wet clutch (and probably the transmission too.)
A clogged oil filter should be bypassed automatically by the safety valve in the holder.... I doubt that is a problem.
Something in the actual oil pump could be bad though.
But, I'd go first with the other suggestions about a bad oil sensor switch or broken wire.
These engines run with pretty low oil pressure, but you can stick a pressure gauge in their and read it.
Don't be alarmed when you see only a few lbs of pressure... that is normal with ball bearing mains and the like.

***
White blueish smoke is usually a bad sign of oil consumption and or blow-by signal... it could be from a broken ring in a cylinder, or they are just worn out, a blown head gasket or bad valve guides... exhaust valve guides if really bad on deceleration while revving in gear.
Do a compression test to see if one or more cylinders is really low, especially compared to the others.
If just a piston ring job is needed because of normal wear and tear but no damage, that's fairly easy.
If your oil pump in inoperative creating an out of oil scenario and thus, engine damage... OUCH.... then you might have a handful there.

Ok so I will get a new oil filter and new oil. How do i go about checking the oil pressure and seeing if the switch is malfunctioning? I want to make sure I figure this problem out with out destroying my motor. Thanks for all the help.

When the cold engine is started, does the oil warning light soon turn off while the engine is running at low rpm in neutral (say while allowing the engine to warm up a little before getting underway)?

Or, when the cold engine is started, does the oil warning light always stay ON while the engine is running?

Good Fortune!

Stays on. I have only started it once since I cut it off after the first time. And it stayed on