After the first oil change at ~600 miles (which your manual says that you need to go to the dealership for anyway) the Monster Owners Manual states that you are only required to change the oil at the same interval as the required valve service. So, if you go directly by the book AND have your 6000 mile services done at the dealership, you could probably get away with never having to change your own oil. I said COULD, but I didn't say should... Why, you ask? First of all because if you aren't changing your own oil you'll probably never be technically proficient at doing anything on your Monster. It's the most basic maintenance that you can do, and if you aren't comfortable with doing that you'll never be comfortable with doing anything else. Second, like washing your bike, changing your oil is a good way to become familiar with your bike and how it's doing. Your head and hands will be down at the bottom of the bike and you'll be able to see if there are any fluids leaking anywhere else. You'll also get to see, feel, and smell the oil that came out of your bike. Even if you're a complete novice and don't know what to look for, you'll still get to know what it looks like and if it suddenly comes out different, you'll know that it might need a professional to take a look at it. Lastly, regardless of what the owners manual says, common sense tells me that 6000 miles is too long to go between oil changes. I change the oil in my cars twice as often as that and I run less oil and run it harder in my Monster. I think that the oil should be changed at least once between valve services at 3000 miles and I prefer every 2000 miles. Think of it this way... If gasoline is the food that your motorcycle burns for energy, then oil is its blood. Would you really want your blood to get absolutely full of toxins and sludge before you kidneys cleaned it? Also, if you target your oil changes at 2000 or 3000 miles and you happen to be on a road trip and miss that target by a few hundred miles you've definitely got a little "wiggle room" without worrying about causing your bike damage.
Answers & Comments
After the first oil change at ~600 miles (which your manual says that you need to go to the dealership for anyway) the Monster Owners Manual states that you are only required to change the oil at the same interval as the required valve service. So, if you go directly by the book AND have your 6000 mile services done at the dealership, you could probably get away with never having to change your own oil. I said COULD, but I didn't say should... Why, you ask? First of all because if you aren't changing your own oil you'll probably never be technically proficient at doing anything on your Monster. It's the most basic maintenance that you can do, and if you aren't comfortable with doing that you'll never be comfortable with doing anything else. Second, like washing your bike, changing your oil is a good way to become familiar with your bike and how it's doing. Your head and hands will be down at the bottom of the bike and you'll be able to see if there are any fluids leaking anywhere else. You'll also get to see, feel, and smell the oil that came out of your bike. Even if you're a complete novice and don't know what to look for, you'll still get to know what it looks like and if it suddenly comes out different, you'll know that it might need a professional to take a look at it. Lastly, regardless of what the owners manual says, common sense tells me that 6000 miles is too long to go between oil changes. I change the oil in my cars twice as often as that and I run less oil and run it harder in my Monster. I think that the oil should be changed at least once between valve services at 3000 miles and I prefer every 2000 miles. Think of it this way... If gasoline is the food that your motorcycle burns for energy, then oil is its blood. Would you really want your blood to get absolutely full of toxins and sludge before you kidneys cleaned it? Also, if you target your oil changes at 2000 or 3000 miles and you happen to be on a road trip and miss that target by a few hundred miles you've definitely got a little "wiggle room" without worrying about causing your bike damage.