Yamaha TW200 Trailway Discussion Forum

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11-16-2009, 11:24 AM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I just picked up a used 2006 TW200 with 5,600 miles on it from Yamaha of North Hollywood. The bike is in perfect condition, except for the fact that it is VISIBLY leaking oil from the front of the head base gasket. After reading all of the posts on this issue in this Forum, I called Yamaha USA customer service, and was told by their technical support people that "this issue is not known to Yamaha and Yamaha has never received any calls on it," and that "services done under warranty do not get reported to Yamaha." I don't really believe those answers, do you??? In a nice way, maybe it's about time that everyone who has had this problem, call Yamama and let them know that IT IS A PROBLEM. They have set up an appointment with a Yamaha dealer here in northern California to have my bike checked out, with no promises made. Oh goody. Please report your experience to Yamaha Representative: Jaree, at 1-800-962-7926 ext. 7697 Neal H.    Report

11-16-2009, 11:47 AM rEno83 Joined on 09-29-2008 Reno, Nevada Posts 948 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Greetings Kneehole: I have an 06', I purchased new roughly a year ago. I've recently had this problem fixed, under the factory warranty. The service rep told me the same thing, "this is not a known recall or problem and I've never heard about this before" This was after I explained to him, this problem of faulty base gaskets is ALL over the forum of TW owners and that MANY members with 2006-2007 have replaced their leaking base gaskets. He nearly refused to accept this as valid and repeated his opinion! I assume you have no warranty on this bike now...and you're looking for some recall by Yamaha?? I hope they help you, but doubt they will. best of luck and Welcome :) -Adam thrashin' and crashin' w/ TW, always with a smile :) 06' TW 05' R6 "Freedom is Irrelevant, when Sovereignty is Absent" -Me.    Report

11-16-2009, 12:03 PM MED Joined on 10-28-2008 Posts 15 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Kneehole, As a former Yamaha dealer, it sounds to me that the Yamaha rep on the other end of the phone was simply giving you the information that he had at his disposal, nothing more. If the data over the years reflected a cronic problem, it would have been in their computer. Granted, that data comes mostly from the dealer's service departments. So, yes, I believe what they are saying. Of course, that doesn't mean that your base gasket isn't leaking! Sh%$^t happens!!!    Report

11-16-2009, 12:29 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I spoke to the Service Manager at Roseville Yamama, and he hedgingly admitted that he had replaced "numerous" base-gaskets on the 06 and 07 models. What I don't beleive is that none of the dealers across the country are communicating with Yamaha USA about a rather costly warranty issue requiring the cylinder head to be removed on bikes with less than 5,000 miles on them... Does that sound plausible? And, can I be the only one in the USA since the 06/07 models have been out, to call and complain to Yamaha USA?? Again, it does seem rather implausible, don't you think? The Yamaha USA representative mentioned that my bike was just out of warranty (5,600 miles), but they will be willing to look at the bike, review the circumstances, and "possibly make some reparations," but not 100%, if what I have described is correct about the bike. I also plan to bring with me printouts of the main threads from this forum on the issue. I beleive they will make good, to some extent. Do you beleive Yamaha would do this, if they didn't know about the problem? I'll let you all know how it goes this Friday. Thanks. Neal H.    Report

11-16-2009, 2:21 PM jeremy Joined on 04-14-2009 Colorado Front Range Posts 145 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Hmm.  I bought my '07 used in May with 400 miles on it from a dealer.  It now has 3000 and has started to leak from the base gasket just slightly.  I was under the impression there was no warranty.  Did you buy something extra? I'll be sure to call up Yamaha.  I was getting ready to do the job myself.    Report

11-16-2009, 4:14 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I got the impression that it doesn't necessarily have to be first time owner warranty. Like with cars, they will honor the new warranty even after a transfer of ownership. Don't quote me on that, but it is worth a call to the person I mentioned in the first post, don't you think? Let me know how the conversation goes... Neal H.    Report

11-17-2009, 8:31 AM JerryT Joined on 07-18-2008 Crossville Tn Posts 265 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I have an 05 with a leaky base gasket also. I bought the bike with 4000 miles on it from a private party. I'm not going to waste my time with a dealer. It doesn't loose enough oil to hurt the motor so I will just live with it unless it gets a lot worse. Then I will fix it myself. Unless you know who will be doing the work, that might be a better choise anyway. TW200 2005    Report

11-17-2009, 11:08 AM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I did some investigation of part numbers for the base gasket. The base gasket for the 2003/04 bikes is part # 5LB-11351-00-00, for 05/06/07 bikes # 5VC-11351-00-00 ($5), for 08/09 # 5VC-11351-01-00, and for 2010 # 5VC-11351-10-00 ($15). I am wondering if anyone who has done the repair can tell me which gasket they bought for replacement? Neal H.    Report

11-17-2009, 2:30 PM QWERTY Joined on 11-22-2006 Posts 2,360 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Dealers love warranty work. It is profitable. Try retorquing your head bolts. That stopped the base leak on Tdub.    Report

11-17-2009, 3:23 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I tried retorquing the cylinder bolts. No help. The leak is actually getting worse. And, I can tell that the dealer actually changed the oil and put in 20/50 before it went out the door; I am assuming in an attempt to slow the obvious leak. Or, it could be they never knew about the problem. From what the dealer told me, they took it in on trade. Who knows. I ordered both the OEM 2006 base gasket and the 2010 base gasket from my local dealer. We're going to compare and see what's up. It goes in Friday for a check. Neal H.    Report

11-17-2009, 7:27 PM QWERTY Joined on 11-22-2006 Posts 2,360 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Good luck working with a dealer. Most I've dealt with suck: Me: I'd like an oil filter for a TW200, please. Counter twit: TW200? Is that a motorcycle?    Report

11-21-2009, 3:31 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Well, good news, I think. My northern Sacramento dealer has the bike now, and will call after the service guys take a look. The TW200 comes with a 36 month warranty, and it does transfer. My bike was first sold in May, 2006, but the service writer says they sometimes can get Yamaha USA to make good on a repair like this. He was very hopeful. I'm crossing my fingers. And, so far the new $5 gasket for the 2006 came in. It looks like it's graphite coated. The $15 gasket for the 2010 is backordered until December 10. I plan to wait until that one comes in to see what the difference is. Neal H.    Report

11-24-2009, 12:13 PM InAfrica Joined on 10-28-2007 South Africa Posts 78 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Also have a 2006, same problem, bought in South Africa, planning on replacing the gasket myself.  Can be done without removing the engine from the frame. Yamaha Chappie 80cc, BMW R650, Yamaha XT500, BMW R80GS, BMW F650GS, TW200.    Report

11-24-2009, 12:32 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Although the bike is out of warranty, and on its second owner, Yamaha USA is offering to pay for half of the labor for the repair. Parts and the other half of the labor would be on me. Labor estimate is about $200. Neal H.    Report

11-25-2009, 9:16 PM DASK123 Joined on 05-30-2008 Bakersfield Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Check out this thread: Yamaha TW200 Tr... » TW200 Forums » TW200 Technical... » Re: Oil Seeping 07' TW200 Sold    Report

12-13-2009, 4:41 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Hey guys, I just wanted to do a follow up to my leaky base gasket problem. I had Yamaha of Roseville order up the 2006 and 2010 base gaskets. Come to find out, the 2006 is graphite coated, and the service writer said they are too soft and tend to creep, causing oil leaks. The 2010 looked to be hard fiber, with a bead of sealant around the perimeter of the gasket on both sides. He was not surprised about the redisign. I think his comment was - it's about time. Anyway, although mine was 6 months out of warranty, Yamaha USA covered half of the labor (1 hour out of 2), and I had to pick up the other half of the labor and parts. The dealer also honed the cylinder and put in new rings. Total cost to me was about $175, and yes, I had them put in the 2010 base gasket. Running like a top now, and no leaks! Hope this helps. Neal H.    Report

12-14-2009, 6:49 AM JerryT Joined on 07-18-2008 Crossville Tn Posts 265 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Thanks for the infomation on the base gasket differences. That should be good news to know for anyone wanting to fix the common problem. It may keep someone from having to do the job again after another couple thousand miles. TW200 2005    Report

12-14-2009, 2:27 PM kj7687 Joined on 09-01-2007 socal(Inland Empire/San Bernardino County) Posts 1,370 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW Yamaha: "this issue is not known to Yamaha and Yamaha has never received any calls on it". This is one of the reasons I have become biased against Yamaha. This is their typical response when they don't give a damn and don't want to bother dealing with problems that arise with their cheap, poorly designed products. They said the same thing when I had a dealer call them to ask about paying for repairs on a bike that had the engine seize up because of a mislabeled oil filter. Granted, it was out of warranty, but still. That isn't a warranty issue, that is a Yamaha parts issue. And we all know, just like the leaking base gaskets, the mislabeled oil filters (destroying engines) are also a very common problem with the TW200. Just from this forum I know of numerous cases of both of these problems. But Yamaha will adamantly deny that they have ever heard of either of them. I am currently suing a dealership because they would not take responsibility for the damages that resulted to my motor, after they installed the wrong oil filter during maintenance service. The trial date is this Friday, December 18. I'll do a write up on it after the trial. Right now I'd say I have a fifty percent chance of winning. 07 Honda ruckus (wire mesh around frame to provide underseat storage enclosure, storage bag)-SOLD 07 Yamaha TW200 (44 tooth rear sprocket, www.cycleracks.com rear luggage rack) 97 Suzuki DR200 (Pirelli MT21 rear tire, Bridgestone ED03 front tire)    Report

12-15-2009, 12:20 PM Kneehole Joined on 11-01-2009 Elk Grove, California Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW The sad part of this discussion is that I have had this same kind of response from several other manufacturers, both motorcycles and autos. It seems when it comes down to the automotive industry, the bottom line is more important than building a customer base with honest customer service... Neal H.    Report

12-15-2009, 12:42 PM DASK123 Joined on 05-30-2008 Bakersfield Posts 81 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW I own two Yamahas, BMW moto and car, Subaru, Toyota, and a Nissan. Subaru has the best customer service I have experienced in specifically addressing defects. My Yamaha dealer made a good effort to ask Yamaha corp to cover my base gasket leak. I received the same push off about this not being a problem. As much as I like my TW it will be my last Yamaha purchase because the corp office will not stand behind their product. 07' TW200 Sold    Report

12-15-2009, 3:18 PM kj7687 Joined on 09-01-2007 socal(Inland Empire/San Bernardino County) Posts 1,370 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW  DASK123 wrote: I own two Yamahas, BMW moto and car, Subaru, Toyota, and a Nissan. Subaru has the best customer service I have experienced in specifically addressing defects. My Yamaha dealer made a good effort to ask Yamaha corp to cover my base gasket leak. I received the same push off about this not being a problem. As much as I like my TW it will be my last Yamaha purchase because the corp office will not stand behind their product. Sadly, it seems like Yamaha is making a lot of their customers feel this way. Customer service is important! Any company that does not fully understand that concept will undoubtedly lose business as a result of their failure to understand it and behave accordingly! People aren't going to just stand idle-ly by and take crap like that! The thing is though, Yamaha pours a great deal of money into marketing efforts to keep bringing in new buyers, which will unfortunately tend to off-set much of the negativity generated by their poor customer relations. 07 Honda ruckus (wire mesh around frame to provide underseat storage enclosure, storage bag)-SOLD 07 Yamaha TW200 (44 tooth rear sprocket, www.cycleracks.com rear luggage rack) 97 Suzuki DR200 (Pirelli MT21 rear tire, Bridgestone ED03 front tire)    Report

12-21-2009, 11:06 PM kruger Joined on 05-15-2008 Boynton Beach, Florida Posts 24 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW can someone please calirfy which location this "base gasket" is. I've got an 08 with ,literly, only a few hundred miles on it and it has a slow but obvious oil leak at the gasket near the upper cylinder gasket area. Is this the same leak or yet a different one? '08 TW200 '06 KLR650    Report

12-22-2009, 8:02 AM jeremy Joined on 04-14-2009 Colorado Front Range Posts 145 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW The wiki has a pretty good picture of it.  It's the whitish gasket in the photo about the base gasket. http://tw200.wiki-site.com/index.php/Routine_Maintenance#Engine_Oil_and_Filter_Change    Report

12-22-2009, 11:31 AM kj7687 Joined on 09-01-2007 socal(Inland Empire/San Bernardino County) Posts 1,370 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW  kruger wrote: can someone please calirfy which location this "base gasket" is. I've got an 08 with ,literly, only a few hundred miles on it and it has a slow but obvious oil leak at the gasket near the upper cylinder gasket area. Is this the same leak or yet a different one? If the bike is new, you should be able to get it fixed under warranty. If not, you're pretty much screwed. Even though this problem is ridiculously common, Yamaha refuses to acknowledge it. Make sure whoever does the repair gets the right replacement gasket. Yamaha finally updated the base gasket (although they still won't admit that it was ever a problem!). I'm not sure what model-year the update was done on, but the new one is supposed to be made out of a harder material that isn't so prone to failure. 07 Honda ruckus (wire mesh around frame to provide underseat storage enclosure, storage bag)-SOLD 07 Yamaha TW200 (44 tooth rear sprocket, www.cycleracks.com rear luggage rack) 97 Suzuki DR200 (Pirelli MT21 rear tire, Bridgestone ED03 front tire)    Report

12-22-2009, 2:07 PM smellyrabbit1 Joined on 09-08-2009 Central NY Posts 13 Re: Leaking base gasket on 2006 TW My 2008 had the infamouse base gasket leak at less than 500 miles, thankfully it was covered under warranty. Yamaha really should address this problem.  2008 TW200 possibly for sale 2009 Suzuki M50 Special Edition 2008 pw80 the kids    Report

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