[birdmove]

I'm probably going to buy a new TW200 after we move next week. I had bought a new XT225 some years ago, and did the 1st oil and filter change and break-in etc. on that bike. I had read on the XT225/Serow forum that one should do a very early oil change, which I did. I also had been forwarned that the XT probably would have a lot of break-in crap deposited on the filter, and not to be overly concerned about it. They were 100% correct on that warning. I've done the break-in and 1st oil changes on quite a few bikes over the last 50 years, and never seen as much crud collected on an oil filter. The second change showed less crap. By the third there was about zero deposits, and the bike went on to run very well and had no problems while I owned it. Many of my motorcycles have had spin on filters, and, of course, on that type of filter you won't see any deposits unless you cut the filter in half. Others have had cartridge filters, like the XT and TW. But I'd never seen the quantity of junk on those filters. The XT obviously put the pre-filtered oil on the outside of the filter, so you see all of it there collected on the outside. It's possible some of the bikes with cartridge oil filters I've owned ran the pre-filtered oil to the inside where you wouldn't easily see it.



So, I really asking if the TW200 makes a lot of this junk for the first oil change or two, like the XT225? I think they both may use the same oil filter part number.



jon

 

[lizrdbrth]

Since the advent of silicone sealants and their ilk being used in the assembly process there's good reason to be suspicious about the potential for clogged filters during break-in. Add to that the quality control issues such as the alarming number reports of bikes of all brands leaving the factory minus things like oil filters, I'd say that diligence during the break-in period is even more critical than back in the day.

 

[phazer]

hey jon i just wanted to share with you about my 2011 tw200 and its first oil change. when i got to the 100 mile mark i did my first oil change. when i took out the oil filter which was a screen type, i found much more debris in the filter than i thought there would be. enough to where i just got a new filter. when i got to the 200 mile mark i did a second oil change and found about 80 percent less debris. i think some bikes will produce more debris than others, and i think the riders style will effect it as well. everybody breaks in there bikes different. ive had the pleasure of owning a few brand new bikes, and all of them had debris in the filter on the first oil change. id worry though if you find shavings or metal flakes in the oil drain pan you use.in most cases if you use a can of WD40 with a red straw in the nozzel you can blast off all the crud that collects in the filter. i spray from inside to outside and it works very well. lizrdbrth was right about bikes leaving the factory with no oil filters, when i bought my tw i make the service dept show my there was a oil filter in it. and they where not surprised i asked. it happened to me when when i bought a yz125 years back. good thing the bike was under waranty and the service dept did that oil change cause they saw for themselfs there was no filter. i got lucky that time!

 

[birdmove]

Thanks for the info, guys. I might mention that the only new bike that ever had an engine "blow up" on me was a 2001 Kawasaki KLR250. A friend and I took a 3 day weekend and were riding mostly off road near Lake Cushman and Hoodsport, Wa. We were riding on Hwy 101 on the way back to the cabin my friend owns. My engine suddenly started a serious knock. It was at 1347 miles.I shut it down. My friend picked up his trailer and we took it home, and to RMC-a dealer in my area. Turns out a small piece of silicone sealatn from engine assembly broke loose and plugged the oil supply line to the top end. Destroyed the cylinder head, cam, rockers, cam chain and tensioner, etc, etc. The piston and cylinder were fine. Got it all fixed under warranty, though it took forever. Had one more warranty problem later-a water pump seal went out. But the bike ran great as long as I owned it after the incident.



This issue didn't sour me on Kawasaki motorcycles at all. It could have happened to a Suzuki, Yamaha, or Honda just as easily. At least they took care of it. That's what bwarranties are for.



Jon

 

[qwerty]

If I was to buy a new TW, I'd change the oil and install a magnetic drain plug as soon as I got it home. Then change the oil and clean the filter and screen at least at 30, 100, 500, 1000, and 1500 miles using a dyno-based oil specifically for motorcycles with wet clutches. At 2000 miles I'd switch to an ester-based synthetic specifically for motorcycles with wet cutches. After that I'd change the oil and clean the filter and screen at least every 2000 miles, more often if riding conditions or the calendar warranted. That's what I would do. You do whatever you think is best.