Cam cover gasket started leaking- Dealer recommends in MD/VA

@ Boog or @ Joesmoe have you or anyone else had to deal with Motorcycles of Dulles Service Dept?

I just noticed the telltale sign (SLIGHT oil leak) of the cam cover gasket and upon further inspection saw the gasket starting to pucker. The bike is just under a yr old and has about 8K miles so still under warranty. I usually do all my own wrenching and hate dealing with dealers/service depts., except when I have to. I have 3 choices that I know of close by. Chesapeake Cycles in Annapolis-closest by far, MotoScoot in Richmond-where I bought it, but farther away, or Motorcycles of Dulles. Haven't heard good things about Annapolis, and don't really want to drive all the way back down to Richmond. I know the cam cover gaskets is not a big thing, but don't want to have to take it back again if they install it wrong and it starts leaking again.

Anyone have recommendations?

I suggest you make an appointment to ride to my house, and we do ours together.

I have to redo mine; will order a new one today, just on the off chance I messed up the one I have in such a way it cannot be reset.

Other than that, I would suggest Motorcycles of Dulles is a crap shoot. They mean well. The shop has grown significantly in the last several years, and maybe they can afford to keep decent shop help. They added BMW, Indian, and Enfield to their lineup along with Triumph, so they might get it right.

The other thing, is Warp is close by, and . . .

Since I just replaced mine, I can offer maybe a couple helpful hints:
1. Do it yourself. A tech isnt gonna be as careful or thorough as you will.
2. No need to remove either the fuel tank or the throttle bodies. You can look right down the bolt holes to make sure you have that all lined up properly. The rest by feel, i.e. if the hlgaskets tot where it belongs it is obvious.

And watch as you torque it down that the gasket isnt pushing out. It helps if the mating surfaces are clean. I used a chemical surface wax and grease remover.

@Stillserving I have had good luck with MOD even when they have goofed something up, they have always made it right. (Paul forgot to mention they are also a Zero dealer, not that it helps us any...)

But since you do much of your own maintenance and don't want to bother with warranty work, Paul's offer sounds mighty good.

Not that I don't want to be bothered w/ warranty work, It's usually the only thing I would take it back to the dealer to do, make them fix what's wrong, just a pain to drive all the way to one, make an apt, drop it off, drive all the way back. Should be a quick job so maybe I'll check with MOD and depending on how long it takes, head over to Udvar Hazy A&S for a few hrs.

Apparently someone needs to offer a foolproof way to fix this. I just noticed a little bit of what looks like oil wetting in the finned area above and in front of the forward header and cam chain tensioner. No bulges in the gasket anywhere and all appears dry where ever I touch. Im going to clean off the surface wetting with some denatured alcohol and keep an eye on it. Hnmm...

Mine will look wet when I ride in 100 degree heat. After engine cools it back to normal no leaks. It is getting close to doing another valve clearance check again. Personally plan on doing it the same as before. Remove everything. Gas tank, throttle bodies, and everything else in the way. Not only do you have a clean open shot at getting the gasket right but it is a good time to clean the throttle body and lube. May take a little extra time this go around because i plan on replacing the cams. Either way the first time i took my time and cleaned all oil residue of mating surfaces. Used all new seals even the washer seals for bolts. Took some time torquing it down. Went in increments of 5 NM all the way around until final torque. Three trips around the valve cover took some time. Did use sealant where prescribed by the manual. No where else. I do not get why so many people are having a issue with this? Did the valve clearance check at 25,000 miles and now at 45,000 with no leaks or bulges. Have not had to re-torque bolts . I believe the reason is because i followed the manual and replaced everything prescribed in the manual. Sure some folks could get it done faster but I prefer no leaks or problems a few thousand miles down the road. A good high quality and calibrated torque wrench is a must. Patience and the right tools have it's perks.

BINGO @sonny