the best gasketts for the k5

[kiwimonster]

 was doin a bit of play riding when my k5 started surging and idling strang the noticed a oil leak on the base gaskett , who makes the best brand of gasketts. cheers

[Bigtim]

I wrote a review on cometic and athena about amonth ago. I was disapointed w/ the cometic set being incorrect, (hopefully 1 bad set in a production of thousands) and was happy with the athena set based on completeness and correct application..... but then I went on my first ride and blew the base gasket.  Maybe all my fault, i installed dry without any RTV, which i thought was the best way( its worked in the past), torqued to spec  yada yada.
Maybe try something new for all of us... Moose makes a nice kit.   

[Hillclimb#42]

 I had a mis-stamped Cometic Base Gasket also. They still are very good gasket company. i got some really nice Moose gaskets also. I usually install with light coat of oil. Just enough to say it all got some, with no rtv. Retighten after a couple heat cycles. its a good idea to check for flat surfaces. I never try to re-use a base or head gasket either.

[stewart]

comitec ,,,,even though a few of the base  gaskets have one hole miss stamped 

[kaw rider]

kaw has a nice improved base gasket.

[Bigtim]

Great to have some heavy hitters chime in   Stewart, you probebly go through more gaskets than any one else on this site...I have a few ?'s  how many times have you seen the miss stamped stud hole on a cometic base basket? and secondly do you recomend Knurrling the mating surface?

[Bigtim]

Kaw rider, There are two OE base gaskets on the microfiche, same size... but one is made of cork and the other traditional green board.  Which are you suggesting is better? one definatly costs more than the other.

[kaw rider]

The one i have is aluminum with rubber coating on it. I've reused it acouple of times aready. Looks great.

[stewart]

do not knurl  the surfaces...i ve seen three  out off the last 30 sets of comtic base gaskets that  have one hole off

[cbxracer30]

Kawasaki factory part# 11060-1874 that is the rubber coated metal gasket that doesn't blowout .

[BDI]

Kawasaki factory part# 11060-1874 that is the rubber coated metal gasket that doesn't blowout .

Just like the cometic

[kaw rider]

The rubber coated base gasket are nice for kawasaki poor maching of gasket surfaces.

[martinfan30]

do not knurl  the surfaces...i ve seen three  out off the last 30 sets of comtic base gaskets that  have one hole off

Is this an issue?

[DoldGuy]

I have not seen a Cometic Base Gasket Like that.?.? I will pull a kit apart to confirm. The Base Gasket that Kaw Rider & CBX are refering to are (in my opinion) are FAR superior to any Athena, Cometic, etc Base Gasket. I have blown out 2 Cometic and 1 Athena base gasket, before finally replacing with OEM Kawasaki as mentioned above (it will NOT blowout as CBX mentioned, it is steel).

[BDI]

Cometic will make you gaskets out of what ever you wish. A lot of their economy kits come with paper or at least they used too. I order their gaskets individually and out of the material of my choice. They offer rubber coated aluminum gaskets that are the exact same as the stock kawi ones. Infact cometic has been making these gaskets long before kawi ever used them as an OEM part. I'm sure someone at kawi saw how well these gaskets out performed everything else. I have been using them since 98 but the gaskets I have on my bike right now are made from the same thing cometic makes their head gaskets out of and they are steel not aluminum.