Valve adjust: priority what?

[blowerbike]

train a monkey to not over tighten the jam nuts and have then come loose in your engine...seen it to many times.
these nuts need to be super tightened or bad thing will happen.
yes you make your own adjustment unlike shim types but there's a lot more room for error on the rocker type adjustment's.
no torque wrench used....just really tight without the adjuster turning while tightening the jam nut and loosing your clearance.

[850 Combat]

The two valve adjustment isn't hard. The worst part is needing new shims and waiting for them. I bought a kit of them, but it was expensive. There is a shim club here that makes them inexpensive. I just like to have the parts I need to reassemble before dismantling.

Listen to these guys, you could almost train a monkey to do this job.

I love my bike and I think anyone who buys one is making a good decision. Nonetheless, if you're not going to work on it yourself it'll be much cheaper to spend more and buy a newer bike rather than pay a mechanic's repair bill.

I'm sure you have enough brain power to check your valves.

[BigD_83]

No, and pretty much impossible (for me).

Time to contribute more to my mechanic's kid's college fund.

How come impossible? No tools, money, or space?

[GS1150Pilot]

Tappy Valves are Happy Valves. If you can't hear them they are probably too tight.

This. 100% true.

Rob S are you deaf?
I can still hear valve clatter

[tkent02]

Tappy Valves are Happy Valves. If you can't hear them they are probably too tight.


It's a really easy DIY thing, especially on the 16 valve bikes.

[posplayr]

No, and pretty much impossible (for me).

Time to contribute more to my mechanic's kid's college fund.

Just what I was thinking. Have him tell you all the clearances through.

[Rob S.]

CAn you hear any tapping at idle?
How hard is it to take a look?

No, and pretty much impossible (for me).

Time to contribute more to my mechanic's kid's college fund.

[tkent02]

Again, can you hear any tapping at idle?

[Rob S.]

If you start to feel any performance issue due to valves, it is too late.

Really?!? Yikes!

[1980GS1000E]

If you start to feel any performance issue due to valves, it is too late.

[tkent02]

They could be far enough off to burn a valve or two tomorrow.
CAn you hear any tapping at idle?
How hard is it to take a look?

[Rob S.]

I keep reading so much here about checking and adjusting valves.

If a bike starts instantly, (in any weather), idles beautifully and pulls hard all the way to redline with no stumbles, how far off could the valves be?