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V2 Valve check/adjust questions

5K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  michael95453 
#1 ·
I'm getting ready to do my first valve check/adjust on my 2014 DL1000A. I have experience adjusting shim-under-bucket valves, so I don't expect any problems.

A couple of questions:

Can someone verify for me that the V2 uses 9.48 mm valve shims as were used in the previous DL1000?

Does anyone who has done a valve adjustment on this bike have any hints, warnings or advice about what to watch out for? Ways to make things easier (bodywork/tank removal or anything else)?

I have a shop manual, which looks pretty comprehensive.

Thanks,

Michael
 
#2 ·
Remove as much of the body work as able to just make your life easier.
You will also have to drain the coolant to be prepared to do that as well in order to get to the front Cyl.

Also this is a very good time to dielectric grease all the plugs etc you are able to get to.

Depending on the mile replacing the plugs might be a good idea, if nothing else grease the plug boots and whatnot because over time they get stuck in the heads a little and tear when you remove them.

I would spray WD40 into the sparkplug well before removing anything the help prevent tearing of rubber. Just a couple shots and wiggle stuff around abit so it can work itself in there.


Dont go crazy with it..
 
#6 ·
This is the first check though. Until that is done, changed from what? You need the first check to get an idea of where things are to begin with. The first check is the most important and 15,000 miles is the time to do it. Once it is done, you'll know how close to minimums the settings are and get an idea as to how long until the next check is needed. 9.48mm is the correct size.
 
#8 ·
Getting the tupperware off is different but the engine work looks to be the same.
 
#12 ·
The Vee also has scissor gear drive camshafts as well as the Vee2. The 650s have sprockets with the cam chain over the camshaft.
 
#17 ·
Thanks! I find shim swapping less daunting than dealing with fuel tanks, bodywork, airboxes and cam covers. Your info about rear cam cover struggles should be quite helpful.

I'm not sure how I missed your post from a few weeks ago...I'm pretty much on here every day.
 
#18 ·
If anyone has a better way to deal with the rear cam cover, please post some pics. It really was the only difficult part of the process, but that may have just been me and might have missed an easier way. Thanks, TRM

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
Well I did it. Finally got around to doing the V-Strom valve adjust. I had other motorcycles that needed attention first.

This was my first time adjusting the valves on a V-Strom. Most of my experience has been with BMW, Kawasaki and Triumph.

Observations about this engine configuration:

Pros:
-The Suzuki service manual is excellent.
-Airbox doesn’t need to be disturbed...I was surprised at this.
-Cam removal is easy without having to deal with the cam chain.

Cons-
-Draining/refilling the radiator to get to the front cylinder is a drag; this took up a large portion of my time.
-Getting the rear cylinder cam cover into place is another slow, awkward process.

The process is pretty basic. I just followed the manual, which for some reason, fails to mention radiator draining/removal.

I bought a set of Hot Cams 9.48mm shims (part #HCSHIM02) for about $60 on Amazon. These are available on ebay and various motorcycle vendor websites. The kit has 141 shims in it (many will never be used on a V2), 3 of each size and a magnifying glass to read the tiny writing on the shims. MSRP for OEM shims is $7.58 each and you don’t know how many of which you need until you get the bike apart. Hot Cams also sells sets of 5 of any size for about $2.

One valve was out-of-spec, one on the brink, and one .01 mm from the low end of spec. So, I changed those three.

I made a worksheet that I patterned after ones I’ve made for previous bikes. It has places to record the clearance measurements and what shim is installed (if known) both before and after adjustment. I had planned to include a copy of the PDF in this post but it is 60KB which is too big. Oh, well.

Things I noted that are not necessarily in the manual:
-I separated the radiator shroud from the radiator and used bungie cords to hold the shroud up and back out of the way, and other bungie cords to hold the radiator up and forward, resting on a towel on the front fender. This gave me very clear access to the front cylinder. I didn’t disconnect any of the connectors that the manual called for that were attached to the shroud (the picture in the manual shows these connectors with the airbox removed, which I didn’t do).

-For the rear cylinder, the manual says to remove the coolant tank. I removed the rear gas tank mount (2 bolts) and moved it, along with the coolant tank, out of the way. I think this gave greater access to the area with the gas tank mount out of the way. (The manual shows the gas tank mount in place during the process.)

-From past experience when removing cam covers, I like to separate the gasket from the cover and leave it on the head. Sealant is called for between the head and the “lobes” of the gasket, and I try to leave that undisturbed if possible. This means teasing the gasket out of the cam cover and when installing, teasing it back into place, but it can avoid slopping parts in sealant if the old seal is left unbroken. This is a personal preference. This was easy on the front cover.

My personal preference was exceedingly challenged by rear cam cover. Getting the gasket back into the cover along the rear (exhaust) side was very difficult because of the lack of clearance between the cover and the ABS lines that run over it. I did manage to do it, but it took a while. The alternative is to take the gasket off, clean up the old sealant, set the gasket in the cam cover, apply new sealant and then try to get the cam cover into position under the ABS lines without smearing sealant from where it’s supposed to be to where it’s not supposed to be. Good luck with that!

-The scissor gears with their spring-loaded characteristics, make it a bit of a challenge to get the cams back into proper alignment when reinstalling. They sit differently when placed in position than they do when bolted down. I found I would check them about 4 times during and after the bolt-down process to make sure they were right.

That’s all I can think of for now (probably more than enough!).
 
#20 ·
Thanks for posting this. One thing that I did on my V1 when doing the valves was to be sure to get the buckets back in the same locations they came from. Perhaps they are machined very precisely but it seemed prudent. Removing the body work and tank on the V2 is alot easier than on the V1. I can have the tank off in about 10 minutes. Ordering that shim kit was wise.
 
#21 ·
In Canada found the shim kits on Amazon ranging at over $100. I also found these at Canada's Motorcycle.
https://fortnine.ca/en/moose-9-48mm-valve-shim I would probably see what I need if any then order up those few. (Winter project)
I also have a bucket tool left over from my Gixxer and GS days. I see Can's Moto sells them and they only specify bike brand. Wondering if my old one will work with the V2.
 
#22 ·
Yesterday, I went looking for Hot Cams 5 packs because 2 of the 3 shims I used were the same size. Vendors of the 5 packs are harder to find and most want minimum order size for free shipping.

I found Biker Trends sells 5 packs for 1.76USD with free shipping! I ordered one 5 pack that I needed and my total order was $1.76!

https://www.bikertrends.com/index.p...cription=1&keyword=hot+cams+shim+9.48&x=0&y=0

At this rate, you could buy around 20 5-packs for about $35 in a range (255-305?) that is suitable for V-stroms. Seems like a good deal!

(Aside to ToadRide: My wife and I rode to BC and stayed 2 nights in Nelson last June; very nice town!)
 
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