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If you have done at least one valve clearance check or had one done, please answer

  • I have a 650 and have gone through 3 or more valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 21 3.1%
  • I have a 650 and have gone through 2 valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 50 7.5%
  • I have a 650 and have gone through 1 valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 248 37.2%
  • I have a 650 and have needed a valve clearance adjustment at one check

    Votes: 130 19.5%
  • I have a 650 and have needed a valve clearance adjustment at more than one check

    Votes: 16 2.4%
  • I have a 1000 and have gone through 3 or more valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 6 0.9%
  • I have a 1000 and have gone through 2 valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 14 2.1%
  • I have a 1000 and have gone through 1 valve clearance checks with no adjustments required

    Votes: 56 8.4%
  • I have a 1000 and have needed a valve clearance adjustment at one check

    Votes: 132 19.8%
  • I have a 1000 and have needed a valve clearance adjustment at more than one check

    Votes: 14 2.1%

Valve clearance adjustment poll for those who have done it or had it done

96K views 163 replies 104 participants last post by  Jjonahjamison 
#1 · (Edited)
Please do not take the poll if your bike has never had a valve clearance check. Those who have had more than one bike can vote for each if I set this thing up right. They have to have different answers though. I saw no way to choose the same answer twice unless you have somebody ineligible vote for your second answer.
 
#2 ·
The dealer declined when I requested the first one. I did it myself a few months ago at about 28k. Still in spec, so it must have been in spec had the first one been done. I chose 2 with no adjustment needed.
 
#3 ·
28k. Still in spec, so it must have been in spec had the first one been done. I chose 2 with no adjustment needed.
Good choice. Maybe mileage rather than assuming 14,500 miles per adjustment would have been a better poll setup.
 
#6 ·
Put the feeler gauge to mine about a month ago and the exhaust valves are on the tight side but in spec. I'll check them again over the winter and fiddle with them if necessary. The one upside is that two 1000 riders(who will remain nameless) who stated they would never check their valves or would only trust this to a professional saw that an 8 thumbed mechanical newb was able to pull this off and checked their valves. Both bikes had valves out of spec and were adjusted by their owners.
 
#7 ·
At the first check (14,800 mi.) , I had one tight exhaust valve. Adjustment needed.

At the second check (35,400 mi.), the other 3 exhaust valves were tight. Adjustment needed.
 
#8 ·
That's why if you have to take out a cam, adjust both valves to the middle to high end of the spec. In fact, I'd go for all the valves in that cylinder because the cam chain has to be loosened and reset anyway.
 
#9 ·
Great idea for a poll.

The dealer did both my valve checks.
 
#10 ·
It looks like 32 650s and 19 1000s so far. I'll bet the great majority of bikes out there haven't been checked yet.
 
#15 ·
My 04 Wee with 21k + miles hasn't been checked yet. I'm not confident I could do it properly and my steering bearings are slowly going so that will be the next major job to be done.

I wish I was as handy mechanically as some of the people on this forum.
 
#11 ·
For what its worth:

On both my initial (11,000 miles) and second (20,000 miles) valve clearance inspection, the clearance checks resulted in the same values....both intake & exhaust, on both cylinders, close to the tight end of the spec. Not out of spec, but on the tight end.

The point is that the values did not change from the initial to the second inspection. I'm very curious to see what they read at the third inspection.
 
#12 ·
I had the same experience. Most of mine are at the tight half of the spec. The only change using a go/no go method was one exhaust valve on the third inspection that changed less than .001" tighter but still nearer the middle than the lower end of the spec. The tightest valve was a rear intake that cleared .004" but not .005". It has been like that through three checks now.
 
#13 ·
My guess is that Suzuki builds toward to low end of the spec so the valves will be quiet on the showroom floor; they'll stay in spec through the warranty period as well. If Suzuki built to the high end of the spec: probably no adjustment needed for 100KMi. But, then, that doesn't help make the sale.
 
#14 ·
My guess is that Suzuki builds toward to low end of the spec so the valves will be
quiet on the showroom floor; they'll stay in spec through the warranty period as well.
Low or middle, my K2 was built with precision. I finally did the check at 24,000 miles this June.

Three intakes had 2.75 shims, one had 2.72. Three exhaust had 2.90, one exhaust had 2.88 shim.
I'd call that fussy adjustment at the factory, since retail shims are only available to the nearest .05mm.

The 2.72 intake and 2.88 exhaust were barely at minimum. Both needed 2 sizes down (2.65, 2.80)
to get to high end of spec., the rest just one size down (3@2.70, 3@2.85).

I figure my K2 is set for life, given the small amount of wear in 24,000 miles including break-in.

I'll check again about 50,000...just to be sure.
 
#18 ·
Did my 24000km check yesterday,one intake and one exhaust out of spec,and one more exhaust valve on the bottom end.Adjusted all the exhaust valves while I was in there to 9-10 thou...
hopefully next time will be just a check..;)
 
#19 ·
Doing my first adjustment at 18k miles. All valves on the rear cylinder were in the middle of spec. The front had one intake that was .03mm too tight the other was on the tight side of spec at .12mm. Both exhausts were on the tight side as well at .22mm. I went ahead and shims for all four to put them at the upper end of the range. Just waiting on shims to arrive.

The two senior mechanics at my local dealer and are friends so I had them look at my measurements and the shims i was ordering for adjustment and they both said to put 'em at the upper end of the range to be safe and negate the need another adjustment for a loooooooooong time. Couldn't pin them down to mileage estimate though. CYA, I suppose.

I'll be putting in a new air filter, plugs, coolant, chain, sprockets, brake and clutch fluid change as well.

On a side note: When taking off the Givi crash bars I found out that where the bar mounts in the frame below the fuel tank was broken all the way around the weld.
Couldn't tell until it was taken off the bike. I'm guessing it was a result of this ride. http://www.stromtrooper.com/showthread.php?t=28524&highlight=demagnetizing
I can't complain. They did their job. I'm just going to have it re-welded. Since there are scratches on both sides I'll have 'em both bead blasted and coated with Line-X. Debating on having all the plastics Line-X'ed at the same time.
 
G
#20 ·
...

I can't complain. They did their job. ....
My left side Givi bar looks EXACTLY like that. I just discovered it the last time I rode, and it's never been down. I've had the bars off (to do my valve adjustment, in fact), and they were intact then, so the weld failed just from vibration or temperature cycling since then. They're still installed, but I noticed a shiny area around the weld. Upon further inspection, I noticed I can pull the whole bar away from the flange. $^*#@!

Low or middle, my K2 was built with precision. I finally did the check at 24,000 miles this June.

Three intakes had 2.75 shims, one had 2.72. Three exhaust had 2.90, one exhaust had 2.88 shim.
I'd call that fussy adjustment at the factory, since retail shims are only available to the nearest .05mm.
My K5 was like that, too. A little surprising to find such discrete sizes in there when they're not available in the kit.
FWIW, my local dealer had a box with a cubby for each increment in size, and the 270 -280 compartments were overflowing with used shims (they'll take old ones in trade) while others where nearly empty. That suggests to me that most bikes use the same sizes and the manufacturing control is pretty tight.
Upon picking thru, I noticed they were mostly odd sizes, too - not in .05mm increments - suggesting Suzuki expects them to fall in this range and makes more sizes between 270 and 285.
 
#21 ·
First and only check at 38,000 kms(23,560 miles). All valves were right in the middle of the adjustment range. Can't complain about that. Done at a dealer who will not be visited again due to other issues.
 
#22 ·
If you don't trust the dealer, I'd think twice about believing the valve check was actually done. The usual experience is the valves are at the narrow end of the range. It is believed Suzuki either sets them in the middle when new and the initial bedding in moves them there or they are set at the tight end to keep them quiet. Also, variance in the range is typical. All the clearances in the middle sounds fishy to me.
 
#27 ·
Just when I'd finally got over the frustration of dealing with those clowns. Here's hoping he did more than just tear out the added wiring for farkles inside the fairing. Think I'll take a closer look for tool marks and such.
 
#24 ·
That is the most popular answer by 650 owners. All clearances in the middle of the range is something else again.
 
#26 ·
My Bike was very noisy and ran rough, I bought it with 2300 miles on it. I checked the valves at 7,500 and found 5 valves that were tight, but still within specs. I loosened them up by .001 and the noises went away and it's running much smoother. It has 20,000 on it now and haven't checked them again.
 
#28 ·
v

Im on the the "no adjustments/checks ever" schedule. 78K miles now. I would be interested to know if anybody has ever found an adjustment way BELOW the tight side of spec. on a high mileage bike. To me, a check on the tight side of tolerance range is no reason to disturb anything. My 78 KZ 650 had one on the tight side, and it stayed there thru 3 checks, (30K) total. Someone posted a thought that the majority of Stroms have never been checked, I tend to agree. My 2c.
 
#31 ·
second check

Just checked them for a second time, at 25,386. I responded to the poll initially. This the result from 14,500:

Front
Left Right
Intake 0.005"->0.006" 0.006"->0.007"
Exhaust 0.010" 0.010"

Rear
Left Right
Intake 0.005"->0.006" 0.005"->0.006"
Exhaust 0.010" 0.009"->0.010"

and this is from today:

Front
Left Right
Intake 0.005"->0.006" 0.006""
Exhaust 0.009" 0.009"

Rear
Left Right
Intake 0.005"" 0.005""
Exhaust 0.009" 0.008"->0.009"

So things are still looking okay. A little tightening, but not much. I'd rather they were more toward the middle, but still within spec after 25k miles is great. I have about a 5k mile trip in a little less than a month, and I'm going to leave them as they are. I am thinking when 40k rolls around I will be making some adjustments, and will put everything to the looser end of the spec and that time.

Oh, I guess I should change my signature, but this is an '07 650 ABS.
 
#32 ·
I checked "no adjustment required" at 15,000 miles because all clearances were within spec. But they were at or near the minimum. So I adjusted each one of them to exactly the maximum clearance, with the theory that I will never have to check or adjust them again.
 
#33 ·
I did my 2007 today and three of the valves needed to be shimmed. One Exhaust and two intakes. Both of the intakes were at .0025 and the Exhaust was at .006. I shimmed the intakes to .0055 and the exhaust to .009. This was at 15,035 miles. I will do my wifes 06 next week.
 
#35 ·
I only remember a couple of valve problems reported. I'm around 47,500 miles at this point. There have been a number of bikes with over 100,000 miles.
 
#36 ·
got the rear valves checked



Ok, got the rears checked...remember they 63,000 miles and this is the first time valve check.
intakes = .004 and .006, ex = .014 and .008.

I read that JUST to check the fronts, I dont have to remove the radiator how in the heck do you do that? I cant get anywhere close enuff room to get in and get the valve cover off. the rad bolts are off but the shroud is in the way. what tricks are there to get room in there.

i have searched but found nothing that helps. Any ideas or any links that might help?
 
#37 ·
It's interesting you have an exhaust valve that is too loose. They normally tighten up as they wear. I've always taken the radiator off to check.
 
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