[Max527]

Hi all,
2016 DL650 68,000 or 42,000 miles.
Two quick questions:
1. Do I need to change my sparkplugs anytime soon? I haven't noticed any issues or degradation in acceleration or overall riding.
1-1: What kind or brand or model of sparkplugs?
2. Do I or must I check valves? Almost everywhere I read is "No adjustment needed". I just don't want to take the thing apart lol.

Thanks for your input!

 

[STCorndog]

Plugs at 50,000 miles is a good idea. Valves are not as easy to answer. Usually, you see a small adjustment needed early (around 20,000 miles) then they quit moving. There are signs when the valves are way out of adjustment. If the bike gets hard to start when it’s hot, check them. If the bike ticks loudly from the head, check them.

Or, as most here will chime in, follow the manual (which is pretty conservative).

 

[Motorpsychology]

Suzuki recommends replacing spark plugs every 7500mi/12,000km I replaced mine last year at ~25/40, with Iridium tipped plugs. The originals still looked good, but Iridiums are practically lifetime, and the NGKs were less than half the cost that Suzuki wants for their OEM-spec plugs.

Severely out of spec valve shims may also cause backfiring into the air box and/or exhaust can. But usually a noticeable loss of performance over time precedes this. Either case is pretty rare on these bikes, but I would definitely check them if it were my bike. I checked mine at 15/24, and two of the exhaust valves were slightly out of spec. I corrected those and two or three others to the lower range of spec while I had it apart. as @STCorndog alluded to, once they find their happy place, they stay there for a long time.

 

[TinMan88]

First recco is easy. Read the number and brand on the plugs you pull out and go buy 4 more of them. They last 40K miles, who's to kvetch? I prefer ND brand myself but they can be hard to obtain.

As Corndog spoke, if this motor has not been serviced for valve clearance- its time to look. There are so many of these engines giving long service life out there it is easy to lean toward complacency. They deserve to at least be monitored for out of spec. Odds are on your side that you have a liveable condition in your valve train clearance. Since you have invested an hour to take off the tank, remove the rear valve cover and check. You will start to get a sense of whats going on in there while you rotate the crank (as directed in the manual).
The 4 plug head may require radiator removal to get at the plugs (?) Must do this if the valve clearance is done in front. Then you get fresh coolant too
Be certain to replace the air filter element if needed and an air compressor to blow any dirt off anything that gets opened.

edit: You kind of indicated to might have hesitation about these procedures. If you don;t feel you should go further - seek help where you can be assured it is done correctly. My motto from dirt riding was "never go down something you cannot climb back.

 

[uk-vstrom]

Some of mine were out of spec at 53,000 miles so +1 on checking them if you're replacing sparkplugs

 

[dmfdmf]

I checked the valves on my 2014 Wee at around 7500 miles. The intakes were fine but I moved them all to mid-spec. The exhausts were all at the limit so I moved them all to max-spec because the exhaust valve seats wear faster than the intakes due to the heat. I sold the bike but wasn't planning on checking them again till 40-50K miles. As others mentioned, the gaps don't move much after the first 10-15K miles. The valve check is a scheduled maintenance because the symptom of tight valves is not really noticeable till you burn an exhaust valve. That said, after adjustment the motor seemed to start easier and idle better but I doubt that would be noticeable over time.

I pulled the radiator and flushed the system when I did the valves so I replaced the front center spark plug when I had easy access with the radiator out even though it was fine. These iridium plugs are good for +50K miles and figured I would do the center plug again when I did the valve check and radiator flush at 40-50K miles. The rear center and front/rear side plugs are easy to inspect or replace as needed so it is only the center front plug that is a hassle due to limited access so I always replace it when I pull the radiator.

 

[Rolex]

Measure the plug gap, if it has grown over the set gap the plug is worn and should be replaced, if the gap is good the plug is good.

 

[cpd419]

My valves were checked at 12000 miles under warranty. So most of the coolant was changed too. According to the service department mine were all in spec. I bet yours was done under warrant too. Any dealer should be able to look it up.

 

[Wee van Cleef]

Measure the plug gap, if it has grown over the set gap the plug is worn and should be replaced, if the gap is good the plug is good.

Oddly enough, replacing worn plugs with an excessive gap with new plugs usually results in a power decrease. Less gap, less spark. Specified starting gaps are tight so the plug can wear and last longer.

 

[AZ-Stromer]

My valves were checked at 12000 miles under warranty. So most of the coolant was changed too. According to the service department mine were all in spec. I bet yours was done under warrant too. Any dealer should be able to look it up.

The valve adjustment is usually not a warranty item. It there was some other issue that required getting into the engine for warranty then I could see the dealer checking the valve clearance.

What was your case?

 

[Rolex]

Oddly enough, replacing worn plugs with an excessive gap with new plugs usually results in a power decrease. Less gap, less spark. Specified starting gaps are tight so the plug can wear and last longer.

That is not a true statement sorry.

Spark plugs paid the bills in my home from 1961 until my dad passed away in 2010.

Often a gap size was set to reduce pollution, in many cases a smaller gap increased HP, sometimes a bigger gap would.

The greater the gap the later it sparks and the cooler that spark can be.

 

[Gert]

On the subject of spark plugs, you may want to have a look at Do We REALLY Need to Change Spark Plugs So Often?

In case you want to attempt the valves yourself, one of the better write-ups / guides on valve adjustment for your model can be viewed on Suzuki V-Strom DL650 Valve Check and Adjustment tutorial - CircleNZ
Also worth having a look at is 2007 DL-650 Valve Check and Adjustment

 

[NeverSatisfied]

I sold my 2012 DL650, (owned since new in 2012), this past Summer. In that time I put on 71,000 miles, and checked the valves three times. I don't have my shop manual any more to refer to, but I believe checks were done around 16,000 miles; 35,000 miles; and somewhere north of 60,000 miles. In all of that time, none of the intake valves ever moved! However, exhaust valves were another story. IIRC, one or two were just at the lowest allowable spec, on the first check, and so I replace those shims toward middle spec. On the second valve check, things were within spec, and on the third check a couple of exhaust valves had tightened up a smidge but still in spec. That last one had been a pretty long interval, but based on that, I did replace/swap valve shims so that they were all toward the wider spec- I figured that, at that rate the bike would be good to go until at least 100,000 miles. Didn't keep it that long but the new owner was pretty happy to know that the required maintenance was done.
If your bike has never had its valves checked, or you're not sure if/when they were inspected, you should at least have a look yourself.

Here is a useful quote from another (former) V-Strom owner, Schlug:
"Beware the 'yes but the valves hardly ever move so you don't need to worry' line of hogshyte you may hear. ADVrider axiom #6 is this: the more difficult it is to check or adjust valves, the more you will hear the owner profess the fact they do not need to be checked or adjusted. This allows them to feel good about not checking or adjusting valves." {snip}
Good luck!

 

[TinMan88]

I sold my 2012 DL650, (owned since new in 2012), this past Summer. In that time I put on 71,000 miles, and checked the valves three times. I don't have my shop manual any more to refer to, but I believe checks were done around 16,000 miles; 35,000 miles; and somewhere north of 60,000 miles. In all of that time, none of the intake valves ever moved! However, exhaust valves were another story. IIRC, one or two were just at the lowest allowable spec, on the first check, and so I replace those shims toward middle spec. On the second valve check, things were within spec, and on the third check a couple of exhaust valves had tightened up a smidge but still in spec. That last one had been a pretty long interval, but based on that, I did replace/swap valve shims so that they were all toward the wider spec- I figured that, at that rate the bike would be good to go until at least 100,000 miles. Didn't keep it that long but the new owner was pretty happy to know that the required maintenance was done.
If your bike has never had its valves checked, or you're not sure if/when they were inspected, you should at least have a look yourself.

Here is a useful quote from another (former) V-Strom owner, Schlug:
"Beware the 'yes but the valves hardly ever move so you don't need to worry' line of hogshyte you may hear. ADVrider axiom #6 is this: the more difficult it is to check or adjust valves, the more you will hear the owner profess the fact they do not need to be checked or adjusted. This allows them to feel good about not checking or adjusting valves." {snip}
Good luck!

Great guidance and thanks for sharing . I am amazed at the history of uniform production & assembly reported across the years and miles with this engine. Still, slipping a gauge through confirms the fact.

 

[STCorndog]

I never met Schlug but have a different take.

Easy to adjust systems like rocker arm designs get checked a lot. It’s a simple procedure that does not require cam removal or retiming the valve train. Hobbyist mechanics have little issue doing this type. This type also needs routine adjustment.

Shim under bucket valves get checked much less. It’s not a simple procedure and any adjustments typically require cam removal and retiming the valve train. Professional mechanics have issues doing these type systems, especially on cross plane crank designs. This type many times never needs adjustment.

Most modern cars use a shim under bucket valve train and operate at close to the same rpm. Yet, when was the last time, if ever, you thought about the valves in your $40,000 car?

 

[TinMan88]

As a designed operating system, cam over bucket has a distinct built in feature. Lateral stability. The side of the bucket absorbs any lateral forces imparted by cam rotation or varying angles from a pivoting finger or rocker. Only vertical motion and smooth translation of cam profile.

 

[STCorndog]

As a designed operating system, cam over bucket has a distinct built in feature. Lateral stability. The side of the bucket absorbs any lateral forces imparted by cam rotation or varying angles from a pivoting finger or rocker. Only vertical motion and smooth translation of cam profile.

^^Correct^^

And in addition, the wearing/contact surfaces are larger between the cam and valve, so clearances loosening are rare. Gaps tightening occur early and stop. If you have valve gaps that are tightening at every check, start saving now for another motorcycle.

The main reason this gets bantered about, is a shim under bucket valve adjustment separates most mechanics into hobbyist versus the next level. So, you get a lot of mechanics who preach the procedure as some sort of right of passage.

And it is, if you don’t muck it up. If you do screw it up, you can ruin an engine quickly.

 

[Spec]

Just guessing but I would think that car engines put a lot less stress on the valvetrain.

Checking/adjusting the valves on a Strom is pretty simple. Most of the work is getting to them.

More advanced maintenance then adjusting the chain but really just take your time and it's not difficult.

 

[STCorndog]

I’m not sure I buy that guess. I drive my Tenere pretty sedately. If I am driving an econo-4banger, my foot is constantly in the radiator.

It is more the intrinsic love we feel for our 2-wheeled transportation versus the disdain we feel for our cages.

 

[TinMan88]

Often a gap size was set to reduce pollution, in many cases a smaller gap increased HP, sometimes a bigger gap would.

Sooo many variables there Thats why my first recco is use the same plug specified by the manufacturer. I tinker around but YMMV is not the cover I use. Style, reach, gap, material. All variables. The very pedestrian U24ESR-N has never disappointed in this application. I like the EK variant but thats a rabbit hole.