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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%
  • Total voters
    667

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

92153 Views 163 Replies 104 Participants Last post by  Jjonahjamison, 
greywolf
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.
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1 - 20 of 164 Posts
LordSmoke
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.
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greywolf
LordSmoke said:
28k. Still in spec, so it must have been in spec had the first one been done. I chose 2 with no adjustment needed.
Click to expand...
Good choice. Maybe mileage rather than assuming 14,500 miles per adjustment would have been a better poll setup.
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Dirt_Dad
I only had to adjust 7 of 8 valves on the Vee. All were put into spec, but only 2 ended up on the loose side of the spec. I'm curious what I'll find next time.
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roger123
I did my first check at 24K and had to adjust one exhaust (it was AT the spec so I guess technically it was still in spec). At 39K now and will do the next one this fall when it cools off some.
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Scarlett Harlot
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.
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jackpiner57
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.
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greywolf
jackpiner57 said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
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Stromin'Nroman
Great idea for a poll.

The dealer did both my valve checks.
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greywolf
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.
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TheTwins
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.
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greywolf
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.
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aldntn
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.
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Austin44
aldntn said:
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.
Click to expand...
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 ([email protected], [email protected]).

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.
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thecdn
greywolf said:
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.
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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.
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FireDog45
Vee; checked it a little late (around 18K IIRC) all within spec but 1 exhaust near the tight end. Will probably adjust all at the next interval.
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garandman
So as of this time, 62% of DL650 owners have gone through one or more checks without needing adjustment.
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pvwheeler
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..;)
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Wamphyri*DFR*
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.
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G
Wamphyri*DFR* said:
...

I can't complain. They did their job. ....
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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.
Click to expand...
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.
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