Valve adjustment intervals are bogus!

nomosnow · Oct 18, 2007

Who makes these intervals up anyway. I own or have owned many solid lifter type vehicles and the adjustment intervals have been all over the map.

For example our beloved FJR 26000 miles

VFR 800 14880 miles

08 kLR 650 15000 miles

08 Kawi super sherpa 250 7500 miles

Subaru WRX 100000miles

All of the above use shims to set valve clearence

Ford flat head v-8 No adjustment required

These guys don't know if the valves are going to need adjustement at all . It is away to try and suck money from you in 2 ways

A) you get it done and pay the price or

B) you don't get it done and if you trade you still pay the price.

Granted certain engines have to work harder ie (more revs per mile the others ) But if you take the revs per mile into account and compare our FJR to the WRX the FJR should only need it's valves set at 52000 miles to be on par with the WRX.

So has anybody ever heard of the FJR ever suffering from an engine misfire or burnt valves from NOT having the valves done at all?

RadioHowie · Oct 18, 2007

nomosnow said:
So has anybody ever heard of the FJR ever suffering from an engine misfire or burnt valves from NOT having the valves done at all?

No....but I DID sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Ignacio · Oct 18, 2007

nomosnow said:
Who makes these intervals up anyway.

That would be engineers and/or companies that manufacture motorcycles.

You have an engineering degree or own a motorcycle company?

If not, you should try it and set your valve adjustment to whatever you want.......14429 miles........1 BILLION miles....whatever.

And you're free to have your valves checked or not. Just don't be surprised that if you don't...and have some unknowable engine failure......that you might not have your warranty honored.

And I have heard of some FJR's with valves significantly out of spec. Not often, but some do go out.

exskibum · Oct 18, 2007

A difference in valve seat material or the grind of the valve seat (angles and width) are but a couple variables between engines that would result in different rates of valve seat erosion, and therefore, different recommended valve adjustment check intervals. And no -- I'm not an engineer, but I know that much and that there's a LOT more that I don't know. I'm thinking jestal would be the one I'd most want to hear from on the topic.

Scythian · Oct 18, 2007

Ignacio said:
nomosnow said:

Who makes these intervals up anyway.

Click to expand...

That would be engineers and/or companies that manufacture motorcycles.

You have an engineering degree or own a motorcycle company?

If not, you should try it and set your valve adjustment to whatever you want.......14429 miles........1 BILLION miles....whatever.

And you're free to have your valves checked or not. Just don't be surprised that if you don't...and have some unknowable engine failure......that you might not have your warranty honored.

And I have heard of some FJR's with valves significantly out of spec. Not often, but some do go out.

I am an engineer, and I'm willing to bet the 26K mile number was calculated statistically as the point where, based on wear and engine design, 50% of motorcycles will require adjustment to one or more valves.

You can push it further, maybe you are one of the 'tail-enders' of the bell curve in the 'not needed direction', or maybe you are a 'tail-ender' in the earlier adjustment group, but you don't know, do you?

It's a mean point and that means, quite literally, it's a statistical coin flip whether you require one or more valves adjusted at 26K

You are dead on Iggy--they don't make up these number out of thin air, there is some statistics and empirical data involved...

Having said that, I'm gonna have my valves checked at 26k (6K more miles), but I'm not going to sweat it if it runs out to 28 or 29k.

twowheelnut · Oct 18, 2007

Your stated mileage for the FJR valve check interval is incorrect. If you're gonna rant, get your facts straight. Sheesh, whada bunch of maroons!

nomosnow · Oct 19, 2007

It is not surprising that forum posters won't agree that they are paying for a maintenance procedure that is not needed. A part of the "forum" mentality on all motorcycle forums that I read is that you should maintain the bike as per the manual. But what if the manual wasn't written by engineers but was written by the bean counters in the company. Now most of you have had enough bikes to know that 99% of the stuff you read in the manual is ********* ie gear shift points ,incorrect tire pressure recommendations etc.

So I am conducting an experiment how long can a FJR go with out a valve adjustment . :assassin:

twowheelnut · Oct 19, 2007

And likely void your warranty. Knock your socks off, but don't whine when we kick you when you're down, k?

Toecutter · Oct 19, 2007

I just take mine in for tick repair every 22,000, and it's all free!

exskibum · Oct 19, 2007

nomosnow said:
It is not surprising that forum posters won't agree that they are paying for a maintenance procedure that is not needed. A part of the "forum" mentality on all motorcycle forums that I read is that you should maintain the bike as per the manual. But what if the manual wasn't written by engineers but was written by the bean counters in the company. Now most of you have had enough bikes to know that 99% of the stuff you read in the manual is ********* ie gear shift points ,incorrect tire pressure recommendations etc.So I am conducting an experiment how long can a FJR go with out a valve adjustment . :assassin:

Scythian and I almost never agree on anything, but I'm thinking he pretty well described something that's just that simple. Besides, who said a dealer has to do it? A lot of folks here do their own work and if you ask, you may find others swapping shims as needed amongst one another. That's certainly the case on a couple XX fora.

Ignacio · Oct 19, 2007

nomosnow said:
So I am conducting an experiment how long can a FJR go with out a valve adjustment . :assassin:

Ahhhh, you neglected to tell us the warranty is up on your '03! Your perspective makes some sense now.

At presumably less than 25,000 miles....you should probably be safe for the next decade or so. I would say your experiment is likely going to be successful and very informative for the garage queen contingency.

We'll be waiting on the edge of our seats though.

Meanwhile, with 67,000 miles on and '05 and several years or warranty left you can bet I'm going to keep riding it like it was built for and if the engine goes south for some reason at 110K I'll be able to show them those 3 or 4 receipts for valve checks and have them put a new $4K motor in the thing because I followed the bean counter manual. And if the $200 to get it checked each time isn't worth it to me I'll do it myself and document it like I do most of the other maintenance.

Isn't it great we all have free will?

madmike2 · Oct 19, 2007

Aaaaannnnddd....its 2 hrs. until [SIZE=12pt]FRIDAY[/SIZE]!

Warchild · Oct 19, 2007

Maybe I should just put this Ponch image in my sig on Fridays... think of the time it'll save me.....

FJR_pig · Oct 19, 2007

Warchild said:
Maybe I should just put this Ponch image in my sig on Fridays... think of the time it'll save me.....

Dang, man, why does it have to be Ponch? He defines me - motor cop, lady killer...

MCRIDER007 · Oct 19, 2007

Scythian said:
I am an engineer, and I'm willing to bet the 26K mile number was calculated statistically as the point where, based on wear and engine design, 50% of motorcycles will require adjustment to one or more valves.

I am not an engineer but I would think the 26K mile number would be calculated statistically as being the point where less than one tenth of one percent of all motorcycles would have a valve so far out of adjustment that it actually caused engine damage.

As for the original question, Guru Glen at Desert Valley Powerports (formerly Sunnyside Yamaha) told me last July that about 8 percent of the FJRs they checked at 26K needed to have at least one valve adjusted.

Valve adjustment intervals are bogus!

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