Who doesn't do valve checks, and have there been issues?

[bnschroder]

I recently responded to a post by Longhaul Paul and asked him if he ever checked his valve clearance on either Tenere. I believe he put about 170,000 on one and 130,000 on the other. He said he didn't do it on either.
And Nick Sanders didn't do on on his when he took it from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia and back, and the engine looked like new when the took it apart.
And finally, I haven't seen any posts on top end issues except for cam chain failures.
So I am wondering, are there other folks beside me (and the guys above) who are skipping the valve job and hope for the best? I am at 25,000 now and I am reluctant to give the bike to an unexperienced mechanic who will likely tell me all is fine anyway, just because s/he will want to avoid the job of adjusting the valve play, knowing what a bitch that would be.
Show of hand?


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[Paul466]

I didn’t skip checking mine but at 53k valves were spot on!

 

[steve68steve]

I had 2 exhaust valves out of spec at 30k.


But I hear you. I had a V Strom that was overdue and instead of checking valves, I traded it in for the S10.

 

[ace50]

I recently responded to a post by Longhaul Paul and asked him if he ever checked his valve clearance on either Tenere. I believe he put about 170,000 on one and 130,000 on the other. He said he didn't do it on either.
And Nick Sanders didn't do on on his when he took it from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia and back, and the engine looked like new when the took it apart.
And finally, I haven't seen any posts on top end issues except for cam chain failures.
So I am wondering, are there other folks beside me (and the guys above) who are skipping the valve job and hope for the best? I am at 25,000 now and I am reluctant to give the bike to an unexperienced mechanic who will likely tell me all is fine anyway, just because s/he will want to avoid the job of adjusting the valve play, knowing what a bitch that would be.
Show of hand?

I'm @16.5K and already thinking about skipping, mainly because of reports like this and my own experience.
Even my 2001 Toyota Tundra says to check the valves @ 60K. (OHV engine too) It's @ 130K, never checked and she still runs like new.
I still have time to make my decision, so.....
S10 is apart right now for new spark plugs (still look great) and air filter, but I ordered the wrong plugs, at least I think they were for the S10.
Ordered them a year ago just to be ready!

 

[cyclemike4]

I have been riding a very long time and in my early years I worried about valve checks. Worried about too much sometimes. I have found over the years that the bikes I have had have been more reliable than the trucks I have owned. I have a 89 FJ 1200 with close to 200,000 miles. Only had two valves adjusted at 16000 miles. They have been checked every 40000 miles sense and have not been touched. they were easy valves to adjust though. My FJR had close to 70000 before the first valve check. I adjusted two valves. My Super T had a little over 40000 at first valve check and needed one valve adjusted. I think all the valves on these bikes were probably out from the manufacturer and would have been just fine going a lot longer. Of course I use my bikes as daily drivers 365 days a year and I don't play super racer hero turning them at red line so that will make a big difference. It is a very good idea when you get a bike to just check the valve clearance and get an idea of what things are set at. For the most part I plan on my valve checks to be in the 40000 to 50000 mile marks. that has worked for me over multiple bikes with no issues.

 

[AdvToorer]

Had mine done at 26k and all were fine. Dealer advised me to skip the 52k interval.

 

[RCinNC]

I think this is a question that, whichever answer you get, you're going to have a false sense of security about it. I had mine done at the 26,000 mile interval, and everything was in spec. That didn't give me any real sense one way or the other as to whether I should skip the next one. Knowing that Sanders didn't need it done after his first big ride on the Tenere can be balanced against accounts I've read on line from guys who've had multiple valves out of spec on their first or second check. Metal parts moving against metal parts are always going to have some wear, and it won't be universal for everyone. And the worst part about shim under bucket is that you don't really get any warning about a problem until the problem happens. If there was an actual scientific poll conducted about the total number of S10's on the road compared with the total number that have had checks and the total number that have needed adjustments, I'd draw some conclusions from that, but it's tough to be confident with just anecdotal stuff on line.

I'd like to skip the next one, but I probably won't.

 

[ace50]

A questions to have answered is, how many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?
It's not going to blow-up the engine, but what?

 

[Paul466]

You will loose compression, that means loss of power, valve seats will be damaged over time.If the intake valves don’t close all the way it could cause the air filter to catch on fire in extreme cases. The reason for maintaining a gap is do to metal expansion during motor heat cycle.

 

[WJBertrand]

A questions to have answered is, how many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?
It's not going to blow-up the engine, but what?

The most serious problem is the potential to burn exhaust valves. If clearance is too tight they won't sit on the valve seat long enough to ensure adequate heat drainage to the head and ultimately the cooling system. The valve begins accumulating heat until part of it burns though. That's when things start getting expensive.

I'm not sure one would notice a performance issue in time, once a valve starts to leak, it burns through very quickly.

 

[Ramseybella]

Had mine done at 35k needed a little shimming.
Service manager says at 55k keep riding it if it's not giving you a hard time starting especially when its cold or feel power loss, unusual over heating you're good.
How true is this?
I had a 1998 Triumph 900 Tiger that was abused before i was the next sucker to buy it.
The valves had been neglected to the point it would not start even in the low 40's, when you did get it fired up you wouldn't even have known it had issues.
Next time never buy a bike that has a warm motor when you first look at it, Lesson Learned. :
My Triumph 1050 Tiger was never out it drifted within specs at 48k but didn't have it much longer to see the next check, got totaled. :'(

The new motors are so much better than the motors of old, it's gotten high tech and has become serious business as much as automobiles.
Throttle bodies are the main concerns, keeping them tuned and jets clean, plugs and filters.
Oil has advanced leaps and bounds to the point even the cheapest Walmart synthetic oil is serious oil.
Oil filters on the other hand is still an issue A vs B and all the Mojo that go's along with it.
I say pick one stick with it.
This is my opinion.

 

[ace50]

Paul466 and WJBertrand,
You missed the whole point of the question. How many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?

How many people have had those problems? If you can't find any or there are none, you don't have a leg to stand on.
Sounds like there are a lot of people without doing a scheduled check that haven't had those problems.

Show me the numbers of problems attributed to this and I'll agree with you.

 

[Paul466]

Just don’t check than,I’m sure you’re much smarter than all mechanical engineers out there, when lack of basic maintenance catches up to you ,don’t bash the bike’s reliability.

 

[ace50]

Just don’t check than,I’m sure you’re much smarter than all mechanical engineers out there, when lack of basic maintenance catches up to you ,don’t bash the bike’s reliability.

OK then, don't answer the question......


BTW, I am a Mech Eng....

 

[WJBertrand]

Paul466 and WJBertrand,
You missed the whole point of the question. How many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?

How many people have had those problems? If you can't find any or there are none, you don't have a leg to stand on.
Sounds like there are a lot of people without doing a scheduled check that haven't had those problems.

Show me the numbers of problems attributed to this and I'll agree with you.

I didn't miss the point at all, based on how the question was stated. Burned exhaust valves are indeed specifically attributed to tight valves. It's a completely different question to ask if anyone has experienced a burnt exhaust valve or how many incidents of burnt exhaust valves have been reported.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Paul466 and WJBertrand,
You missed the whole point of the question. How many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?

How many people have had those problems? If you can't find any or there are none, you don't have a leg to stand on.
Sounds like there are a lot of people without doing a scheduled check that haven't had those problems.

Show me the numbers of problems attributed to this and I'll agree with you.

OK then, don't answer the question......


BTW, I am a Mech Eng....

These threads pop up every now and then and can get ugly. It's 100% owners choice. There is no mechanical engineer or human being on earth that can see the wear without checking.

I personally do most of the scheduled maintenance by the book. Some of it before it's due. There are others who choose to just run their bikes into the ground with very little maintenance. Those are the same ones who will wait until something breaks or hopes it wont break.

My question would be what are using the bike for? Are you willing to be left stranded due to lack of maintaining your ride?

Good news is by not doing a valve check or adjustments, most of the time the motor just reaches a point where it wont start. It's then a matter of pulling the head and having the valves replaced.

I am at 25,000 now and I am reluctant to give the bike to an unexperienced mechanic who will likely tell me all is fine anyway, just because s/he will want to avoid the job of adjusting the valve play, knowing what a bitch that would be.
Show of hand?


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Why not just give it to a experienced mechanic or do it yourself?

 

[ace50]

Well so far (although this hasn't been up long) there isn't an issue reported of burnt valves because of not checking the valve lash.

Maybe someone will post-up. ::001::

 

[RCinNC]

Paul466 and WJBertrand,
You missed the whole point of the question. How many problems can be specifically attributed to tight valves?

How many people have had those problems? If you can't find any or there are none, you don't have a leg to stand on.
Sounds like there are a lot of people without doing a scheduled check that haven't had those problems.

Show me the numbers of problems attributed to this and I'll agree with you.

You already know the potential problems of a valve that's too far out of adjustment; flame cutting in the valve seat, loss of compression, damaged cylinder head.

You're an engineer, as you say; so what part of engineering allows you to arrive at an informed opinion about failure rates on a device by shouting into a room, "hey, who has had this problem?". Even if you confine it to just Super Teneres (and not every motorcycle on the road that has shim under bucket valves), do you know how many are on the road right now? Do you know how many have required adjustment at the first, second, third, etc valve check intervals? Do you know the point at which the clearance on a valve allows the possibility of flame cutting? You already know that valves do wear out of their adjustment range during use, just based on posts on here from guys whose valves have needed adjustment.

You've formulated an opinion already, based on zero data: "Sounds like there are a lot of people without doing a scheduled check that haven't had those problems". You're basing your already formulated opinion on....what? 16 responses (including your own) from 10 members (including you) on a forum that you have no way of knowing if it's even representative of the total ownership of Super Teneres (or the total ownership of all motorcycles with shim under bucket valve design). If one guy responds and says his valve seats were damaged, what then? Does that change your opinion? Have you decided how many reports of failure from an unreliable data set will allow you to form a new opinion? Is that how engineering works now?

 

[bmac]

Well so far (although this hasn't been up long) there isn't an issue reported of burnt valves because of not checking the valve lash.

Maybe someone will post-up. ::001::

It is a valid question and one that I have thought about as well. If they were real easy to get at and do yourself there may be less reason to ask the question. I suspect there are many modern bikes going without scheduled valve checks for a variety of reasons.

I have read numerous reports from owners of different bikes that no valves were out of spec even when pushed well beyond the"suggested interval". I have also read about some owners that had a couple out when first checked and none thereafter as one member has already posted above.

I am not convinced the recommended intervals get a lot of attention from the manufacturer or that they are firmly based on solid engineering data. They are often generic and the same across many different models.

P.S. Don't ask about spark plug intervals.....

 

[AlsoRan]

I decided a while back to not to worry about getting the valves checked on schedule. Even if "out of spec" by 50% of the tolerance band, .0008 of an inch alone is not going to convince me to tear into it. I have enough confidence in the materials and manufacturing capabilities these days to go with it, but I also don't race this bike around. Maybe eventually I will if it starts to run different and some of the indicators are pointing to a valve issue then ok, but for now I am good.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who had a valve that was "out of spec" or "too tight" to let us know what amount dimensionally was reported back to you? Or did they just say it needed adjustment? And were there any symptoms / issues occurring before you had a valve check performed? Thanks!