$64,000 question....

[stlheadake]

OK I know that this is a can of worms.  I am sort of behind the 8ball here.  I am leaving for Alaska on the 24th.  Will be gone 5 weeks and figuring on around 12K-15K miles.  My 08 has just under 15K on the clock.  I had intended to have the valve service done before I left, but time got away.  I was fighting accessory installation and getting my autocomm to work. 

So I ask the masses, do I try to squeeze in the check up, or do it when I get back?

[McJunkie]

It seems that once they are set that they don't vary much after. I had 15 out of 16 shims that needed to be replaced. A couple that were out quite a bit. Others people didn't need any. There doesn't seem to be any pattern. If it were me, knowing what my bike was like, I would try and fit it in.

[JetJock]

You've got time to fit it in, so why not have it done so you don't spend 5 weeks obsessing about it?

[MrPepsi]

I ride conservatively and had my valves checked at 16k.
All were within tolerances and none were adjusted.
You do the math.

[S.Ga.Rider]

My dealer told me not to bring it in till 20-25k miles. He said he hasnt adjusted one yet under that mileage.

[Son of Pappy]

If you have questions now, what will you have in the middle of the trip?  Damned if ya do and damned if ya dont.  It's the damned if ya dont that presents the answer to your question.

[B.D.F.]

Not to make this whole thing harder but.... whether you have the lash checked before you go or not, I would recommend getting it done as soon as possible if you are going to do it beforehand. The worst thing you could do in this case would be to have major work done just before leaving on a long distance trip. If you have it done at least three weeks before leaving, you might have time to have some type of problem with the work, such as an oil leak, fixed before the trip starts. Otherwise you will find any problems generated by the lash check itself while on the road and a long way from home and any technical support.

I try not to have any signficant work done on my bike immediately before taking it out of state, just in case there are problems caused by the work being done. Put another way, it would be nasty to change tires the day before a trip only to find out 500 miles from home there is a bead leak on one of the wheels.

Brian

OK I know that this is a can of worms.  I am sort of behind the 8ball here.  I am leaving for Alaska on the 24th.  Will be gone 5 weeks and figuring on around 12K-15K miles.  My 08 has just under 15K on the clock.  I had intended to have the valve service done before I left, but time got away.  I was fighting accessory installation and getting my autocomm to work. 

So I ask the masses, do I try to squeeze in the check up, or do it when I get back?

[stlheadake]

Well to compound things, I just sent my seat out to Spencer's to have it LD cushy.  My dealer won't take the bike until it has a seat.  They want to be able to test ride it after they work on it.  So I have a while before I have my seat back.  So I'm probably not going to get them done.  I have too much going on at once!  Anyone in the St. Louis, MO area with a stock seat I could borrow? 

[556ALPHA]

Spencer turns them around VERY fast, you could alway change your shipping back to overnight and just bite the bullet..

[DaveO]

i would  NOT go tearing into the motor before a big trip or any trip for that matter.

[valkmc]

Maybe I will see you on the road, I leave for Alaska on the 20th from Ocala Florida. I have four weeks to reach Alaska and return to Vegas to meet my wife, then I will ride homw from there.

[Sea Level]

I have to agree that major systems work should be delayed until after the trip. That is conventional wisdom when discussing the same issue with small general aviation airplanes. As a bonus, you can have everything that broke along the way fixed when you get back at the same time!

Stlheadake (what does that mean?), if you are willing to pay the shipping costs, you are welcome to borrow my stock seat. That goes for anyone who is in the position of being saddleless due to seat mods. I never sat on the stocker, had the Baldwin waiting for the bike to be assembled at the dealership.