Valve adjust/checks - dealer or not

[VirginiaJim]

I want to know how many of us have had checks done by the dealer or you wound up doing it yourself.  Please tell about the complexity and whether or not you would do it again or had problems afterwards.

Personally, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole but that's me.  In my case, finding a weekend or more to do the job is virtually non-existent.  I work every other Saturday for the most part so when I'm not working I'm spending time doing home stuff or riding. 

I have Fred's videos and am fully capable of doing it.....I think.  I am mechanically inclined but at this time of my life I'm finding I'm farming more of this stuff out (including house repairs) than I've ever done in the past.  It's a change for me to 'let go' and let someone else do it.  I kinda like it though as it gives more time for the family and other endevours.

The wonderful thing about this forum is that you can ask questions real time while you're working on it and someone will usually help you out that's done it before.

I guess the real reason is time for me as I think about it and write this up.

[jsa]

I did mine with the help of a friend and Fred's DVDs.  I didn't think it was complex but it certainly was time consuming to get to the valve cover.  At that point it was a pretty standard valve check and I think it would have been slightly easier than most if I had been required to pull the cams and change shims.  Putting everything back together was very straight forward.  I thought the hardest step in the whole process was putting the side covers back on my 2010 model.  Its almost a two person job to line all the tabs up without scratching the plastic.

[lt1]

Did it myself.  I would suggest using labeled ziploc baggies and taking pics of the wiring, foam, etc at each step of dissasembly.  The "complexity" is mostly in the manual, as it jumps all over the place.  Some parts you spend almost as much time flipping pages as turning wrenches.

The savings on my first (and only so far) valve job bought an HF platform lift and various hand tools as well as paying me a bit for my time.  The local dealer swapped some shims for free, but some I had to order, so the bike was up on the rack for about 2 weeks or so.  Because of the time lag between start and finish, the baggies and pics are extremely helpful.

If you are not mechanically talented, this may not be the job to learn on, but it really isn't bad with a garage and a lift and proper tools.  I'm just about coming up on time for another check.  I'm not "looking forward" to it, but I'm not dreading it, either.  In the 4.5 years I've had the bike and been on this forum, it seems rare for an owner to find all the valves in spec on the first check, and equally rare for dealers to find them out of spec.  Anecdotal, yes, but that is a major reason I would prefer to do the work myself.  I fully expect all the valves to be in spec, so it s/b much easier this time around.

[Spanky]

No problems for me, I would take mine to the dealer again in a heart beat. I found it very easy and personally, I don't understand all the discussion of how complicated the procedure is. I dropped the bike off, I picked the bike up, what is so hard about that 

[Jeremy Mitchell]

I checked my valves the first time which wasn't to bad.  The second time I had the dealer do it since they were replacing my valve cover gasket under warranty.  I couldn't pass up paying $100 to have someone else do an 8-12 hour job.  My next check will be done by me unless I luck into another warranty discount.

[XHarleyRider]

I don't have an itemized list yet but I just had the valve check, four iridium spark plugs, a Pirelli Angel St front tire (mounted and balanced) completed for $490.  The valve cover gasket was leaking which was covered under warranty.  Kawasaki was billed for the gasket and labor for that job.  I was told that I will be provided with a map concerning the data collected on my valves.  I was also told that they were not only in spec but dead on. I know, too good to be true.  The shop manager said it took the tech six hours from beginning to end to complete the job.  Without actually being there looking over the shoulder of the tech I guess I'll never know.  At any rate if they are dead on at 21K they should be good for another 20K and if there is a problem I have the extended warranty and their data saying the valves are dead on spec.   It probably would have taken me a week to do the job myself the first time.  Lately, I barely have time to ride the bike let alone complete this large job.

[lt1]

Please post the map when you get it. 

Actually, "dead on" is too good to be true.  "In spec" is a high-low range, not a specific setting with a plus or minus tolerance.  At least, Kawi does not publish a specific clearance as optimal AFAIK.  There is also the question as to whether they were checking to a tolerance of .01mm or .025mm. 

Either way, as noted in other threads, the newer bikes do seem to needing fewer shim replacements than those belonging to us guinea pigs.

[ZG]

Haven't done it yet, what is the first recommended mileage check?

[jjsC6]

Jim, your post sounds like me.  At 59 years old I still do all my routine maintenance on all of my vehicles.  In high school I took two years of auto mechanics classes.  When I raced motorcycles I rebuilt my 750 DOHC Honda engine (with some help from a friend). 

When we are young we often have more time than money - even if we don't have much time we have less money.  But hopefully, many of us cross the line to where we have more money than time.

I still like working on stuff, and I do an awful lot of home and mechanical projects myself.  For me, the line I draw on doing this job is that the cams have to be removed and properly timed when reinstalling.  Like you I'm sure I could do it, but the downside of making a mistake is catastrophic.  I'm about to buy a third motorcycle (more on that in a few weeks) and maybe that will give me more incentive to pull a bike apart knowing that if I let it sit a few days I still have something else fun to ride.  But right now I'm leaning toward riding the Concours to the dealer to pick up my new bike, and leaving it with them to do the valve check (gee, does that mean the new bike will be a Kawasaki as well???). 

Decisions, decisions.  But I'm probably going to have the dealer do the valve check.

[Spanky]

Haven't done it yet, what is the first recommended mileage check?

Book says 15k most agree on 25k.

[ZG]

Book says 15k most agree on 25k.

Thanks Spanky, I guess I'll let you guys know in a couple more years... 
 
Ahhh screw it, I'm voting in advance! Sounds like a local shop job to me, I can barely figure out how to put gas in it and text at the same time! 

[Spanky]

All those awesome roads in the north west and it will take a couple more years? Blasphemy!

[ZG]

All those awesome roads in the north west and it will take a couple more years? Blasphemy!

Agreed!
 
Just too much travel for work, and when not traveling too much rain and other bikes to ride in the stable... 
 
Sorry, don't mean to thread jack.

[Gsun]

Did it myself. I had a couple of weeks at Christmas and couldn't ride anyway. It was a lot easier with Fred's videos. Took the lap top into the garage, cranked the heat and turned on the tunes. I would do it again. And all but one valve was out. Not all out of spec, but enough were.

[Tim]

I took my c14 to a dealer for the first valve check. I'm going hto gear up and get the tools needed to dp my own valve checks next time. I do the valve checks on my z-1 now every 4,000 miles. I don't have tpo pull the camshafts to change a shim because it's shim over bucket.

[XHarleyRider]

Please post the map when you get it. 

Actually, "dead on" is too good to be true.  "In spec" is a high-low range, not a specific setting with a plus or minus tolerance.  At least, Kawi does not publish a specific clearance as optimal AFAIK.  There is also the question as to whether they were checking to a tolerance of .01mm or .025mm. 

Either way, as noted in other threads, the newer bikes do seem to needing fewer shim replacements than those belonging to us guinea pigs.

My bike is a 2009 btw. I will post the map.  I was speaking with the service manager over the phone and although he said the specs were 'dead on' I am not going to hold him to that.  I'll write his comment off as idle chatter. He did say to me that he told the tech that he didn't care if the job was taking up a lot of space and time...he just wanted the job done correctly.  Not sure how to take that but I wouldn't think you would have to say that to an experienced technician.  Then again I don't know if they put pressure on the techs to move work in and out as fast as they can.  I would be interested what the tech thinks or at least what his notes say.  When I get the data (if it is even accurate)  I'll surely post it for you guys to look at.  They have been in business for 30 years so I'll take that into consideration as far as their honesty.  The data they provide and what people in here tell me regarding that data is what I'll end up believing.  I'm not that concerned.  I document all the service completed by me or completed at the shop and keep it in a three ring binder.  If there is an issue in the future I will be prepared.  If they did do the job properly I think my bill is very reasonable for all that labor. 

[lather]

I did mine at about 22 thousand and again at about 55 thousand. Replaced several shims both times. No big deal other than clearing space in the garage to stack parts. Made labels, drawings and took pictures as my focus is lost waiting for shims. I also have done three checks/adjusts on the VFR and one on the SV650. I probably did 15 or 20 screw type adjusts on older bikes and a Honda CRX.
Believe it or not the C14 is easier to adjust than the VFR and even the V-twin!

[Reid]

Just got mine back from a local motorcycle shop, not the dealer.  Valves checked. @21K miles (All were in spec).  Plugs replaced. 4 hrs labor plus the price of plugs.  $320.00 total.  Nice guys.

[ridingfar]

Just got mine back from a local motorcycle shop, not the dealer.  Valves checked. @21K miles (All were in spec).  Plugs replaced. 4 hrs labor plus the price of plugs.  $320.00 total.  Nice guys.

They may have only charged you for 4 hours labor, but they didn't take a C14 apart from scratch/fully assembled, check the valves and put it all back together again in 4 hours......

[jjsC6]

They may have only charged you for 4 hours labor, but they didn't take a C14 apart from scratch/fully assembled, check the valves and put it all back together again in 4 hours......

My dealer has quoted me 4 hours as well.