Poll: For the DIY Valve Clearance Folks - Were any adjustments needed?

[dduelin]

I posted that doing at 8000 miles was too early because doing at 8000 miles seemed, to be frank, bonkers.

However, it seems my assessment was at odds with the father bizarre 2012 NC700 service manual which, I agree having googled it, states 8000.

Still find it hard to credit, and I have to say that if I had purchased that model I'd have assumed a typo, because it makes no sense at all.

Nor does adjusting the clearance if it is within tollerance after the engine has been run in.

Every motor is unique, and the valve clearance differences at the top of the engine wil reflect the wear at run in deeper down.

As for engine oil, it's cheap, easy to change, and clean oil will by far extend the life of the motor and gearbox. I run two up for almost all of the miles on my bikes, and travel for much of that distance on English and European motorways at speed, the oil, in my experience, breaks down far more quickly in those conditions.

But more importantly taking the time to change the fluids gives me the chance to spend time with the bike on the stands cleaning and lubricating all of the moving parts, cables, fasteners etc. it is an excuse to show care.

Perhaps early valve clearance checks are no bad thing if the reason is to learn how to lavish some tender spanner attention on the machine.

Bonkers? 6,000 to 8,000 mile valve checks and/or adjustments are the norm for rocker arm and tappets with screw adjustment valve trains as compared to shim under bucket valve trains which in Hondas have 16,000 to 32,000 mile check and/or adjustment intervals but Honda choose the former for the NC700/750 family of engines for probable reasons of economies of production and packaging needs did not require a compact cylinder head. 8,000 it is.

 

[Tim Clynes]

Bonkers? 6,000 to 8,000 mile valve checks and/or adjustments are the norm for rocker arm and tappets with screw adjustment valve trains as compared to shim under bucket valve trains which in Hondas have 16,000 to 32,000 mile check and/or adjustment intervals but Honda choose the former for the NC700/750 family of engines for probable reasons of economies of production and packaging needs did not require a compact cylinder head. 8,000 it is.

Shim under bucket was Kawasaki.

rocker arm and tappetts have the same cylinder head as any other bike!!

That aside, the system of adjustment would make no difference to service interval.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I agree with dduelin about the shim under buckets not having to be adjusted as often. However, if a shim has to be replaced at the shim under bucket 36,000 mile inspection, removing the cams and replacing a shim do get expensive. I would prefer paying for rocker arm inspections, a lot cheaper.

I am lazy, so I prefer hydraulic lifters. Do not need to be a speed demon.

 

[670cc]

Shim under bucket was Kawasaki.

rocker arm and tappetts have the same cylinder head as any other bike!!

That aside, the system of adjustment would make no difference to service interval.

Uh-oh. Get your flame suit on!

BTW, shim under bucket is used on MANY bikes, Honda included. It's not just Kawasaki.

A cam bearing down directly on a bucket has fewer moving parts and wear points. Rocker arm valve trains definitely have shorter adjustment intervals than either shim under bucket or shim over bucket.

 

[TrackCage]

Quick update!

I wanted to wrap up this thread in case anyone searches it in the future. I completed my DIY valve adjustment over the holiday break and it went without a hitch. Big thank you to those of you who have put together how-to threads and videos. This was my first time using a feeler gauge so I was very unsure as to the optimal amount of drag. As such, I wound up adjusting the cylinder one's intake valves a touch looser. After getting a better feel for the tool, I realized I had, in fact, adjusted those valves too loose. A feeler gauge is an interesting tool in that you have to do a bit of trial and error to understand what you've got. After stumbling through the process and determining how to correctly use the tool, I went back to where I had them in the first place. As such, I voted for "no adjustment" in the poll. Thanks to those of you who contributed here and I hope this helps the next guy who attempts this.