How often do you check/adjust your valves?

[Pembydoorider]

Manual says 30hrs and I have over 100 and haven't looked at them yet. Don't race and mainly logging road single track riding. 30 hrs seems way to often.

[G-BRO]

Manual says 30hrs and I have over 100 and haven't looked at them yet. Don't race and mainly logging road single track riding. 30 hrs seems way to often.

Which bike?

I did mine after the first hour (to get a starting baseline) and then roughly every 30 hours. My intakes needed adjusted at the first 30 hours. They came from the factory right at limits and then moved slightly.

They have not moved since and 90 hours. 2014 350 EXC

Edited May 13, 2015 by G-BRO

[Pembydoorider]

2014 500exc

[DR.billZ]

Every 30 hours. Takes like 10 minutes and 7 of those is getting the $% valve cover vent back on.

Edited May 13, 2015 by DR.billZ

[Chas_M]

As already mentioned, it is highly recommended to do a valve check right away to get base line measurements. It is very easy to check the valves yourself. Chances are that they will be within specs. The newer KTM 4 stroke engines are renown for maintaining adjustment for a long time. The valves in my '08 HTR 350 XCF-W were all still in spec after almost 8,000 miles and 385 hours at which time I had HTRacing do the first top end job on the engine.

[G-BRO]

As already mentioned, it is highly recommended to do a valve check right away to get base line measurements. It is very easy to check the valves yourself. Chances are that they will be within specs. The newer KTM 4 stroke engines are renown for maintaining adjustment for a long time. The valves in my '08 HTR 350 XCF-W were all still in spec after almost 8,000 miles and 385 hours at which time I had HTRacing do the first top end job on the engine.

Wow....that's impressive. What a cool machine. Pictures?

[cadman_ks]

As already mentioned, it is highly recommended to do a valve check right away to get base line measurements. ...

This actually is great advice for those of you that have NOT checked your valves early on. For those of you that haven't, check them as soon as you can, so that you can establish a baseline.

With that being said, I don't follow my own advice. ? I didn't check mine until 60, and they were within spec, but I do NOT know where they started at.

Every 30 hours. Takes like 10 minutes and 7 of those is getting the $% valve cover vent back on.

That might be a little bit optimistic, or I'm just slow at wrenching, which is probably more the case. I would say the first time you do it, it's going to take somewhere around an hour. Figuring out how the tank comes off, the valve cover comes off, doing the actual measuring / adjusting, and then reassembling.

My first time, it took me every bit of an hour, maybe a little bit more. But, it's not that hard of a process on the 500 at all, at least the checking part. I have NOT had to adjust mine yet, but that looks equally as easy, provided you have the shims...

[DR.billZ]

I was being a bit optimistic there but it's really not hard. Like I said that vent hose is the biggest pia of the whole thing.

First check is one hour according to the manual !

Edited May 13, 2015 by DR.billZ

[cadman_ks]

I was being a bit optimistic there but it's really not hard. Like I said that vent hose is the biggest pia of the whole thing.

First check is one hour according to the manual !

I agree that it's not all that hard. I have nothing to back this up on, either, but I wonder if one hour isn't a little bit too early, even at that. Maybe one hour of running would be enough to get things settled. It does appear that a lot of owners that check them early early find that they are out, or close to being out. Once they adjust them, however, they stay put. One of mine is at the bottom of the tolerance right now, but it is still in. I personally wouldn't move it until it's out of the range, but YMMV...

[DR.billZ]

I think it's KTM's way of avoiding possible problems and it forces us to learn our bikes and get a baseline measurement so we can tell how fast things are changing.

[Sniffets]

Never. My mechanic does it for me, at least I think he does. 

 

My 660 went 41,000 km before needing an adjustment, but that's Yamaha for you. 

[sniper_101]

I'm at about 85hrs, bought it at roughly 5 hours. Still haven't had to change shims yet.

I have one exhaust valve at 0.14mm, and the range is 0.12-0.17 so I guess I'm closing in on finally needing adjustment (2012 500).

Edited May 15, 2015 by sniper_101

[Spud786]

I agree that it's not all that hard. I have nothing to back this up on, either, but I wonder if one hour isn't a little bit too early, even at that. Maybe one hour of running would be enough to get things settled. It does appear that a lot of owners that check them early early find that they are out, or close to being out. Once they adjust them, however, they stay put. One of mine is at the bottom of the tolerance right now, but it is still in. I personally wouldn't move it until it's out of the range, but YMMV...

I don't see checking valves until after FULL break in so I did mine at 12 hours the first time. Without a really good set of fine gauges you cant accurately check this bike.

When I did first check my bike at 12 hours, I thought it was at .1mm on one intake, where in fact it was at .13mm when I rechecked at 22 hours with a good accurate set of gauges.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Spud786

[boney95]

I don't see checking valves until after FULL break in so I did mine at 12 hours the first time. Without a really good set of fine gauges you cant accurately check this bike.

When I did first check my bike at 12 hours, I thought it was at .1mm on one intake, where in fact it was at .13mm when I rechecked at 22 hours with a good accurate set of gauges.

 

By accurate gauges do you mean you combined a gauge or 2 to get the specified range/gap?

[Spud786]

Yeah first time I checked only had a .1mm and a .15mm for intakes, and because of only the .1mm fitting (and felt slightly snug), I thought it was right at minimum, my new set has a .13mm feeler and enough smaller ones to check everything in between.

But I was actually at middle spec, verses thinking I was at minimum and that was because of lack of ability to acheive accurate measurement.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Spud786

[ezflyr]

I checked mine when I bought the bike, and at the last oil change with exactly the same readings. It only takes 15 minutes to check the valve clearance. I will probably skip a few oil changes before checking them again. Many people have experienced stable valve clearances for years. I was initially paranoid about this but I now think the issue is over blown.

[cadman_ks]

.... It only takes 15 minutes to check the valve clearance. ...

I must be the world's slowest wrencher. I WISH that I could do mine in 45 minutes! That's 3X were you are...

[Spud786]

You can probably get the tank and valve cover off in about 15 minutes, but I do cleanup and other inspection while in there. So Id say I spend a good hour, atleast.

[ezflyr]

You can probably get the tank and valve cover off in about 15 minutes, but I do cleanup and other inspection while in there. So Id say I spend a good hour, atleast.

OK, well to be fair.  I already would have the tank and the seat off.  I always clean the bike first before changing the oil.  Does it really take more than five minutes to remove the four bolts and the cover?   I take the bolts off on the left side with a socket and a speed handle, and I take the bolts off on the other side using a ratcheting box wrench.  The hardest part is removing the breather hose.  Once the cover is off, stuff a rag down next to the cam chain, shift the bike into high gear, and turn the tire to line up the dots.  I have individual feeler gauges in my box marked marked for intake and exhaust.  I use the go/no go method.  Smallest feeler gauge goes in; biggest feeler gauge doesn't, check. Pull the rag.  Put the cover back on in reverse.  Am I missing anything. 

[cadman_ks]

OK, well to be fair. I already would have the tank and the seat off. I always clean the bike first before changing the oil. Does it really take more than five minutes to remove the four bolts and the cover? I take the bolts off on the left side with a socket and a speed handle, and I take the bolts off on the other side using a ratcheting box wrench. The hardest part is removing the breather hose. Once the cover is off, stuff a rag down next to the cam chain, shift the bike into high gear, and turn the tire to line up the dots. I have individual feeler gauges in my box marked marked for intake and exhaust. I use the go/no go method. Smallest feeler gauge goes in; biggest feeler gauge doesn't, check. Pull the rag. Put the cover back on in reverse. Am I missing anything.

That's the process, but I would include taking off the tank and putting it back on, since that's necessary.

With that being said, I don't think that I can do mine in under an hour.

I wonder what the book time is from KTM? Is there such a thing?