Valve adjustment Interval: please give me your opinion

[haroldo_psf]

I own a 2000 Tiger 885i with 57000 miles. The last valve adjustment service was done by the dealer two years ago when the bike had 42000 miles, and all valves were in spec, needing no shim adjustment.

I am planning on having the dealer do the service in the winter, probably December or January.

From your experience, what is the typical behavior with these engines, assuming the 885i and 955i are similar in this aspect? For example, with my in line 4 kawasaki GTR1400, valve clearances stop changing after the first two service intervals or so.

1) Am I pushing my luck by being 3000 miles overdue with this service and still planing to ride until the winter before doing it?

2) If all valves were in spec during the last service at 42000 miles, is it likely that the valves at this point won't change much, if any?

3) Is there any pattern to this engine as far as valves typically getting looser or tigher over time? (or could it go either way)

4) Is there any obvious symptom (noise) from the valve train if the valves are tight out of spec?

Thanks all, I appreciate your input

PS: if you have deja-vu while reading this, its because I had just posted this question 20 minutes ago, but can't find the freaggin' thread anymore...weird.

[Mustang]

1) Am I pushing my luck by being 3000 miles overdue with this service and still planing to ride until the winter before doing it?

no

2) If all valves were in spec during the last service at 42000 miles, is it likely that the valves at this point won't change much, if any?

depends how it's been ridden ,

3) Is there any pattern to this engine as far as valves typically getting looser or tigher over time? (or could it go either way)

usually tighter

4) Is there any obvious symptom (noise) from the valve train if the valves are tight out of spec?

no, but when you get to zero clearance it will spit and backfire and be hard to start when cold

PS: if you have deja-vu while reading this, its because I had just posted this question 20 minutes ago, but can't find the freaggin' thread anymore...weird.

me thinks you never hit submit , i've done the same

[smoketriples]

This was an item of huge discussion on the honda VFR forums, since for a VFR the stealers were routinely charging $800 or more for the service interval with the valve check.

Trend analysis on those machines was that after the first job, no change was needed on subsequent jobs.  There were also people that were approaching 100k miles without ever doing the valve clearance check.

Were the machines running optimally?  who knows, but those riders claimed no issues.

Run good synth oil, change at specified intervals, don't overheat the motor, and I'd bet that unless you have a poorly hardened valve stem you won't be replacing any shims.

[Mustang]

..............................and I'd bet that unless you have a poorly hardened valve stem you won't be replacing any shims.

not the case with Triumph motors the stems dont wear the seats and valve faces However do WEAR that is why they generally tighten up on the clearances . it lets the valve slowly sit deeper and deeper into the head .
some have had good luck others not so much

My three tigers ,
#1 has only needed 2 valves shimmed in 55k

#2 at 70k has just about used up all the available shims sizes (intakes have taken a pounding , with #1 cyl. being the worst )

#3 has 50k and I haven't had to shim it yet . but there are a couple of intakes on the tight side of spec and I bought it used at 37k so don't know previous history

some folks have had to replace or repair heads due to the valves pounding into the heads

Moral of the story ............these aren't Hondas and you need to at least check the clearances at 12k or sooner intervals

ride it hard and you will learn how to do shim jobs

[smoketriples]

Hmm...that isn't good news :(.  

OTOH I haven't looked at the procedure, on the VFR, just to measure you had to remove the camshafts....