Question on valve adjustments

Love my tenne

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A ??: I have 29,000 miles on my 2015 Sup. Ten. It is due for a valve adjustment but I'm wondering, has any one gone many, many miles beyond the recommended adjustment time and had issues? I'm inclined to go with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The machine seems otherwise bullet proof and runs like a fine tune teflon clock immersed in WD 40..
 

Nikolajsen

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The problem is that if the valve clearence is to tight, you wont hear it, and it can burn the valve.
But never read about here....as far as I remember ;)
 

KYwoodsrider

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The problem is that if the valve clearence is to tight, you wont hear it, and it can burn the valve.
But never read about here....as far as I remember ;)
Why exactly can valves suffer damage with clearance that is to tight?
Is it because the valve does not fully close?
 

Don in Lodi

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Went just over 40,000 miles for my first check, they were good. 90k now, should prolly have 'em checked again soon.
 

WJBertrand

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While it’s true that long haul Paul didn’t check his valve clearances, that 200,000 miles is across two different super Ténérés.


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gv550

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From his website, he rode the first one 172,000 miles then parked it a Barbers, the second one over 100,000 miles, then a new Venture TC over 100,000 miles until it was raffled off, and now on a T7. Other than oil changes, no maintenance on any of the engines.
 

tntmo

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I checked mine early at 20k miles and had three tight valves.

Going by your "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" motto why do you change oil? The bike is still running fine, right? Ok, I am being facetious but you get my point.
 

~TABASCO~

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It’s always a good idea to check them so you know. If they are all screwed up and out of spec, that’s your business if then you want them corrected, but at least you know. (Good / bad)
Just because one guy did something, don’t be a sheep and fallow what is known NOT to be a good idea.
Also it’s just a frame of mind. Do you want a properly maintained machine? If you buy and sell your bikes every six months, don’t get them checked. If your planning to keep this bike and enjoy it, check the valves.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Very well said Jaxon!! I'm really big on going well beyond what is recommended by the manufacturer when it comes to maintenance. As an added bonus your bike will run and feel like a new one instead of clapped out worn out one.
 

~TABASCO~

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Very well said Jaxon!! I'm really big on going well beyond what is recommended by the manufacturer when it comes to maintenance. As an added bonus your bike will run and feel like a new one instead of clapped out worn out one.
Amen !
 

Cycledude

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My 2013 was checked at 26,000 miles and all in specification , plan to have my 2018 checked at 25,000 and if they are in specification I will probably never check them again.
Goldwing was checked at 50,000 miles and needed some shim changes, had them checked twice since then and they were still in specification so it was mostly just wasted money. The Goldwing turned 560,000 miles yesterday and still runs like new.
 

Highwayman

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Just to clarify Im big on maintaining.... I just mentioned the bikes Ive wrenched on with big issues with tight valves were hard to start, yet never burned valves.

Definitely dont condone running em till they don't start before an adj.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Just to clarify Im big on maintaining.... I just mentioned the bikes Ive wrenched on with big issues with tight valves were hard to start, yet never burned valves.

Definitely dont condone running em till they don't start before an adj.
I found on carbed single cylinders the first time you have to touch the throttle to start then it's time. I'm not sure with a modern fuel injected bikes.
 

~TABASCO~

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My 2013 was checked at 26,000 miles and all in specification , plan to have my 2018 checked at 25,000 and if they are in specification I will probably never check them again.
Goldwing was checked at 50,000 miles and needed some shim changes, had them checked twice since then and they were still in specification so it was mostly just wasted money. The Goldwing turned 560,000 miles yesterday and still runs like new.

For sure, that kind of sounds like the Yamaha FJR crowd. That engine is very bullet proof and I think its a well "excepted" practice to check them for the first time at 100K miles. The 25/50/75 mile checks almost always come up as "in check" (on the FJR)... So I think checking the valves at the specified check points is really a bike-by-bike basis.

(Now just adding to the whole thread) With all of that said, Ive worked on a zillion Tenere's and the engines. There is no real rhyme or reason that I have found that some sets of valves are good and some are way out @ 25K miles, or 50, or 75, or 100K.

The Tenere in my experience is NOT like the Goldwing or even the FJR. I would defiantly suggest checking them and then the owner knows what they are dealing with.
Ive checked many Tenere bikes at 25K/50/75/100 and some have 2-4+ valves out, sometimes they are way out, other bikes are straight as an arrow, with very little movement (depending on the miles). I have never found any evidence on the year of bike or how the bike is 'ridden' by the customer to give me an idea on valves out or not out... I gotta check them to find out.

Inevitably, I have also come across other things that needed to be addressed on the bike while performing the valve check. So I "accidentally" found and fixed issues that the owner would have never probably seen without someone getting into it. Throttle body boot bolts, weeping thermostat, cut wires from poor instal of lights or PCV, rocks jammed into the cable throttle on the TB, one time I found an air screw that was almost fallen out. I have found spark plug boars with water in them. Found ignition coils that had water in them and the coil was dead, customer never even knew it, needed a new coil. Many times I get the bike and the plugs have never been changed (high miles), they didn't ever think about changing the plugs. I need to dig out and then post some of these pictures,,, I once came across a bike that I was doing a valve check on at 75-100k miles, don't remember. Who ever did the first check didnt "click" all the connectors back into the coils. Three had been working for A LOT of miles, but the other was just sitting there, not even firing. The coil was fine, but it needed to be plugged in. Its crazy................................ All kinds of crap... I just came across all this because I was checking the valves. Im probably forgetting other funny, weird, strange, things I have seen.

I mention this because we are talking about the valve check and this pops up in mind, but it could bleed over to just some 'general maintenance' as well.

As I'm finishing this up I have one more thought that pops up in mind. People that know me have probably heard this before but its worth it. I had a custom make an appointment, he showed up from out of town. Just as he showed up and we where shaking hands and talking, "normal stuff", he goes into how this bike shifts gears like SH**. He wants me to looking to why its shifting like crap. (im already eye balling the bike) He keeps talking about how he can never find neutral, it grinds gears sometimes and it just sucks. He was really happy with the bike but the shifting was horrible. After he was done describing the situation I kindly let him know "I already know the issue". He is like "BS". I said the shift bolt is missing. The bolt that holds the shifter on was GONE. So it was floating back and forth on the shaft as he shifted. Obviously that was the problem, and with one bolt it was good as new. Over then next twenty minutes he let me know the shifting has been acting up for many months. Needless to say, the bolt had been gone for months. This was a guy that didn't do any normal type maintenance. I think he was at my shop for tires or brake pads or something small.

Anyhow, look over your machine and take care of it. It could save your life one day or keep you from having a really bad & expensive day.
 
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