Jun. 06, 2023
Valves are the doors to your intake and exhaust system.
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Checking and setting your valve clearances should be a regular part of your motorcycle maintenance routine.
When adjusting the camshaft, ignition, and valves you’ll refer to the timing marks on your engine’s spark advancer.
For anything ignition related, you’ll typically refer to the F mark. For mechanical adjustments, you’ll use the T mark.
Valve clearance is an important component of a smooth running motorcycle engine.
Valves are too tight: If there is too little valve clearance, the valves will never fully seat and will get hot and burn.
Valves are too loose: If there is too much valve clearance, the parts will be slapped around and make a lot of noise, potentially damaging top end internals.
Extremely loose valves can actually cause the adjustment nut and screw to come loose and bounce around inside the engine.
Anything loose and metal moving around inside the engine when it is operating has the potential to cause complete engine failure or a cracked engine case.
Failing to set your motorcycle valve clearance properly can eventually lead to a damaged camshaft, valve seats, and overall valve train failure.
Valve adjustments and measurements are made when the engine is completely cold.
To check your valve clearances:
Refer to your shop manual for the exact procedure and the proper clearances for both intake and exhaust valves – they will be different.
If you’re not sure where Top Dead Center is for a given cylinder, you can remove the spark plug and stick something long down the hole (do don’t jam anything in there). When the screwdriver/rod reaches the top and then starts to go down, you’ll know where TDC is.
For overhead cam motorcycle engines with rocker arms and screw adjusters, place the proper sized feeler gauge between the tip of the valve and the end of the tappet screw.
Use a wrench to loosen the locknut and tighten or loosen to the tappet clearance screw if the clearance is out of spec. Retighten the screw and locknut and measure again. Sometimes the screw’s clearance will change when you tighten the locknut.
For shim under bucket valves, you’ll need to take the measure between the bucket and the cam lobes. You’ll need to record each measurement as you go along.
If it is out of spec, you’ll need to disassemble the camshaft to get to the valve buckets and shims. For the clearances that were out of spec, remove the bucket and check the size of the shim that rests between the bucket and the valve tip.
The shim’s size will be stamped on the top, but can wear out overtime. You can confirm its size with digital calipers.
Replace it with a new shim that will get you to the proper clearance.
Refer to your motorcycle service manual for the exact schedule of when to adjust your valve clearance.
However, many bikes will typically recommended adjusting the valves every 3,000 to 10,000 miles.
Has your motorcycle been sluggish recently? Does the engine sound noisier than usual?
If so, it might be time for a valve adjustment.
Motorcycles require regular valve adjustments to keep them running smoothly, and the cost of this service will vary depending on the make and model of your bike.
But on average, how much would a motorcycle valve adjustment cost?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the average cost of a valve adjustment on a motorcycle, as well as some factors that can affect the price, and how to save money on this service.
On average, a motorcycle valve adjustment will cost $150 to $500.
Now, this is just an estimation, but the actual cost for your specific bike depends on a bunch of factors.
The thing is, you only need a gasket or few, and the rest of the motorcycle valve adjustment cost will consist of labor only. If you’ve got a single-cylinder street bike with no fairings, then valve adjustment will cost you 300$ at most.
On the other hand, if your motorcycle is covered in fairings, or if it has two, or more cylinders, then you will pay significantly more in comparison.
For a very basic bike, like the Suzuki GS500, a valve adjustment will take 1 hour at most, which should equate to around $100 to $150 in labor. But if you’ve got a Harley Davidson V-Rod, then I’m sorry to tell you that the valve adjustment on that motorcycle requires removing the engine (at least lowering it), and you can expect to pay $800.
In conclusion, valve adjustment in itself is pretty straightforward, but the most annoying and expensive part of the job is getting access to the valvetrain.
Okay, you’ve now seen how expensive a motorcycle valve adjustment can get, but is there a way to save money on this service?
Well, there are a few.
The first and the best way to save money is to do it yourself. If you’re mechanically inclined and have basic tools, then you can save a lot of money by adjusting the valves on your motorcycle yourself.
You can find a bunch of great DIY guides online (YouTube is a great place to start) or even a service manual, and if you follow them carefully, then you should be able to do the job without any issues.
It’s really not that difficult. Just set the piston to TDC (the topmost position, basically) and measure the valve lash with a feeler gauge. Then tighten or loosen to specifications.
It’s literally that easy and you should be able to do it if you change your own brakes and oil.
Of course, this method is not for everyone, and if you’re not confident in your abilities, then it’s probably best to leave it to the professionals.
Another way to save money on motorcycle valve adjustment is to find an independent shop or mechanic that you trust, and that will give you a good price.
The thing is, most motorcycle dealerships will overcharge you for this service (as they do with everything), so it’s always best to find an independent shop or mechanic.
Just make sure that they’re reputable and that you trust them, as you don’t want to end up with an engine that’s not been adjusted properly.
Finally, the last way to save money on motorcycle valve adjustment is to wait until you need it. I know that might not sound like the best advice, but if your bike is running fine and you don’t notice any issues, then there’s really no need to get the valves adjusted.
On most motorcycles, the valve adjustment interval is around 8,000 miles. However, some manufacturers recommend doing it as often as every 6,000 miles, while others are fine with a 15,000-mile interval.
It really varies depending on the motorcycle, so it’s always best to check your service manual or ask the dealership. Generally speaking, though, you should be fine if you do a valve adjustment every 8,000 miles or so.
There are a few telltale signs that your motorcycle might need a valve adjustment.
The first and most obvious one is checking the maintenance schedule in your bike’s owner’s manual. If your motorcycle needs a valve adjustment every 8,000 miles and you’re sure that it’s been at least that long since the last one, then it’s probably time to get it done.
Another way to tell if your motorcycle needs a valve adjustment is by listening to the engine. If it sounds like it’s ticking louder than usual, then that’s a pretty good indication that the valves need to be adjusted. Of course, this could also be a sign of other problems, like low oil pressure.
If your bike is running rough or has lost power, then that could also be a sign that the valves need to be adjusted. However, these symptoms can also be caused by other issues, so it’s always best to get your bike checked out by a professional if you’re not sure what the problem is.
Here’s a fun question while we’re at it.
Motorcycles don’t use hydraulic lifters because they’re not precise enough for really high RPMs.
Of course, there are exceptions, like the Honda CB700SC, which had hydraulic lifters and could reach 10,000 RPM. However, once you go above 10,000 RPM or so, hydraulic lifters become too imprecise and slow to keep up.
Hydraulic lifters tend to vary lift by a significant amount at high RPMs due to fluctuation in oil pressure. This usually causes surging and other problems.
Motorcycle valve adjustment cost can be a bit pricey if you take it to the dealership.
However, there are ways to save money by doing it yourself or finding an independent shop that you trust. Usually, they can do the job just as well and should charge less for labor.
As far as how often you should do a valve adjustment, it really varies depending on the motorcycle. However, most bikes need it every 8,000 miles or so. You can check your service manual or ask the dealership to be sure.
Finally, if you’re not sure if your motorcycle needs a valve adjustment, then the best thing to do is get it checked out by a professional. They’ll be able to tell you for sure and, if it does need it, they can do the job quickly and easily.
Nick Kowalski is a diesel mechanic by trade, but his passion lies in motorcycles.
He’s been riding them since he was just a wee lad, and he loves restoring old Japanese street bikes and ATVs in his spare time.
Nick is an adrenaline junkie at heart, and he loves nothing more than hitting the open road on his motorcycle.
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