Valve adjust/checks - dealer or not

[Reid]

They may have only charged you for 4 hours labor, but they didn't take a C14 apart from scratch/fully assembled, check the valves and put it all back together again in 4 hours......

You are correct!  They kept the bike for a week and worked on it along and along.  I know it took longer than 4hrs.  They have my business.

[yardboy]

I take mine to the local dealer. It's a small shop with a great tech and I trust him. I do remove almost all the plastic before dropping the bike off as it saves me labor charges. Both the 15 and 30 were around $300 parts and labor.

[lt1]

You are correct!  They kept the bike for a week and worked on it along and along.  I know it took longer than 4hrs.  They have my business.

Did you get a map of the valve settings?  Could you post it?

[roadie]

Did myself.  great learning experience.  Had Fred's videos also...laptop, garage, and went to town.  Got great help from this forum as well.  Putting the cams back in was the scarey part for me... must have checked it 20 times before I buttoned it back up. Two days later I dreamed I forgot to reinstall one of the oil feeder tubes under the head.  anyway...good experience.

[BudCallaghan]

  Like you I'm sure I could do it, but the downside of making a mistake is catastrophic.   

Decisions, decisions.  But I'm probably going to have the dealer do the valve check.

This line is the absolute deciding factor for me regarding any and all maintenance on any of my various vehicles, either two wheels or four.  Whether riding or driving it's my ass that's on the line.  There is no way for anyone working for wages, who is working on property belonging to another, to be as cautious and meticulous as I can afford to be when maintaining my own possessions.  I simply don't trust anyone to be as competent or as careful as I am.  There are rare occasions when I must let the dealer do a job, I needed a tire pressure sensor replaced when the bike was new and later I lost a FOB and needed the replacement programmed.  Prior to taking the bike in for the tire pressure sensor replacement I made note of the tire's exact placement on the rim and found that when the tire was remounted it was five inches from where it should have been.  I checked the balance and found that it was off and that the factory had it correct before the mechanic did his deed.  This was done by the same guy who would be inside the engine for a valve adjustment.  No way will I let him anyone else do a job that I'm willing and able to do better.

[basmntdweller]

Who is this Fred guy and where do I get his videos?
Unless my free time to go riding changes a lot, I won't have to worry about my first valve check any more this year

Matt
 

[roadie]

Who is this Fred guy and where do I get his videos?
Unless my free time to go riding changes a lot, I won't have to worry about my first valve check any more this year

Matt
 

http://www.angelridevideos.com/

[Reid]

Did you get a map of the valve settings?  Could you post it?

No I didn't get the map.  I'll go down and talk to them soon and get one.  He told me they were all well within specs, but slightly on the tight side and that later on down the road may need shimming.  I really trust these guys.  Very straightforward and never seem to be trying to pull one over. 

[Bosco]

They may have only charged you for 4 hours labor, but they didn't take a C14 apart from scratch/fully assembled, check the valves and put it all back together again in 4 hours......

That seems like the way I would do it. I wonder if there is a list of known good local shops anywhere.

[VirginiaJim]

You need to at least tell us your general location so that someone can give a recommendation or not.

[ZedHed]

No problems for me, I would take mine to the dealer again in a heart beat. I found it very easy and personally, I don't understand all the discussion of how complicated the procedure is. I dropped the bike off, I picked the bike up, what is so hard about that

Nothing as long as you don't look too close and find all the missing fasteners, or find out the dealer didn't even change the shims or swapped shims around, but charged you for new ones, or worst of all -- said they checked the valves, but really just moved the bike to a new location and charged you for the procedure.  Wanna know how I know SOME dealers do that?  That's right !! I used to work in a shop and watched them do that type of stuff all the time. 

You do it yourself?  And you know it was done and done right !!!!  Never trust a shop any farther than you can throw it.  They can be great today and suck tomorrow.  All it takes is a change in personnel or ownership or mechanic attitude.

Color me cynical.............

[Bosco]

They may have only charged you for 4 hours labor, but they didn't take a C14 apart from scratch/fully assembled, check the valves and put it all back together again in 4 hours......

That seems like the way I would do it. I wonder if there is a list of known good local shops anywhere.

You need to at least tell us your general location so that someone can give a recommendation or not.

Cincinnati, Ohio area

[VirginiaJim]

Ok, guys.  Any good dealers in the Cincy area?

[Spanky]

You do it yourself?  And you know it was done and done right !!!!  Never trust a shop any farther than you can throw it.  They can be great today and suck tomorrow.  All it takes is a change in personnel or ownership or mechanic attitude.

Color me cynical.............

Hence the  emoticon. I am fortunate to have a mechanic that is very honest and does a great job. I also know that not everyone is that fortunate.  Many of us have no choice but to trust someone else - not all of us are former mechanics, and I for one am not trying this one myself.

[Cheesecake]

Nothing as long as you don't look too close and find all the missing fasteners, or find out the dealer didn't even change the shims or swapped shims around, but charged you for new ones, or worst of all -- said they checked the valves, but really just moved the bike to a new location and charged you for the procedure.  Wanna know how I know SOME dealers do that?  That's right !! I used to work in a shop and watched them do that type of stuff all the time. 

You do it yourself?  And you know it was done and done right !!!!  Never trust a shop any farther than you can throw it.  They can be great today and suck tomorrow.  All it takes is a change in personnel or ownership or mechanic attitude.

Color me cynical.............

+1
When I recently removed the luggage rack I found the mech had lost one of the spacers under the bolt, when they did the luggage rack replacement recall. Only four bolts, four spacers, and he lost one and just put it together without it. What would he leave out on a valve adjustment?

[feelergaugephil]

Did mine myself, sorry, dont trust Kawasaki dealers one bit, Ive seen who works on them back there, (Louisiana that is)
Took me approx 6-8 hrs with breaks inbetween, its not a hard job, just time consuming on those plastics, I remember the ole KZ's and GS's which took about an hour..........

[Reid]

Nothing as long as you don't look too close and find all the missing fasteners, or find out the dealer didn't even change the shims or swapped shims around, but charged you for new ones, or worst of all -- said they checked the valves, but really just moved the bike to a new location and charged you for the procedure.  Wanna know how I know SOME dealers do that?  That's right !! I used to work in a shop and watched them do that type of stuff all the time. 

You do it yourself?  And you know it was done and done right !!!!  Never trust a shop any farther than you can throw it.  They can be great today and suck tomorrow.  All it takes is a change in personnel or ownership or mechanic attitude.

Color me cynical.............

I know mine was done.  I was there in various parts of the teardown.  They were smart and took photos as they did the work.  If your in the Valdosta Ga area, look up "The Motorcycle Shop"  Great guys

[XHarleyRider]

Exhaust:  .21 .21    .20 .21    .20 .20    .21 .22
Intake:    .13 .13    .13 .12    .13 .14    .13 .13
{left side}

[Tactical_Mik]

I had dealer do mine both times.  First time was mostly covered for a valve cover gasket leak with one exhaust shim needing swapped.  I just took it in Tuesday for the 30K service.  Picked it up yesterday (Thursday) and valves were in spec for a cost of 475.00.  I only own the bike as transportation and can not generally have it down for a week or so for me to do the work.  If I buy another vehicle some time I would have no qualms about doing the job myself.

As a side note, the mechanic who works on the Wings and Concours (I always request the same mechanic as I am familiar with his work) is a very meticulous fellow and has worked at this shop for as long as I have lived in this state at least.  He had some pics/stories to share with me when I picked up the bike.

[jettcity1]

Mine is got 15K on it and I am running it to 25. My deaership has done a few and most are in spec.
Screw it, lets ride.