Checking valve clearances and rocker end float ;
When removing the valve cover, the inner gasket has a habit of staying in the head. Gently remove it and fit it to the cover, if left in place you’ll most likely “pinch” it when replacing the cover, and find you’ve an oil leak.
If you remove the cover, and it looks like this - the inner gasket is still stuck in the head
There it is inside, gently pry it out , and fit it to the cover
How you want it to look
All the following work must be done with the engine COLD
The engine must be at TDC on the side your checking, before any clearances can be measured. I always start on the L/H side, then do the right. It requires less turning over of the engine.
Set the engine to TDC (top dead center), put it in gear, remove both spark plugs, and turn the engine over by rotating the rear wheel by hand. On the cylinder your looking at, You want the inlet valve to be closing as the piston comes up to TDC, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you shouldn’t be attempting this job ; ) insert a small screwdriver or straw into the spark plug hole, and as yourotate the wheel the screwdriver/straw will be pushed out of the spark plug hole, when it reaches the max coming out point, stop. That’s the TDC.
Before you check the valve clearances, you also want to make sure the rocker endfloat is within tolerance - The clearance allowed is between = min 0.05 & max 0.40 . ( the same for inlet & exhaust)
Where to check the endfloat
It’s better to keep it at the minimum gap, it helps surging problems , and runs much better.
Here’s where the benefit of doing it yourself comes in. Most workshops will leave it if it’s inside the spec, less unnecessary work for them . But you’ll never have the sweet running bike that you could have.
To adjust the endfloat, you’ll need a T45 socket, and a 15mm hex socket. And a torque wrench to do it all back up.
Here’s the 3 torq bolts .
And the one 15mm hex bolt.
Undo them all, then just nip them up finger tight.
You then tap the lower rocker support bar until the gap is correct . This can be a pain in the arse, and seem a bitof a bodge, but it’s how it’s done. Just take your time.
The support bar
Now torque up the bolts - the torq bolts are 9nm .
The hex bolt is a cylinder head bolt, so needs to be tightened to 20nm, and then turned another 180 degrees.
When you’ve done that to your satisfaction, you now measure the valve clearances.
Inlet 0.15
Exhaust 0.30
Measuring the valve clearances
To adjust the gaps, you’l need a 10mm spanner ,and a 3mm allen key. The 10mm nut is a lock nut, you adjust the gapwith the allen key.
Adjusting the gaps
When your happy with all that, you then repeat it on the other side.
Remembering to get the engine at TDC on that side before measuring any clearances.
The end result of both the valve clearences, and more importantly the rocker end float ( plus the throttle sync afterwards) will give you a bike smoother and quieter, and more responsive.
Taken me longer to type this than to do the whole job from start to finish.
When removing the valve cover, the inner gasket has a habit of staying in the head. Gently remove it and fit it to the cover, if left in place you’ll most likely “pinch” it when replacing the cover, and find you’ve an oil leak.
If you remove the cover, and it looks like this - the inner gasket is still stuck in the head
There it is inside, gently pry it out , and fit it to the cover
How you want it to look
All the following work must be done with the engine COLD
The engine must be at TDC on the side your checking, before any clearances can be measured. I always start on the L/H side, then do the right. It requires less turning over of the engine.
Set the engine to TDC (top dead center), put it in gear, remove both spark plugs, and turn the engine over by rotating the rear wheel by hand. On the cylinder your looking at, You want the inlet valve to be closing as the piston comes up to TDC, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you shouldn’t be attempting this job ; ) insert a small screwdriver or straw into the spark plug hole, and as yourotate the wheel the screwdriver/straw will be pushed out of the spark plug hole, when it reaches the max coming out point, stop. That’s the TDC.
Before you check the valve clearances, you also want to make sure the rocker endfloat is within tolerance - The clearance allowed is between = min 0.05 & max 0.40 . ( the same for inlet & exhaust)
Where to check the endfloat
It’s better to keep it at the minimum gap, it helps surging problems , and runs much better.
Here’s where the benefit of doing it yourself comes in. Most workshops will leave it if it’s inside the spec, less unnecessary work for them . But you’ll never have the sweet running bike that you could have.
To adjust the endfloat, you’ll need a T45 socket, and a 15mm hex socket. And a torque wrench to do it all back up.
Here’s the 3 torq bolts .
And the one 15mm hex bolt.
Undo them all, then just nip them up finger tight.
You then tap the lower rocker support bar until the gap is correct . This can be a pain in the arse, and seem a bitof a bodge, but it’s how it’s done. Just take your time.
The support bar
Now torque up the bolts - the torq bolts are 9nm .
The hex bolt is a cylinder head bolt, so needs to be tightened to 20nm, and then turned another 180 degrees.
When you’ve done that to your satisfaction, you now measure the valve clearances.
Inlet 0.15
Exhaust 0.30
Measuring the valve clearances
To adjust the gaps, you’l need a 10mm spanner ,and a 3mm allen key. The 10mm nut is a lock nut, you adjust the gapwith the allen key.
Adjusting the gaps
When your happy with all that, you then repeat it on the other side.
Remembering to get the engine at TDC on that side before measuring any clearances.
The end result of both the valve clearences, and more importantly the rocker end float ( plus the throttle sync afterwards) will give you a bike smoother and quieter, and more responsive.
Taken me longer to type this than to do the whole job from start to finish.
