[Whipsaw]

I'm coming up on the 600 mile service soon, and I've read several messages on here about checking the valves. What is happening with the valves? Are they going out of adjustment because they are new? Or what? After the 600 mile service, should the valves be checked again at every service. I know what the manual says, but what about real life. Thanks in advance. Whipsaw.

 

[mattcbr250]

They just need adjustment cause it's a new motor. Once you get the bike to operating temps the parts expand and contract causing the tolerance of the valves to change. Especially the exhaust valve. Sometimes they're fine as is, but more than likely they become on the tight side.

After that initial 600 check it only needs to be checked every 16K miles.

 

[Whipsaw]

Thanks, Matt. Good information. Unfortunately, now, I'm getting mixed messages about checking the valves at 600. My dealer says "no,......waste of money because they are almost always okay". He says wait for some indication that things may not be right-----hard to start, not running right, or making value noises. Who's right. Check 'em at 600, or not??? Whipsaw.

 

[TBC]

All 4 of my valves were tight at 616 miles. Wasnt any noticeable running problems but valves were still on the tight side.

 

[PAJKRUBI]

The problem is though if you wait until it's not running right or starting then A: how do you get it to the dealer? and B: you may have already caused internal damage like a burnt valve and seeing as how "you didn't bring your bike in for the specified service" they're gonna deny your warranty and you'll be paying out of pocket.

 

[highflyer]

Thanks, Matt. Good information. Unfortunately, now, I'm getting mixed messages about checking the valves at 600. My dealer says "no,......waste of money because they are almost always okay". He says wait for some indication that things may not be right-----hard to start, not running right, or making value noises.

Find another dealer to do your service. Your dealer has terrible judgement.




Sent from my iPhone using MO Free

 

[Whipsaw]

Pajk makes a good point about doing the required service to maintain the warranty. Just to be clear, I never suggested not doing the 600 mile check. I was mainly asking about the valves, and whether that is a required part of the inspection. Sorry if that was not understood. Thanks again for the information, and as one person suggested, perhaps it is time for me to go to a different dealer. Whipsaw.

 

[MotoMike]

Ahhhh... yet another redundant thread. This topic of 600 mile service/valve clearance inspection has been covered in at least 3 or 4 other threads. I'm sure next week, another new CBR owner will start another one. Oh well...

One more time:
Many of the bikes that have gone in for 600 mile service, and had the valve inspection done, also have had NO adjustment made to the valve clearance. Why? Because the engine is not broken in yet, and likely won't be for another 500 to 1000 miles. When an engine is new EVERYTHING is tight with regards to tolerances, as it should be. If you want a good, strong running engine down the road, do the first oil & filter change between 500 and 700 miles, check over everything else on the bike per the O/M or Service Manual, then start riding THE SNOT out of it... don't be afraid to rev that motor to 10,000 RPM's. IT HAS TO BE DONE, boy's and girl's. If you don't start to run this motor up through the RPM range where it really makes it power, you will end up starting new threads over in the "Problems and Issues" forum. That segment of the CBR250R fraternity is full to the brim with sad stories... 'nuff said.

Then when you've got some real miles on it, and the tolerances have loosened up, the valve clearance can actually be adjusted. You and your engine will live happily ever after... until the next valve adjustment interval, at which time you will get to fork over yet another pile of $$ to your dealer. Unless you learn to do it yourself, at which time you will belong to an elite fraternity of motorcycle riders... those who use their own TOOLS to maintain their bike, instead of a CREDIT CARD.

I'm going for a ride...

 

[Wynne G Oldman]

The mechanic at my Honda dealer checked my clearances at the 600 mile service, and said that they were fine. He also mentioned that quite a few other models were supposed to have valve clearence checks at their first service, but almost every time he checked them, they were fine as well. He said that after the first 5 or so bikes of a new model that he checked that were in spec, he would let the customer choose whether to pay for the check, or not, based upon the information he gave them. It's not much of a biggie on our bikes, but on a four cylinder sports bike, there's a big difference in the cost of the service.

 

[etiainen]

Mike you really need to let off some steam! Have a fun ride.

I had valves tight at 600. I probably could've done them later, but I did a pretty hard break in. Of course if things need tightening up before 16k I will jump in and do them, but I doubt I'll need to.

Not needing to remove the cams will make this so much better than my old Ninja 250. That was a PITA to do. Everything was tight come adjustment at 7500 miles.

For those that ask if they should do themselves and are new riders. It may be better for you to fork over the money for the first service. Why? Well in the next 16k(if you even put on 16k before "downgrading") you will learn a lot about how your bike works and may have to "get your hands" dirty doing relatively simple things like oil, chain, brake pads, and other maintenance items. By then you may be willing to try the valve adjustment. It helps to understand what you're doing in there before you do it.

Also buying a service manual is a good idea if you plan on doing maintenance such as a valve adjustment. Hopefully by the time you reach 16k more of us will have done it and can give some insight and maybe some pictures. It's not something terribly hard if you've done it before, but the first time can be a daunting task.

 

[Brian]

definately find a different dealer or mechanic, or best yet learn to do it yourself.

 

[MotoMike]

Mike you really need to let off some steam! Have a fun ride.

I had valves tight at 600. I probably could've done them later, but I did a pretty hard break in. Of course if things need tightening up before 16k I will jump in and do them, but I doubt I'll need to.

Not needing to remove the cams will make this so much better than my old Ninja 250. That was a PITA to do. Everything was tight come adjustment at 7500 miles.

For those that ask if they should do themselves and are new riders. It may be better for you to fork over the money for the first service. Why? Well in the next 16k(if you even put on 16k before "downgrading") you will learn a lot about how your bike works and may have to "get your hands" dirty doing relatively simple things like oil, chain, brake pads, and other maintenance items. By then you may be willing to try the valve adjustment. It helps to understand what you're doing in there before you do it.

Also buying a service manual is a good idea if you plan on doing maintenance such as a valve adjustment. Hopefully by the time you reach 16k more of us will have done it and can give some insight and maybe some pictures. It's not something terribly hard if you've done it before, but the first time can be a daunting task.

I'm certainly not suggesting that first time bike owners attempt a valve inspection/adjustment at 600 miles or even at the 16k interval, etiainen.
What I was trying to say is that they can do all the other 600 mile service items themselves, have a dealer do the valve work, and save some money.
If my tone comes across as too harsh, I'm sorry about that. As someone who has spent a good deal of their working life in the motorcycle industry, it's just difficult to see some of the misinformation put up on website forum's and not say anything to counter that with correct information and procedures. I know for a fact that there are others on this forum (and other model specific forum websites) who share my sense of frustration with regard to the bad advice and misinformation being handed out like candy at Halloween. Some of it is so bad, it's laughable.

At the end of the day, anyone can "take it or leave it" with regards to advise I, or any other experienced motorcycle tech's on this forum offer up. If a new, first time motorcycle owner would rather take the advise of another new, first timer, because his friend had such and such a bike, he did this or that, or watched a You Tube video... hey go for it! I'll I can say is that what I do know about the subject of motorcycle engineering & mechanics was gleaned from real world experience, long before you could read about it on the internet. Just because a "cool" How To video goes viral on You Tube, doesn't mean it isn't a load of crap. IMO the facebook/twitter/texting/internet generation has devalued the idea that knowledge based in real world, hands on experience has any validity. It's sad but true.

BTY, I do ride my bikes every chance I get. Rather well too, I might add.

 

[etiainen]

It's fine. Sometimes a harsh tone helps. Of course da intarwebz makes things like sarcasm difficult to interpret. I know what you're suggesting about doing other maintenance and saving the valve adjustment for the dealer. I think that's pretty sound advice.

Of course, I'm a more of a "If you use it, you should learn how it works" kind of person. So I prefer to get my hands dirty in everything. Maybe not the most sound advice for every new rider out there.

I was being pretty facetious about the going out for the ride. Only a friendly joke.

I do understand your frustration though. There is some ridiculous stuff posted here. I wish we could collate all valid information somewhere here and point people to it(Can I just say again that I love wikis? I'm a CS bitch if you didn't see that.)

 

[nicer]

When I was shopping for 250s in general I found the Ninja 250 wiki, and you have to hand it to those guys - they did a pretty killer job. It's full of good, organized, valid information.

 

[Luke]

Thanks, Matt. Good information. Unfortunately, now, I'm getting mixed messages about checking the valves at 600. My dealer says "no,......waste of money because they are almost always okay". He says wait for some indication that things may not be right-----hard to start, not running right, or making value noises. Who's right. Check 'em at 600, or not??? Whipsaw.

Ask him if he will put in writing that the valve check at 600 miles is not needed. If he will, rock and roll. If he won't, then get them checked - but i'd find another dealer.

I ran into a similar problem with a commercial ZTR mower I bought. The manual recommended a hydraulic oil change at 40 hours, the dealer said he wouldn't touch it until 100, but he was unwilling to write that down. Guess when my mower gets new hydraulic oil?