6th generation VFR owners manual recommends first factory-certified valve adjustment at 16,000 miles. Mine's at 14,500, well-maintained and running like a top. My trusted Honda dealer said their VFR riders are going 25,000-35,0000+ miles without valve worries and that I should just keep riding and listen carefully. Save my money until I hear something, there's time to safely adjust. Anybody else get that advice or have that experience? Or, can damage occur without warning? (The adjustment/labor cost is around $450). Dealer recently did same scheduled inspection on my bud's '07 CBR600R and the valves were still factory spec, perfect.
[image: View Post]Bruce Waters, on 08 December 2009 - 04:03 PM, said:
6th generation VFR owners manual recommends first factory-certified valve adjustment at 16,000 miles. Mine's at 14,500, well-maintained and running like a top. My trusted Honda dealer said their VFR riders are going 25,000-35,0000+ miles without valve worries and that I should just keep riding and listen carefully. Save my money until I hear something, there's time to safely adjust. Anybody else get that advice or have that experience? Or, can damage occur without warning? (The adjustment/labor cost is around $450). Dealer recently did same scheduled inspection on my bud's '07 CBR600R and the valves were still factory spec, perfect.
Bruce Waters
There has been plenty said on the subject, and the popular vote is to do what your mech. said. I had a '99 VFR and had the valves checked every 16k and only needed one valve adjusted(@ 48k)and that one wasn't that bad but the mech. said as long as it was apart why not.... The next 50k never had a problem....
$450 is REALLY low for a VTEC valve adjustment, so if he's serious about that price I might take him up on that. I'm at 28k miles without the valve adjustment and it runs perfectly.
I don't think it's necessary to do the valve adjustment per Honda's schedule, but if it helps your peace of mind than it's probably worth it.
[image: View Post]Bruce Waters, on 08 December 2009 - 04:03 PM, said:
I should just keep riding and listen carefully.
Listen for what? A valve too tight will be soooooo quiet. Two schools of thought on this issue; those that do and those that don't. It is your investment.
I just did mine and had 3 Vtec out of adjustment, all exhaust valves, and all close enough I would have said "skip it" had I known how it would turn out. It's a fun process if you do it yourself I guess, although it has been 3 months+ now since I have ridden...
:goofy: I've got over 70k miles on mine w/o checking them yet and know of someone else with close to 90k if there not over that yet.
btw my 70k is easily equivalent to to at least 125k miles of normal riding! ;)
Don't waste the money OR I can do it remotely for the same price while you sleep! Your call! :ph34r:
btw Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 08 December 2009 - 05:13 PM, said:
No!
:goofy: I've got over 70k miles on mine w/o checking them yet and know of someone else with close to 90k if there not over that yet.
btw my 70k is easily equivalent to to at least 125k miles of normal riding! ;)
Don't waste the money OR I can do it remotely for the same price while you sleep! Your call! :ph34r:
btw Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
:+1: :+1: :+1: 44,000 and counting on my 07 :cool:
As the valve seat wears away the valve clearance tends to decrease. Increased valve clearance is what you can hear so listening won't usually help. Potential valve damage would be caused when the clearance gets to zero and valves fail to seal. Excaping gases would burn the valves or seat. The chances of this happening durring the life span of this engine are very minute.
Valve checks are insurance against valve damage. I could adust the valves on my '82 CB650 in 30 minutes or have the dealer do it for 1/2 to 1 hr. labor. It was cheap insurance on that bike.
Whereas it takes 8 hours to valve check a VTEC. The cost of a few of checks exceeds that of a used engine off of Ebay and having it installed. When the high cost of valve checks exceeds the cost of failure it does not pencil. Chances are it will not fail anyway during the life of the engine.
At 77k miles and two valve checks with no need for adustment I do not plan on ever checking valves again on this bike or any other VTEC I may own.
I think a good middle ground is spring for the first check; if things look good, then ride as long as you feel comfortable before you do it again, if ever.
[image: View Post]rad, on 08 December 2009 - 04:33 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Bruce Waters, on 08 December 2009 - 04:03 PM, said:
I should just keep riding and listen carefully.
Listen for what? A valve too tight will be soooooo quiet. Two schools of thought on this issue; those that do and those that don't. It is your investment.
[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 08 December 2009 - 07:13 PM, said:
Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
[image: View Post]Bad Boy, on 08 December 2009 - 10:55 PM, said:
As the valve seat wears away the valve clearance tends to decrease. Increased valve clearance is what you can hear so listening won't usually help.
[image: View Post]dutchinterceptor, on 08 December 2009 - 03:12 PM, said:
Most wait till 20K or 30K. Mine had three very slightly out at 22K.
One goofy member here has yet to do his after 60K or whatever its up to now. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/goofy.gif
Thats Besides BRock(right),, >G< im at 65k no check , but I run leaded race fuel supplement , I got laid off so that stalled my milege for a few months.
someday, I may take it to a shop and have it done, but not likely before 100, 000 mile
My previous bike was a '04 RC51... took it for it's first 16k vlv maint check, came back 2 days later when I was off from work; no adjustments.
36k vlv maint check; all still within specs... no adjustments done. After that, my mileage exceeded the warrantee time frame of course and just before I lost the RC51, I had 68,722 mi on her... with zero problems.
Honda reliability there!
My 1985 V65 Sabre? Same thing (only had one owner before me) records show its first 42k had no need for vlv adjustments. Right now, she's at 85,4XX miles and only had to have the valves adjusted once. All needed it, but were just barely out of spec. Not bad at all for that year and mileage and heavy throttle hand.
For all the Honda's I've owned, you ride them... they'll last a long time.
[image: View Post]BaileyRock, on 08 December 2009 - 06:13 PM, said:
No!
:goofy: I've got over 70k miles on mine w/o checking them yet and know of someone else with close to 90k if there not over that yet.
btw my 70k is easily equivalent to to at least 125k miles of normal riding! ;)
Don't waste the money OR I can do it remotely for the same price while you sleep! Your call! :ph34r:
btw Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
YEAH BUT, Kevin.....you had a crash too!!! Would that have happened if you had your valves checked every 16,000 miles??? Would it have happened if you were using the right oil??? :goofy:
[image: View Post]Switchblade, on 27 January 2010 - 06:03 PM, said:
[image: View Post]hondalover, on 09 December 2009 - 12:16 PM, said:
It all depends on what oil you use. :goofy:
Slick 50 That Baby :biggrin:
Is that stuff still being sold? It never ceased to amaze me how many people swore by it with no objective or measureable evidence that it did anything. :rolleyes:
[image: View Post]Bent, on 27 January 2010 - 05:51 PM, said:
[image: View Post]BaileyRock, on 08 December 2009 - 06:13 PM, said:
No!
:goofy: I've got over 70k miles on mine w/o checking them yet and know of someone else with close to 90k if there not over that yet.
btw my 70k is easily equivalent to to at least 125k miles of normal riding! ;)
Don't waste the money OR I can do it remotely for the same price while you sleep! Your call! :ph34r:
btw Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
YEAH BUT, Kevin.....you had a crash too!!! Would that have happened if you had your valves checked every 16,000 miles??? Would it have happened if you were using the right oil??? :goofy:
Be careful out there and heal up Pal!!! :fing02:
It was that Damn Vtec kicking-in that made me crash, burn and be killed again! :rolleyes:
[image: View Post]BaileyRock, on 28 January 2010 - 10:48 AM, said:
[image: View Post]Bent, on 27 January 2010 - 05:51 PM, said:
[image: View Post]BaileyRock, on 08 December 2009 - 06:13 PM, said:
No!
:goofy: I've got over 70k miles on mine w/o checking them yet and know of someone else with close to 90k if there not over that yet.
btw my 70k is easily equivalent to to at least 125k miles of normal riding! ;)
Don't waste the money OR I can do it remotely for the same price while you sleep! Your call! :ph34r:
btw Most valves get TIGHT not loose so you would most likely never hear one!
YEAH BUT, Kevin.....you had a crash too!!! Would that have happened if you had your valves checked every 16,000 miles??? Would it have happened if you were using the right oil??? :goofy:
Be careful out there and heal up Pal!!! :fing02:
It was that Damn Vtec kicking-in that made me crash, burn and be killed again! :rolleyes:
Yep, know what you mean. I'm scared to death of that VTEC but once you've been killed once it gets easier each time after that..... :fing02:
End of thread · 23 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Apr 2010