26000 valve check

How critical is the 26000 mi valve check? I ask because the svc is 6.5 hrs and about 600+ dollars. My 94 BMW K1100lt had the valves checked at 16000 and has never been checked since. The bike has 126000 mi. at the present time. My FJR is a 2006.

BMWCONVERT

bmwconvert said:

How critical is the 26000 mi valve check? I ask because the svc is 6.5 hrs and about 600+ dollars. My 94 BMW K1100lt had the valves checked at 16000 and has never been checked since. The bike has 126000 mi. at the present time. My FJR is a 2006.
BMWCONVERT

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I have 43,000 miles on my '03 and the valve clearances are still in spec. and I check 'em about every 12,000 miles.

Just my opinion but it's easy to "over" maintain, if you know what I mean. It ain't the space shuttle!

That said - I'd do my best not to mess up on anything and void the warranty.

bmwconvert said:

How critical is the 26000 mi valve check? I ask because the svc is 6.5 hrs and about 600+ dollars. My 94 BMW K1100lt had the valves checked at 16000 and has never been checked since. The bike has 126000 mi. at the present time. My FJR is a 2006.
BMWCONVERT

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Did they quote 6.5 and $600 for a valve check or a valve adjustment? If the former....that's extremely high and I'd find somebody else that won't try and bone you.

It is very important to have the valves checked if you want to maintain your YES warranty (assuming you have one). If they find the valves out of adjustment (which is fairly uncommon) then they'd have to adjust them and it would be more expensive.

I've had the valves checked at 26,000 for 2.5 hours of work before and at $60 an hour. I'm about to go in for the 52,000 mile mark and hope they're in spec. Memory serves that it was an additional 2 or 3 hours if they are out of spec and need adjustment.

I thought it was usually around $240 or so for a valve check, maybe less?

I just had this done & my valves were out of spec. Adjustment was $373.49.

luvtoride said:

I just had this done & my valves were out of spec. Adjustment was $373.49.

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Ya don't say :glare: .

How many of your valves were out of spec? Just wondering. I hit 26K in Utah this past weekend and I'm not looking forward to this job.

I'm not sure how many. I didn't ask.

I wouldn't skip a valve check, Y.E.S. or not. Apparently most bikes don't require adjustment the first time, but you can't afford to assume that. Valves tighten with miles, and if you don't catch an out of spec one (or more), you'd be in for an expensive repair.

If it wasn't for the stupid coolant tubes, it'd be a piece of cake to check them, but it's still easy enough for the average 'weekend warrior' with a service manual. Good luck, and get it done buddy.

JC

How does it work with YES if you do your own? How can you prove that you did it. I tend to do everything myself on my bikes, thank god never had to deal with warranty issues before. Just wondering.

Thank you.

Just, got mine back from service, oil change, rear lube changed, new plugs, trottle bodies syc, and valves checked ( no asjustments needed) $263.50

I had three off, 2 for sure, 1 at minimum, all intakes, all tight.

cougar8000 said:

How can you prove that you did it.

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Valves don't go out of adjustment in a whim, so if you know what you're doing, and clearances were fine, you have nothing to worry about. But if you want absolute proof you went in there, just scribe your name inside the valve cover B) .

Just keep everything documented, and keep receipts if you buy anything, like gaskets, coolant, etc. As long as the work is done properly, you have nothing to worry about buddy. Take care.

JC

Just my opinion but.. the Fjr certainly depreciates at let us say a "normal "rate for a Japan built bike so that if the bike is say 5 years old and aproaching a 26000 mile service maybe logically it would be best for you to just save your money and ride the bike soon it won't be worth enough to waste the money on then you can maybe do it youself.

nomosnow said:

Just my opinion but.. the Fjr certainly depreciates at let us say a "normal "rate for a Japan built bike so that if the bike is say 5 years old and aproaching a 26000 mile service maybe logically it would be best for you to just save your money and ride the bike soon it won't be worth enough to waste the money on then you can maybe do it youself.

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That makes as much sense as waiting to take a shit so you can save on toilet paper.

According to my local shop, a valve check is 1.5-2hrs of labor. multiply that by the shop rate....you get the idea.

FWIW, my 56k service consisted of a valve check (4k late, but still in spec), new plugs and the rest of the long list, including all the suspension pivots. the total bill for 6 hours total at 60$ an hour, and 4 new spark plugs was 393$.

Just had Mike at Desert Valley Powersports do my 26,000 mile service enroute home from WFO. None of my valves were in need of adjustment, and Mike told me that of the many FJR's he's seen almost none have needed adjustment. - But you gotta check em!!

PS I'm very happy with my new ME880 rear tire. The change in tire size almost exactly wipes out my FJR's speedo error. Now I'm off less than 1 mph at 80 (according to my GPS, not my friendly local LEO's...)