Checking the valve clearance is easy and fun. Changing the valve clearance is more involved since the camshaft(s) has to come out. My old Suzuki uses a shim on top of the bucket. A special tool levers the bucket down and the shim is replaced with a thinner or thicker shim. My old Honda uses an adjustment screw on the valve rocker. The camshafts stay in place.

Most newer bikes have the shim under the bucket, on top of the valve. All the clearances are checked and written down, the crank is rotated and done several more times until all valves are checked. If any are too tight or too loose, the crank is set to TDC, the camshaft sprockets are loosened and the cams slid out. The buckets of the loose or tight valves are taken off, the shim sizes are read, or if they are wiped off, the shims are miked, and new shims are inserted to get the correct clearance. The cams are slid back in, checked to make sure the exhaust and intake aren't switched, are in the correct time, and you're done. You definitely need the manual for this.

yep it's alittle daunting to say the least! You're exactly right,btw,about checking being easy. Now I'm trying NOT to chicken out and do the shim job myself. A few other factors making me think twice about doing it; stimilus check=free $$$, shop will do the job for $200-300, I suspect I have a bad/broken spring-if so extended warranty will pay for whole job. OOOO desisions,desisions!!! Oh well,it'll wait until after Memorial Day!

Fuck-an-aye

The only thing I haven't done on mine are valves and belts, they freak me out. I just ordered the DVD to walk me through these desmo scary valves.

I keep a check list in the garage for each of the bikes - what maintenance, when... that way I know what was done and when, and what should be done and when.

I would encourage anyone that has collected tools over the years to take an inventory from time to time. A friend of mine had their garage broken into and got cleaned out... it was only then, when they needed to replace things, they realized how expensive tools are.

That shop thing is the coolest!!

And Tiger... I would take the bike in under the warrenty and complaign about top end noise and the possible vlv problem. Then talk to the shop about diong the vlv adjustment while its there.

Only reason being the warrenty!

Hobby Shop FTW! It's great having access to a lift and air tools without buying them!

Yea,that's what I think I'll do. I called the parts dept about the shims and found out they'll be about $100,then The valve cover gasket and o-rings,not to mention a metric feeler gage and any other tools I might need puts it at about half what they'll charge if I have them do it or zero if they can get Suzuki to pay for it. In this case,I think you're right.

yea-under warranty, make them do it. and watch

Excessive top end noise... make them do a leak down test to check the valve and the valve clearances. Then they will find the problems and have to at the very least adjust the valves.