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Which cruisers have hydraulic valve lash adjustment?

Joined
Aug 1, 2007
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Location
Fort Worth
First Name
Dan
Last Name
Gill
One of these years I'm going to upgrade from my little buzzy S40. I've found that I can only really fit on a cruiser. Which cruisers have hydraulic valve adjusters? Isn't it the Kawasaki Vulcans? Does that hold for all models?

This is just one factor in my ongoing quest for the perfect bike. For now . . .
 
eh................yes.
One of the criteria for my bick was minimal maitaince. Read no valve adjustments.
Valve adjustments are not so bad if they are on horizontal opposed heads but the vertical motors it is just way more work with shims and special tools, I would rather not.
 
The cruisers that I know of that have hydraulic valve lash adjustments are:
Kawasaki Nomad 1600
Kawasaki Vulcan 750
Yamaha Road Star 1700
Suzuki Boulevard C90
Suzuki Boulevard S83
Honda Shadow 750
Honda Shadow 1100
Harley Davidsons Sportster, Dyna, Softails and Touring

Valve adjustments are non-issue if you have the right bike. On the Bonneville, you have shim-over-bucket and you have to remove both the intake cam and the exaust cam (DOHC) but it's all right there in front of you. The hardest thing is going to Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Triumph to find the right thickness 25mm shims. My old Kawasaki Concours has locknut adjusters but you had to take off tons of plastic and stuff to get to them. After that, angled feeler gauges and a 10 and 8 mm wrench and screwdriver and you were done. I'm thinking of going with a BMW R1200R, also real easy valve adjustments, easier than the Bonneville too.
 
eh................yes.
One of the criteria for my bike (SIC) was minimal maitaince. Read no valve adjustments.
Valve adjustments are not so bad if they are on horizontal opposed heads but the vertical motors it is just way more work with shims and special tools, I would rather not.

Like Dave said... horizontal opposed heads are easy. I.e. Boxer engines.

Valve adjustments are easy as pie to do. Can be done in 20 min's both sides and the only tools you need are feeler gauges and an Allen wrench to get the valve cover off.
 
I can see that. Unfortunately, I'd have to do a MAJOR wallet adjustment . . .

:jammin: Yup. Tell me about it.... I just had to buy a new transmission.

If you want a Boxer engine... I'll sell you my GS. :trust:
 
harleys do not require valve adjustments.They have hydraulic lifters.If I remember right my roadstars needed valves adjusted at 16,000 miles, my V-max was like at 28,000,my wifes 750 spirit is at 6,000 miles
 
I am pretty sure every modern, not beginer, cruiser will have hydraulic valves. I would say to reach an American main stream market, keeping it simple for the end user and not caring about a little added weight will go a long ways.

And yes, the triumph does blow my theory out of the water, but that beautiful bike isn't really all that main stream :trust:
 
My Valkyrie is a boxer with easily adjusted valves....I understand. I think I will try to adjust mine this winter (if I have the time) since I only have 96,000 on it, I haven't bothered the valves yet. I felt a little guilty about that until I met a guy with 225K on his without a valve adjustment.:eek2:
 
Adjustment required but easy!
100_1053.jpg


No adjustment required!
100_0986.jpg
 
Roadstar's, Roadliner's, Stratoliner's, and the Warrior (all from Star Motorcycles) have hydraulic lifters in them. They do say that you need to adjust the valves at specific intervals however. What they are talking about is to make sure that both intake and exhaust valve's have the same clearance. There is a lock-nut adjuster for one of valves on each rocker.

Although I will be honest with you. I've never, ever heard of a roadie or other similar Yamaha powered bike ever needing a valve adjust. My Warrior had over 40k miles on it and still never needed a single bit of adjustment.
 
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