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Why Waste Time on V Strom 1K Valves?

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OldTLSDoug

OldTLSDoug

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Well, I have 4 out of 8 too tight on a 1000 with 12903 mi. So to all who say we don't need to check them, I will politely agree to disagree. So I have one intake and one exhaust below minimum specification on each cylinder. So I am setting them all between mid and wide in the range. The end result is based on the shims I have on hand.

I checked the front and got the following:

245565


So as you can see one of each was below minimum, I changed all 4 shims and ended up with mid spec on all 4 valves. The rear seems to be a carbon copy. I haven't done the shim swaps yet but it is in the same shape as the front. I don't think I would have had any running issues from it, but I was quite surprised after all the "You don't need to check them on a Strom" posts I have read. Obviously I am going to finish this one, then I will do the one with 29k miles on it. Pretty sure they will need attention.

Don't skip maintenance, lots of stuff isn't necessarily true that we hear on the internet. Just wanted to mention this on here so folks can hear another side. I plan to take the fork brace off of the new one as well. It has a bad fork seal too.

Here are a couple of gratuitous shots of the nekkid cams and such.

245566


245567
 
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All I can say about this is...
I did not keep any 1000 Strom for any length of time to need to check the valves. I owned 3 of the DL1000s....an 02...an 03...& after a few years..an 05 briefly.

Now....of the 4 DL650s Ive owned... the 04 & 06 both had over 80k when I sold em... both running great....& with only 1 valve check where adjustments were needed on each bike. Those checks were at 50-60k..the 04 having been checked at 20-25k without needing any shim swaps.

The 06 got its first check at 60k & needed most shims swapped ...but not excessively out of spec...only at the limit..or just over.

The 011 Oui was sold at appx 35k without needing an adjustment & running great.

The 12 that I just traded did not have a valve check while I owned it... Bought at appx 19k & sold with 28,500 again..
running great. Not sure if the prev owner had the valves checked or not.

I would be curious to kno other folks experiences with SV650 valve adjustment intervals too....since those engines are slightly higher tuned than V Stroms....& I would guess run in higher rpm ranges.



Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk
 
Rod, I am not talking Wee Strom Valves, talking big 'uns. I have no data for the wee.
 
well, that song will be stuck in my head all day. and I've never even ridden a Wee!
 
Mr2mch said:
Im jus down the road in Waco....

But I rode 650s.... & the Tens arent much different on valves

Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Actually the shim and bucket is the same, but the 1K has hybrid gear/chain drive for the cams. Easier to remove a bit trickier to time
 
How quickly a valve shim wear depends largely on how much force is exerted between it and the cam lobe. That force is directly proportional to pressure exerted by the valve spring. The higher the spring rate, the higher the spring pressure. How much spring rate is required is determined mainly by a couple of factors:

1. Size/mass of valve
2. Peak Velocity of the reciprocating valve

The larger/heavier the valve and the higher the RPM, the higher the spring rate needs to be to keep the reciprocating valves under control... that is, no valve float.

Now, the larger the engine cc's, the larger the valves. But the more valves there are in total, the smaller each valve needs to be.

This 1000cc V-twin has 4 intake and 4 exhaust, so say 250cc per each valve. Redline is 9500RPM(?), with a power band between 4-7k. I never rode a V-Strom 1000 but from what I remember riding the SV1000S, between 4-7k is pretty much how I rode most of the time.

Compare this to say the K1600GT, which has 1649cc spread across 12 intake and 12 exhaust. So 137cc per valve. Redline is 8500RPM, with a powerband between 3-6k. Typically, I rarely venture beyond the torque peak @ 5200RPM, as there is little need to. It isn't out of the ordinary to mope along all day at 3k RPM.

There are lots of K16 riders that report no valve adjustment necessary at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th valve check intervals.

Same reason many folks praise the longevity of the old 5-valve R1 engines.
 
Mr2mch said:
All I can say about this is...
I did not keep any 1000 Strom for any length of time to need to check the valves. I owned 3 of the DL1000s....an 02...an 03...& after a few years..an 05 briefly.

Now....of the 4 DL650s Ive owned... the 04 & 06 both had over 80k when I sold em... both running great....& with only 1 valve check where adjustments were needed on each bike. Those checks were at 50-60k..the 04 having been checked at 20-25k without needing any shim swaps.

The 06 got its first check at 60k & needed most shims swapped ...but not excessively out of spec...only at the limit..or just over.

The 011 Oui was sold at appx 35k without needing an adjustment & running great.

The 12 that I just traded did not have a valve check while I owned it... Bought at appx 19k & sold with 28,500 again..
running great. Not sure if the prev owner had the valves checked or not.

I would be curious to kno other folks experiences with SV650 valve adjustment intervals too....since those engines are slightly higher tuned than V Stroms....& I would guess run in higher rpm ranges.



Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It did. 1 was out of spec slightly.
 
I have only experienced one instance in which I performed a valve check at the recommended interval and didn't need to replace at least a few shims. It was the first check of my ZRX1200R way back at 7,000 miles. It has needed shims at every subsequent interval. Lucky, shim replacement is super easy on that particular engine (no cam removal). But every other bike I've ever owned that required valve adjustment always needed it at the recommended check. I don't get the mentality so many adopt that these checks can be ignored without consequence. Out of spec valve clearances can be an engine's death knell.
 
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TWTim said:
I have only experienced one instance in which I performed a valve check at the recommended interval and didn't need to replace at least a few shims. It was the first check of my ZRX1200R way back at 7,000 miles. It has needed shims at every subsequent interval. Lucky, shim replacement is super easy on that particular engine (no cam removal). But every other bike I've ever own that required valve adjustment always needed it at the recommended check. I don't get the mentality so many adopt that these checks can be ignored without consequence. Out of spec valve clearances can be an engine's death knell.
Click to expand...
"Why is my bike not running right I've always changed oil on time"

It blows my mind as well
 
MidlifeCrisis said:
How quickly a valve shim wear depends largely on how much force is exerted between it and the cam lobe. That force is directly proportional to pressure exerted by the valve spring......
Click to expand...

Actually it is usually the valve seats that wear resulting in the valve stem getting closer to the cam. The shims are generally the same thickness going in as coming out.
 
Plane Dr said:
It did. 1 was out of spec slightly.
Click to expand...
I stand corrected....
Of course the two 650s I put over 80k on were the 04 & 06.....before Suzy made several engine "enhancements" in 07
I seemta remember sumthin bout simplifing the valvetrain somehow....along with the dual spark plugs & larger muffler with ox sensor.
My 011 Oui DID get better fuel mileage...by bout 10%

Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk
 
OldTLSDoug said:
The shims are generally the same thickness going in as coming out.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I have never pulled a shim out of service that didn't mic true. In fact, in several instances, I've simply swapped two shims one to the other within a valvetrain to get a correct spec on both.
 
OldTLSDoug said:
Actually it is usually the valve seats that wear resulting in the valve stem getting closer to the cam. The shims are generally the same thickness going in as coming out.
Click to expand...
Yep
 
RobG said:
Please, open a shop in Missouri City...the dealers in my area do horrible work and over charge...****, I wouldn't trust them to put air in the tires without messin' it up...just sayin'. :chug:
Click to expand...
And you take it to the bandits (excuse the suzuki pun) for valve job and wonder if they even cracked into the engine at all
 
OldTLSDoug said:
"Why Waste Time on V Strom 1K Valves "
Click to expand...

As Doug well knows,,,but for others, Why? because for every 99 that dont need adjustment, 1 will...if your that 1 and listen to internet forum logic of it "never needs done" you get to spend money on recovery when you get a no hot start, and spend more money on a full valve job to replace burned valves.









[/QUOTE]
 
I'm already studying up for a valve check and any adjustment for my '14 DL1000. At 6500 miles on the odometer I've got some riding time before the needed check. Wish it was as easy as my K75RT. The K valves hang out on the left side and it's a shim over bucket arrangement. $28 buys the needed tools and the job pretty much a snap for a shim valve system. The Shiver I didn't do, disassembly to get to the valves seemed a real bear and I let tech do it, I still regret that decision
 
Its been my experience that the fewer miles you have on the bike, the more likely you are to need a valve or two adjusted. As the miles pile on, there seems to be less wear on the valve train requiring less adjustment.
 
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