[riverszzr]

For sure adjust valve clearances-- I mean that is a given

Check the cam sprockets and chain for wear while in there, check the tensioner and make sure it is good-functions smoothly and doesn't show any wear etc...

Throttle body sync, TPS adjustment, lube the cables, flush the brakes, all pretty standard maintenance affair.

Then of course you have suspension....how old is the fork oil?- what about the steering head bearings, they surely would benefit from cleaning and regreasing or replacing to a better bearing all together

If you are going back to stock exhaust- you'll probably atleast want to check the map on the PC- goods odds it was never set up properly anyways, so you will want to address that, they simply don not need 20-40% more fuel dumped on them, in any rpm range and all too often many of those maps people profess as "working" that is exactly what they have

as far as the coolant recovery tank......about any plastic weld, or even a jbweld I am sure would be fine, I can't see it obviously but I am guessing it is up high above normal coolant line, so it is just to keep it from splashing out- it may be better to get a different tank with the tab still intact though, so it mounts securely... but again I cannot see it

I am sure there is more too.... but I need to go back to work and earn my payday

 

[shocker35]

The previous owner said the forks were serviced about a month before hand. There are no leaks. The bike seemed to idle slightly rough, barely could tell, so I am hoping with the stock exhaust that will help even it out. The hole is at the bottom of the coolant tank. :/ Thank you for the advice. I will most likely be tearing into it a little more this weekend. Do you happen to have an online or digital copy of the service manual for that bike? All the ones I find seem sketchy.

Thanks again.

 

[Brandon35]

What are your thoughts on a bike as a whole? Not just shims and such but everything down to the wheel alignment on the swing arm and the tolerance of the spark plugs and even the fuel lines? Would that all cause differences in performance/reliability/wear? Certainly I think they would but where is the point that "good enough" takes effect, to where you can actually go out and enjoy the ride instead of worrying about wear and max performance? We all have limits to what we wish to do - some more than others - but is there a place where even you will stop tinkering with perfection? For me, I'd love to build a bike from the ground up and be as perfect as possible, but even the tools we use to measure certain parts have a tolerance of inaccuracy that we need to be aware of - especially if you have multiple of the same tool and end up using more than the one you started with. I'm not against what you said at all, I just want to know where you would stop and say "good enough". :O

 

[Fishbowl]

Fricking ma Kaw corp.

I ordered up 40- 2.925 shms and only 6 arrived, enough to button up that bike last week, but now yet another fricking C14 in need of............. you guessed it, 10- 2.925 shims and all I have is 3.
Seriously how the fuck can they only have 6 in the entire USA warehouse network? and worse yet not be able to tell me any idea when I could expect the rest.

I got sick of waiting, Went to Honda and ordered 50 of them with overnight shipping, I'll have them Monday morning, well some of them anyways about half are in stock between 3 warehouses.
Sadly I have yet another C14 scheduled for next Wednesday----I am sick of C14's- they absolutely suck to work on. Blast to ride, suck to do maintenance on, come to think of it, there is not a bike on my price list that costs more to do than the C14.

Using Kawasaki shims?

Is there a reason I should be using OEM shims versus something like Hot Cams? I found the Kawasaki shims to be several dollars a piece where the Hot Cams are a fraction of the cost.

 

[riverszzr]

Using Kawasaki shims?

Is there a reason I should be using OEM shims versus something like Hot Cams? I found the Kawasaki shims to be several dollars a piece where the Hot Cams are a fraction of the cost.

Yes, Quality control!

Hot cams and all those aftermarket are barely surface hardened at best
And if you mic them, you will find that a bag of 5 "2.95" will range from 2.937-2.948...atleast the bag I checked did

but the real issue is they are not hardened sufficiently, despite what anyone tells you or thinks. And they will dent where the valve stem meets the shim and where the bucket dimple sits on the shim, especially if clearances get loose at all-even to the loose end of spec in most cases........then you get even bigger clearances and it escalates the problems

Kaw,Hon,Yam,Suz won't warranty any valve train issue if aftermarket shims were installed ..........they will decide that is the cause of the failure--I have been down this road with more than a couple customers already....... not that warranty is that big of a deal often---but that certainly should tell you something

 

[riverszzr]

What are your thoughts on a bike as a whole? Not just shims and such but everything down to the wheel alignment on the swing arm and the tolerance of the spark plugs and even the fuel lines? Would that all cause differences in performance/reliability/wear? Certainly I think they would but where is the point that "good enough" takes effect, to where you can actually go out and enjoy the ride instead of worrying about wear and max performance? We all have limits to what we wish to do - some more than others - but is there a place where even you will stop tinkering with perfection? For me, I'd love to build a bike from the ground up and be as perfect as possible, but even the tools we use to measure certain parts have a tolerance of inaccuracy that we need to be aware of - especially if you have multiple of the same tool and end up using more than the one you started with. I'm not against what you said at all, I just want to know where you would stop and say "good enough". :O

Really???

Good enough is not a measurement or in my tool box, so no........there is not a "good enough" standard I will accept in my day to day work

Of course money is finite, so I am bound by the rules of how much things cost just like everyone..

But just a couple quick examples;

Fork oil- most would assume that if you fill the forks within say about 2mm of each other that is "good enough"----you would never find that with me.....they are exactly the same--or as close as my tools can possibly measure.....it is free to do it correctly, why wouldn't you

Valve clearances, many think within spec is "good enough"...good enough is when they are perfect, that is when they are good enough, even with standard shim sizes you can easily attain a clearance variance of less than .0005" between all 8 of the intakes or all 8 of the exhausts.....again, why wouldn't you do it properly?

Cylinder bore? Big end rod roundness? etc........those can easily be made to be perfectly round (they don't come that way from the factory, and only get worse with use).......if you are in doing the work, why not make them perfect?--there is no good enough when it is so easy to do it right.

Throttle body sync/Carb sync.... again- easy to be perfect, so what the fuck is "good enough".... it is perfect, nothing else matters

Wheel alignment, chain free play, tire balance etc..........all the same deal.. Why be "good enough" when perfect is easily achievable.

The answer is LAZY !

 

[Fishbowl]

Yes, Quality control!

Hot cams and all those aftermarket are barely surface hardened at best
And if you mic them, you will find that a bag of 5 "2.95" will range from 2.937-2.948...atleast the bag I checked did

but the real issue is they are not hardened sufficiently, despite what anyone tells you or thinks. And they will dent where the valve stem meets the shim and where the bucket dimple sits on the shim, especially if clearances get loose at all-even to the loose end of spec in most cases........then you get even bigger clearances and it escalates the problems

Kaw,Hon,Yam,Suz won't warranty any valve train issue if aftermarket shims were installed ..........they will decide that is the cause of the failure--I have been down this road with more than a couple customers already....... not that warranty is that big of a deal often---but that certainly should tell you something

I did notice the Kawasaki shims had a different color in the center of the shim where the tappet would hit. Looked like the shim was hardened differently in the center. The hot cams of course do not have that.

You are right about the thickness being all over the place as well.

I have the Hot Cams in three bikes right now. We do our valve clearances religiously so do you see any need for me to rush and get them out now or would you think it okay to just swap to OEM at my next regular clearance check?

 

[riverszzr]

I see bikes frequently come in with aftermarket shims, I throw them out and put in oem

I have seen 3 times where an aftermarket shims has broken and taken the valve tip with it and the retaining washer and then gotten wedged under the bucket-holding the valve open........once enough to slam dunk the piston when it came up

While extreme cases for sure, I would take them out at your earliest convenience and not trust them, especially if you are running them in a track bike/race bike

Often I see these aftermarket shims coming out and they are "dented" on both sides, often by .0005" on each side, sometimes more.....that just added atleast .001" clearance to whatever you set them at- which to me is pretty unacceptable "wear".... considering they are only surface hardened about .001" in- how much longer do you suppose those shims already dented through half that will last before there are through the hard coating?

FYI--Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/Yamaha all use the same 7.5mm shims- and Honda sells them for the least amount of money, so you can buy shims (in your appropriate thickness need) from any Honda dealer for less money....VFR800,CBR (all of them) all take 7.5mm shims-----Some of the Kawasaki's, require thicker than 3.05mm and that is the highest Honda goes to, then you do need to go with the oem Kawasaki shim for a little more money each

 

[Fishbowl]

I see bikes frequently come in with aftermarket shims, I throw them out and put in oem

I have seen 3 times where an aftermarket shims has broken and taken the valve tip with it and the retaining washer and then gotten wedged under the bucket-holding the valve open........once enough to slam dunk the piston when it came up

While extreme cases for sure, I would take them out at your earliest convenience and not trust them, especially if you are running them in a track bike/race bike

Often I see these aftermarket shims coming out and they are "dented" on both sides, often by .0005" on each side, sometimes more.....that just added atleast .001" clearance to whatever you set them at- which to me is pretty unacceptable "wear".... considering they are only surface hardened about .001" in- how much longer do you suppose those shims already dented through half that will last before there are through the hard coating?

FYI--Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/Yamaha all use the same 7.5mm shims- and Honda sells them for the least amount of money, so you can buy shims (in your appropriate thickness need) from any Honda dealer for less money....VFR800,CBR (all of them) all take 7.5mm shims-----Some of the Kawasaki's, require thicker than 3.05mm and that is the highest Honda goes to, then you do need to go with the oem Kawasaki shim for a little more money each

This is VERY helpful. Thank you riverszzr and WELCOME BACK!!!!

 

[oldninjadude]

Really???

Good enough is not a measurement or in my tool box, so no........there is not a "good enough" standard I will accept in my day to day work

Of course money is finite, so I am bound by the rules of how much things cost just like everyone..

But just a couple quick examples;

Fork oil- most would assume that if you fill the forks within say about 2mm of each other that is "good enough"----you would never find that with me.....they are exactly the same--or as close as my tools can possibly measure.....it is free to do it correctly, why wouldn't you

Valve clearances, many think within spec is "good enough"...good enough is when they are perfect, that is when they are good enough, even with standard shim sizes you can easily attain a clearance variance of less than .0005" between all 8 of the intakes or all 8 of the exhausts.....again, why wouldn't you do it properly?

Cylinder bore? Big end rod roundness? etc........those can easily be made to be perfectly round (they don't come that way from the factory, and only get worse with use).......if you are in doing the work, why not make them perfect?--there is no good enough when it is so easy to do it right.

Throttle body sync/Carb sync.... again- easy to be perfect, so what the fuck is "good enough".... it is perfect, nothing else matters

Wheel alignment, chain free play, tire balance etc..........all the same deal.. Why be "good enough" when perfect is easily achievable.

The answer is LAZY !

Fucking A. :thumbup: My OCD will not accept anything less.

 

[Brandon35]

Really???



Good enough is not a measurement or in my tool box, so no........there is not a "good enough" standard I will accept in my day to day work



Of course money is finite, so I am bound by the rules of how much things cost just like everyone..



But just a couple quick examples;



Fork oil- most would assume that if you fill the forks within say about 2mm of each other that is "good enough"----you would never find that with me.....they are exactly the same--or as close as my tools can possibly measure.....it is free to do it correctly, why wouldn't you



Valve clearances, many think within spec is "good enough"...good enough is when they are perfect, that is when they are good enough, even with standard shim sizes you can easily attain a clearance variance of less than .0005" between all 8 of the intakes or all 8 of the exhausts.....again, why wouldn't you do it properly?



Cylinder bore? Big end rod roundness? etc........those can easily be made to be perfectly round (they don't come that way from the factory, and only get worse with use).......if you are in doing the work, why not make them perfect?--there is no good enough when it is so easy to do it right.



Throttle body sync/Carb sync.... again- easy to be perfect, so what the fuck is "good enough".... it is perfect, nothing else matters



Wheel alignment, chain free play, tire balance etc..........all the same deal.. Why be "good enough" when perfect is easily achievable.



The answer is LAZY !

I didnt mean being lazy, i meant when is the point where you stop tinkering and just go ride the bike? Of course if im doing work on my bike im going to do everything as perfectly as possible, but when do you stop breaking everything down and just go ride?

 

[riverszzr]

I didnt mean being lazy, i meant when is the point where you stop tinkering and just go ride the bike? Of course if im doing work on my bike im going to do everything as perfectly as possible, but when do you stop breaking everything down and just go ride?

I have 80k on this bike and put on about 40k on the 09 while I was also riding this bike. all in the past 6 seasons of riding
That is about 20k a year.... I ride plenty

 

[riverszzr]

Fucking A. :thumbup: My OCD will not except anything less.

apparently your grammar will though.

except.......accept........totally different meanings :coocoo

 

[oldninjadude]

apparently your grammar will though.

except.......accept........totally different meanings :coocoo

haha yeah my spelling sucks, And apparently your single.
what with all that time spent riding & tuning..:sigh:

 

[lockey99]

apparently your grammar will though.

except.......accept........totally different meanings :coocoo

Gota love this guy lol. If there's any advice I 100% trust it's here

 

[Brandon35]

Gota love this guy lol. If there's any advice I 100% trust it's here

Maybe not girl advice - or how to be a decent human being

 

[Ey3l45h]

Question:

How does one vett a potential mechanic? Or more simply, Rivers if you weren't going to do the work your self, how would you satisfy yourself that the person you would pay would do good work?

For example: I have one open ended question I ask people in interviews which I use to gauge skill level. I can tell from the answer exactly how much knowledge the person has.

You have read enough of my posts and pms to have a good idea of my skill set.

Ey3

 

[riverszzr]

Maybe not girl advice - or how to be a decent human being

Get out of my thread and don't come back. You clearly haven't grown any with your time at bootcamp bullshit.

 

[riverszzr]

Question:

How does one vett a potential mechanic? Or more simply, Rivers if you weren't going to do the work your self, how would you satisfy yourself that the person you would pay would do good work?

For example: I have one open ended question I ask people in interviews which I use to gauge skill level. I can tell from the answer exactly how much knowledge the person has.

You have read enough of my posts and pms to have a good idea of my skill set.

Ey3

Actually I couldn't tell you anything about any of your posts or pm's....... I read far too many on too many forums and get so many pm's from so many people I couldn't even venture a guess to what you may have sent me or asked me about anything mechanical.

If I couldn't do the work on my own vehicles I would shoot myself........

Your question is a long answer, with many facets and lots of variables.......

I am going to defer it til later when I have more time and have thought about it for a bit
But to start, research, (not from forums) so you have some good idea and understanding what you are needing and wanting is always a good place to start--then asking the right questions to guage if they know the procedure and can actually do it properly


I'll come back with a more thought out answer later

 

[Ey3l45h]

Fair enough and thank you.

My personal rating of my skills is: I can follow explicit instructions, and use basic tools, but if creativity is required... Well I would rather not risk it. Maybe a 3-4 on a 10 scale.

Ey3