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2wheeljunkie
24th August 2010, 10:45
hey guys, just need a little advice. Got a hornet 900 and its now at 25,000 ks. Manual says its time for the valves to be inspected as well as new plugs be put in. Got a quote from a bike shop that it will take minimum 3 hours to check valves and change plugs. This does not include adjusting them if need be. I dunt know abt valve clearances and was wandering if someone can tell me if it will take this long, is the 3 hours for this job justified? Cheers in advance :yes:

Squiggles
24th August 2010, 11:10
hey guys, just need a little advice. Got a hornet 900 and its now at 25,000 ks. Manual says its time for the valves to be inspected as well as new plugs be put in. Got a quote from a bike shop that it will take minimum 3 hours to check valves and change plugs. This does not include adjusting them if need be. I dunt know abt valve clearances and was wandering if someone can tell me if it will take this long, is the 3 hours for this job justified? Cheers in advance :yes:

Could try AJ @ Motohaus to see what he reckons, theres 16 valves to check after you actually get to them.

2wheeljunkie
24th August 2010, 11:13
Could try AJ @ Motohaus to see what he reckons, theres 16 valves to check after you actually get to them.

whats yer take on the 3 hours then?

The Pastor
24th August 2010, 11:49
3 hours is slightly on the long side, but not really.

Thani-B
24th August 2010, 13:07
I'm going through the same thing with my bike at the moment, except my manual says for 42,000kms. I've been in to various bike shops and had quotes for 1-4 hours. At the last shop I went to the mechanic came out and listened to my bike and told me they didn't need to be done for another 10,000kms or so. So 3 hours sounds in the ok range to me. Best thing would be if you could find someone who knows if they need to be done by the sound like I did.

avgas
24th August 2010, 13:15
3 hours is a safe bet, prob only takes 2 hours......but then they forget to put something back and have to open up to put it back.
So I would pay them for the 3 hours.

bogan
24th August 2010, 13:17
I'm going through the same thing with my bike at the moment, except my manual says for 42,000kms. I've been in to various bike shops and had quotes for 1-4 hours. At the last shop I went to the mechanic came out and listened to my bike and told me they didn't need to be done for another 10,000kms or so. So 3 hours sounds in the ok range to me. Best thing would be if you could find someone who knows if they need to be done by the sound like I did.

bogan is skeptical as of the earcrometer.

<img src="http://www.allmotivated.com/pictures/Demotivational-pictures-skeptical_Hippo.jpg" />

sure you can hear em if they get bad, but best not to let em get to that point, also I don't think you can hear them if the clearance gets too tight. Is also a good time to check the camchain tension/stretch while you're in there I find, though it's pretty rare anything needs to be done there.

Would be a good thing to do for one of your maintainance evenings I would suggest, 80% of the work is just simple dissasembly (just don't drop any bolts into carbs or engine!), which is why it take far longer on some bikes than others.

Thani-B
24th August 2010, 13:20
bogan is skeptical as of the earcrometer.


I trust the guy that told me. He's had a lot of experience working on ER6n's.

2wheeljunkie
24th August 2010, 13:47
much appreciated guys. :)

Im having a hectic semester and dont have the time to do it myself, would love to learn how to in the future for sure, but for now, might as well get a mechanic to do it. Once again cheers guys. So tomorrow, i ride a scooter :shifty:

Squiggles
24th August 2010, 17:11
I trust the guy that told me. He's had a lot of experience working on ER6n's.

Did they get done at 24k? (Or whenever the last check was)

Jonno.
24th August 2010, 17:39
Get a Haynes and do it yourself. It's pretty simple providing you don't drop shims into the engine :whistle:

jono035
24th August 2010, 18:59
I trust the guy that told me. He's had a lot of experience working on ER6n's.

Fair enough but just for the record, clearances often get tighter rather than looser as the valves wear into the seats. If the clearances are tight then there is nothing to hear. If your clearances get tight enough that the valves are no longer closing properly, you'll have exhaust gases going past a partially open valve, eroding the valves and valve seats. Best case is a solid case of valve lapping, worst case is new head and valves if the seats can't be recut.

Ounce of prevention etc. etc.

3 hours doesn't sound that bad for someone being a bit careful, but it's a little on the conservative side... I'd expect to take 3-4 hours to do the clearances on my VFR myself, and that's generally acknowledged to be 'a bastard'.

Edit: It's definitely a good one for DIY maintenance, especially with a Haynes manual (which will save you more than its cost, the first time you use it)... Strip fairings, tank, possibly drop the radiator off. Remove the carbs. Remove the rocker cover and timing cover. Stick a couple of feeler gauges in between the rockers and shims, rotate the crankshaft to the next timing mark and repeat. Put covers back on, put carbs back on, put fairings/tank etc. back on, ride.

Good time to do a coolant flush, too. Finding that your water pump impeller is evenly distributed through the all cooling galleries is an unpleasant experience.

doc
24th August 2010, 19:07
I get charged for 5 hours on mine. :yes: I've done it in 3hrs :angry: . Never needed adjustment and have done 65,000km. Bit different if they need to be adjusted. Goblin's 900 has done 50,000km and not needed doing yet.

Thani-B
24th August 2010, 21:35
Did they get done at 24k? (Or whenever the last check was)

Nope I've never had them done. I'll be going back to him soon to get him to check my bike over anyway, so will ask him again then.

2wheeljunkie
24th August 2010, 21:39
I agree with you jono035, i mean i wud love to do it, but time for me is definately not a luxury this semester. so for now my wallet will have to burn.

and doc, the mechanic said that he's pretty sure no valve will need adjusting, he just told me all the possible cost so that way i dunt go "but you told me 3 hours to do it". Its off tomorrow then to the shop. Think im getting a honda lead scooter.:scooter:

Squiggles
24th August 2010, 22:01
Nope I've never had them done. I'll be going back to him soon to get him to check my bike over anyway, so will ask him again then.

Yep, i'd get them checked fo sho then.


I've got a hornet 900 manual on my lappy

jono035
24th August 2010, 22:11
I agree with you jono035, i mean i wud love to do it, but time for me is definately not a luxury this semester. so for now my wallet will have to burn.

Yeah, for sure. Always the way of it, eh?

2wheeljunkie
25th August 2010, 13:46
courtesy vehicle : honda lead 100. cheeaaa.. fun lil things.

motorbyclist
28th August 2010, 14:55
Nope I've never had them done. I'll be going back to him soon to get him to check my bike over anyway, so will ask him again then.

get them done.


whats yer take on the 3 hours then?

for a 16 valve job that is a perfectly reasonable quote, and I would expect it to take about that long if you did it at home with someone who's done it before (but then I'd allow for whatever holds us up and revise it up to 5)

I remember it once took me and jafa 8 hours to do the valves on his bandit - took almost 5 hours just to work the head off due to the rust from the coolant welding things together (very silly design) and when it came to reassembly the HT leads were falling out of the caps!

motorbyclist
28th August 2010, 14:57
Yep, i'd get them checked fo sho then.


I've got a hornet 900 manual on my lappy

she has an ER6n at 42k... kyle has the hornet at 25k.... did you follow this thread at all? :bleh:

AllanB
28th August 2010, 16:16
That should be right for the 900 - it matches what I've read online for time. They are recommended to be checked every 24,000 kms and plug replacement at the same time. Look on it as good going, as prior to that it is really only oil and a oil filter.

I read recently of a chap in the USA who never had his checked and looked at them at 90,000 MILES and they were all good!

Lots of Hornet talk in the naked section at wristtwisters.com (called a Honda919 in the USA).

Squiggles
28th August 2010, 19:25
she has an ER6n at 42k... kyle has the hornet at 25k.... did you follow this thread at all? :bleh:

Yep, dont think you did :lol:

motorbyclist
29th August 2010, 12:45
you offered thani a hornet 900 manual!

Squiggles
29th August 2010, 12:48
you offered thani a hornet 900 manual!

Just making a statement should kyle want it. (Thus its distance from the quoted reply) :scooter:


I've also got a ER6 manual on my lappy.

motorbyclist
29th August 2010, 12:52
Just making a statement should kyle want it. (Thus its distance from the quoted reply) :scooter:


I've also got a ER6 manual on my lappy.

btw, we're still in the eye of this storm if you want to make a dry run home from wherever you are.... oh wait you took the car... tsk tsk

(bring it back i wannit!)

Squiggles
29th August 2010, 12:59
btw, we're still in the eye of this storm if you want to make a dry run home from wherever you are.... oh wait you took the car... tsk tsk

(bring it back i wannit!)

I've been abandoned at my olds... and i cans not walk. Heeeeeeeeeeelp


(I think im getting dropped home by parents actually)

2wheeljunkie
2nd September 2010, 10:14
That should be right for the 900 - it matches what I've read online for time. They are recommended to be checked every 24,000 kms and plug replacement at the same time. Look on it as good going, as prior to that it is really only oil and a oil filter.

I read recently of a chap in the USA who never had his checked and looked at them at 90,000 MILES and they were all good!

Lots of Hornet talk in the naked section at wristtwisters.com (called a Honda919 in the USA).

Im already a member allanb, that site is crazy awesome!. thanks.

btw the guy told me my valves were mint.

Thani-B
2nd September 2010, 12:17
Just making a statement should kyle want it. (Thus its distance from the quoted reply) :scooter:


I've also got a ER6 manual on my lappy.

How much would it take to persuade you to check them then? ;)

Squiggles
2nd September 2010, 15:09
How much would it take to persuade you to check them then? ;)

Alot....

Check out what is involved (http://shanetp.110mb.com/Valve%20Adj.pdf) :mellow:

Jonno.
2nd September 2010, 18:04
Wow, I'll never complain about v/c again hah.