Valve and CCT question

[hammer nz]

So my bike recently started ticking (2008 250 Ninja EXJ) It has only done 14,000 KM and as far as I was aware the previous owner never checked the valves.
I was pretty sure it was the CCT (Cam chain Tensioner). As the bike had done 2K over the due valve inspection I took it in to check the valves and for them to look at the CCT.

It Cost me $160.00 NZ for them to tell me my valves were fine and did not need adjusting and that it was the CCT causing the ticking. Did i get ripped off or is checking the valves worth $160?? they did nothing else to the bike but check the valves fyi.

they have quoted me $160 NZ for a replacement CCT is this reasonable? (I have since bought one online for $90 including express shipping!!)

Is it normal for the valves to not need adjusting at all?

I feel like I could have saved the money from the valve check and got a CCT!!. now I cant ride the bike as if I rev it I could break something (tooth?) the mechanic said. so my bike is now out of action until I find money to do the CCT!

Does the CCT going mean the person before me thrashed the bike? I hear that its extremely rare for them to go on the Ninjas.

Thanks
Hammernz

[Akzle]

Did i get ripped off or is checking the valves worth $160?? they did nothing else to the bike but check the valves fyi.

Is it normal for the valves to not need adjusting at all?

checking valve cam clearances:

remove tank
remove rocker cover
position TDC on 1
measure 2-3 valves each with feeler gauges on cycls 1,3
position TDC on 3
measure 2-3 valves each with feeler gauge on cycls 2,4
replace rocker cover
replace tank

if you actually mean a heads-off valve inspection, then they'd have replaced your head gasket, and you'da been billed for that, too.

now. how long would it take YOU to do that?
now add ebing a professional badass motorbike engineer at 60$ an hour, facing a customer who can't/doesn't check his own valve clearances.

is it normal for them not to need adjusting? - at 14k, yeah, fairly.

should you have CCTs and not checked valves - maybe. but then you wouldn't have known your valves weren't fucked.

so you going to go pay them to fit your new bits?

-edit- i wouldn't expect cam chain to go by 14k. cct maybe, if it wasn't loved. is it manual or auto. cos if it's manual and hasn't been manual-ed, then yeah, that'd fuck it.

[spanner spinner]

you did the right thing getting the valves checked as a tight tappet on the exhaust side will burn the valve and this will cost you more like $1200 to $1500 to fix. some times the valves will hold clearance as yours have but the checks still need to be done. $160 is a pretty standard price to check valve clearance as there is several hours of work to dismantle the bike to get at the valves before you can even think about checking them, and then you have to put it all back together. as for the cct they fail on ninjas and this is not unusual, and yes if you keep riding it with out getting it fixed it might jump a tooth and this can do large amount of damage to both valves and pistions.

[breakaway]

$160 sounds okay for a valve clearence check.

[jasonu]

Sounds about right.
Checking the valve clearences is not a 5 minute job.

[hammer nz]

Thanks for all the information guys. A friend mentioned I payed 2 much but from what I found online it seemed fine. thought I would post here to get a answer from locals. Cheers for the advice. The guys that did the Job were very good so i highly doubted they were ripping me off and they came recommended too.

[baffa]

Fit the CCT yourself. Easy job, if not a little fiddly.