OK, get this... I've spoken to the service department at least 3 times (twice directly with the manager) asking when I needed to come in for the first service, and what would they be doing... Every time they said 1600 kms, and that the main things to be done are valve clearance check and carb adjustment.

So I take both bikes in on Tuesday (the Sherpa and the KLX). Go back Wednesday to pick up, paid my bill, start driving home and reviewing the work-checklist... Hey - it says 1.5 hours labour, not the 2.5 that he quoted me. Hey - the little box next to "valve clearance check and adjust" is NOT CHECKED. IT'S NOT CHECKED...

This pisses me off, because the shop is now closed, and I just wasted $50 bucks in gas and 2.5 hours of my time. The stealership is in Chilliwack BC, about an hour from my place in Surrey. Not to mention I drove from work - in Vancouver.

So anyway, not that you guys care about BC geography... I'm freakin pissed off that I wasted my time and money on getting the service done there, when they didn't even do the _main_service_that_I_wanted_done! I phoned the service manager back and asked him what's up, and now he's like 'oh, well kawasaki's using a shim system now and the manual says that it doesn't need valve check until 7500 kms'...
BULLSH*T! It's been the same damn engine for how many years now? WTF - never will I go back to that place.

 

Kawi Wawi,

Okay, take a deep breath, slllloooowwwwyyyyy let it out.

There is a reason that I decided to learn how to service my bikes myself. I got tired of paying the big bucks to someone that is not as good as I am to do the same things I am very capable of doing. I bought a nice motorcycle lift table from Harbor Freight - still on sale for $299 - and I have enough tools to fix just about anything.

The real clincher was one day a good friend of mine had just picked their bike up from servicing. She had ridden about 10 miles towards home. For some reason she looked down at the front wheel. The axle nut was missing! Sure am glad she noticed that. I got a call to grab the trailer and hold her back once we got to the dealership. She's small, but she's wiry! I think if could have found out who it was that worked on her bike, she would have beat the crap out of them.

The response for the dealer? "Don't worry, we'll put a new nut on and there won't be any charge!"

 

that sux. you gotta watch those dealers.they can be sneaky.from now on double check the work order with the manuel right there on the spot to see if they did it right. that's what i would do.

 

Lesson learned, that's for sure... I normally do all my own service too, it's just that lately I've been so busy I figured why not just pay them to do it... Plus they gave me the usual 'well, you have to get our service for the warranty blah blah' which I know is a load of crap, but... Never again I tell ya... With all the driving I had to do, I coulda done the work myself.

Oh yeah, by the way. They have a different technique for drilling the pilot screw cap...
They didn't move nuttin. They took a tiny little drill bit and drilled through the SIDE of that grey tube that hangs down from the carb (the one that houses the pilot screw).
Poked through the side of it and somehow popped the cap off like dat. Didn't have to loosen or move anything!

 

I'm truly surprised that a dealer did that modification for you.

In the states, they might be getting a visit from the EPA folks! [sm=nono.gif]

 

Wow, really? I know it's technically 'not allowed', but that mod was pretty much a necessity.
I mean the sherpa was so lean that it would almost not run... I'm not joking - it was really really bad.
Almost to the point that it wanted the choke on all the time. It got worse as the engine broke in and the rings sealed up nice and tight (causing more air to be drawn in on the suck stroke).

The KLX was a little better, but seriously lean as well - popping and sputtering all over town.
I bet the pilot screws were 1/4 turn out from factory.

 

You must be up there in altitude, not sure but rejetting my be better than just adjusting the AF.

Sorry to hear about the stealer ship, I hate them and I too will not let them work on my bike.

 

I think I missed the final outcome of your valve job, Notstock. That turn out OK? You gotta lotta valves in the 4 cylinder nuclear reactor of an engine you have. I know that made your valve job quite a bit of work, compared to our single cyl thumpers.

 

Believe it or not, with vacation work and kids stuff, it is still sitting there. I was struggling with the timing but think I have it worked out. I have committed time this saturday after cleaning the back yard to get it put back together and recheck the clearances.
I hope it is all with in spec when I do.

Thanks again for your help, between you and a lot of help from Bigrig18 I would have probably already put it on the trailer and headed to the shop.
[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

I hope it goes smooth when you get back to it. Looked like you were pretty close, though, so I think you've probably got most of the hard stuff licked. Good luck on it. And BigRig18 is the man - he seems to know that stuff pretty good.