I went to check my valve clearances on my 2009 KLX250S and when I got the timing marks set, my intake & exhaust lines did not line up with the top of my head. I bought this bike brand new while it was still in the crate & know for a fact there have never been any cam mods done to it. I'm attaching a picture, you'll see the intake sets high on the head & exhaust picture isn't real good, but it sits below the head.
The bike runs great, should I try to set the timing where the manuals say they should be? Or was this a factory modification on the 2009+ bikes? I have seen the exhaust mod & my exhaust sits at an angle of what they are after they modify them, but I've not heard anything on the intake.
Feedback would be much appreciated!

 

Did you rotate the crank another 360 and take a look?

 

Yes, that puts the EX pointing at the intake and puts the IN pointing at the exhaust also puts the cam lobes facing the wrong way

 

I'd leave it alone. You do not want to change what you do not understand 100%, especially when it clearly is working fine. I cannot make any recommendation beyond that, not being able to check on what you're talking about and not seeing it in the picture.

If you really want to know, put the bike in a truck take it to a dealership and ask for an explanation from the service dept. They should be able to explain and demonstrate.

 

Double / triple check you are at TDC.. maybe the 'T' mark is off just a hair because you look to be just a tad bit past TDC (or short if I'm being dyslexic). You could pull the plug and do the straw check and confirm TDC maybe? I 2nd klx678, if it ain't broke, sure as hell don't 'fix' it...LOL

 

You can hear valves hitting the piston, if cams are retimed, too?

 

I really can't tell anything about the exhaust cam from your pic. That said, I don't think I've ever found my KLX or the KLR's I've had to have that precise, parallel-to-the-head-alignment that the diagram or pic in the manual always shows. They've always been a little off. Now, I'm not talking by much but still not exact. Not being able to see the exhaust cam markings...hard to tell. I can't believe they got the cam timing off from the factory, but I guess it's not impossible.

Have you checked with the shop to see if they're aware of anything like this? I'd be surprised if anything to do with cam timing marks has changed.

 

Thanks guys the picture wasn't good. The valves aren't hitting and at 7000 miles I would have known buy now, and yes I was going off the manual also. The ex sits just below the head almost at the same angle as the intake. I set the intake back one tooth and that put the IN just below the head but was concerned about piston to valve clearance so I put it back. The reason I was thinking something wasn't right was because with all the mods on this bike I have never been able to run my dynojet kit at the jettings that people here say they have, for my bike it's to rich.

 

I was talking about if you reset timing. Of course I couldn't tell squat from the pictures, I just know if it ran out good I wouldn't screw with it from the factory.