ORIGINAL: chainslack

If I didn't misunderstand an earlier post on the subject....how can the valves NOT last at least the 7500 miles that are allowed before adjustment is recommended?
I don't know that this is absolute but would an indication of preamature valve wear be to always find them tight or getting tight quickly after adjustment?

Steve F

ORIGINAL: bmwhd
I put it more on the side of a mistake by the tech writers.

I think the rate at which they tighten down between adjustments is the key indicator that they are going south in a hurry.

ORIGINAL: bmwhd
While that number is on par with other street bikes these days, it's much longer than the 300 owners have experienced over the last 10 years. I'm hoping Kaw has made some change that reflects this confidence on their part but I doubt it. I put it more on the side of a mistake by the tech writers.

ORIGINAL: incabiker

I don't like the sound of that I hope the damn idiots didn't mess up so bad that the tech writer got it wrong and the editor didn't catch the mistake either, thats really damned bad, and will mess up alot of peoples bikes. This should have been one of the things that had high priority on checking. I have found errors in the book though, like small grammatical ones, but thats it.

ORIGINAL: Nobrakes


I wonder if the valve wear is dependent on how the bike is ridden at all? Sounds like, of the members of this forum, sdunne is probably the hardest on his machine. I have no idea if that has any bearing on valve wear, though. My gut feeling is that riding the engine hard is not that big of a factor, and wear probably depends more on proper tuning, and maintaining valve clearences.

What I have heard is that if the valve clearences are out of spec, they may not completely close at the time of chamber combustion. And this condition can lead to rapid deterioration of the valves themselves and their seats. By keeping the clearences in proper spec, you would thus maximize valve life. Perhaps the folks that report short valve lives have left (unknowingly) an out of spec valve clearence condition go untreated?

By the same token, conditions of pre-combustion might have a similar effect. Can this be caused by an improperly adjusted carborator (too rich, too lean)?

My parts have arrived for the carb jetting and airflow mods and, while I plan to do it, that is something that's been in the back of my mind. Is it possible that if the fuel, air, and exhaust ratios aren't done just right, we are shortening the life of certain engine parts - namely valves?

ORIGINAL: bmwhd


Well, that's a reasonable question. I'm going to err on the side of checking mine more often than that. While that number is on par with other street bikes these days,

ORIGINAL: motoguy128


7500 is very short to 14,000 RPM and make 150HP out of 1000cc. That similar to our bike pumping out close to 40HP. Even with the Muzzy, you're only at 25HP tops. 300cc kit gets you to around 30HP.