Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Valve Shims

Just a query I took my bike to a workshop today to get the shims checked out and when I went and picked it up was told that the shims were all within tolerance and there was no need to replace any of them, bikes got about 16000 klms on it and this is the first time it's been checked. He reckons that this was normal because of the way I ride I mean I don't normally give the bike a really hard time. whats the opinion of the more knowledgeable among you

Awesome! When I checked mine just before 12k, only two were out of spec and I was able to swap the shims and bring both valves in!

If you trust your mechanic, go riding!!

I'm doing mine again tonight for the 24k service (and new cams) Hopefully I won't have to swap many out. But like Phil said, at 12k I only had to replace two shims. I've done several since and usually can swap one or two and have only had to buy 2, at most, for every one I've done.

I'm doing 12,000 mi service, both intakes on one cylinder are loose, both exhausts on other cylinder loose. After seeing the pitiful machine work on ends of cams, I'm thinking the engine was manufactured that way. Ends of cams are not machined all the way to end, badly burred. found metal flake in bottom of one of those little depressions in top of head.