Tap Tap Window - don't have shims

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Bike is at 49000km now, I doubt it's ever had the valve clearances checked. Last ride I noticed a distinct tappet sound from what appears to be cyl #4 exhaust as it sat idling in the driveway at the end of the ride, so engine was hot.  I will pull the camshaft cover and check clearances, however I don't have any shims to make any adjustments, nor the camshaft locking tool to hold them while I undo the sprocket nuts.  Am I better off going to my local suzuki motorcycle workshop to get this done, or spend some coin on a shim set?

[KiwiCol]

I'm no expert Eric, but many members have checked their clearances, with many more miles than you've got, and they never need to adjust them. Think Hooli did 160,000 miles on his n never needed to adjust clearances.   Just sayin . .

[GSXKING]

Don't bother checking them until they become noticeably noisy I.e. around 300,000kms
Mine is 148,000kms & 21YO I can't remember when they were even checked last.
These bikes were built to last & had incredible tolerances built in to everything 🧐🧐 bulletproof imho 😈

[Hooli]

You don't need any special tools to check them. It's worth doing for piece of mind as tight clearances are more dangerous to the engine than loose noisy ones.

Having said that the only people I've ever known who've needed to adjust them on these bikes have changed the cams so you'd expect to have to set them.

Mine have never changed from the first check I did at 15k miles till the last check at 150k miles.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

 Thanks, the checking bit is easy. It's the adjusting bit (shims) that's a bit more complex.  I don't actually know if mine has different cams, I bought it with the full Akra, and the records I have show that it's apparently had an ecu flash.  I doubt it has aftermarket camshafts. 

Ticking / tapping is loud when cold, not so bad when hot, but definitely there and different from when I had the bike at 34000km, so something has changed.

Will measure all valve clearances and report back.

[grog]

Eric, unless the noise annoys you, ride on. Cam over bucket motors never tighten clearances, just make a bit more noise. Shim kit youll use once, maybe $200. Your choice Mate.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Thanks Grog, noise isn't annoying yet, your advice is greatly appreciated of course. Yes, $200 for a shim kit that may get used once is a bit much.  Will check them as I said and report what I find

[Hooli]

Cam over bucket motors never tighten clearances, just make a bit more noise.

I'd change that to 'should never tighten' as I've seen a few Kwaks where they have tightened up due to valve seat recession.

Just a thought of things in the same area, the Pairs reed valves if still fitted could be the source of the noise and I've heard some surprisingly clicky noises from small failures in exhaust gaskets before too. There is, of course, a gasket or seal around the pairs valve plates to check too.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Thanks Hooli and all for the suggestions.  Will check the  reed valves are still there,( I think) unless I cut them off when I blanked it all off... can't remember.  Tapping is at the rh front corner, makes me think #4 exhaust valve 1 or 2.  Will check exhaust flanges and gaskets, on mine these are a separate stub flange because of the akrapovic headers.  No noise on the same corner on the lh side.

[froudy]

I checked mine twice during the 50k miles I rode it. Both times gaps were well within tolerance.
If they do need adjustment, it's a cams out job to change the shims. I very much doubt you'll need to do them though.

[grog]

Agree Hooli, should never happen👍