My CBR1000RR8 is booked in for its 16000 mile service next week at my local Honda dealer. Should I skip the valve check and save some cash, or is it worth doing? Do they ever need adjusting at such low miles? I never had my old CBR600RR checked at 16,000 miles and I thrashed that and did many track days. I have owned the 1000 from new and never red-lined it or been on track. Engine seems a good one, nice and smooth and uses virtually no oil. What do the forum members suggest? All advice welcome! Thanks, Ed
Not for me matey! I'd av it checked, you don't know how far it may have been out from new. Also as it's in the schedule your dealer will make a note in the service book that the Customer declined it! Makes grim reading for a future buyer
Good point Sinewave about "how good was it from new?", maybe I should get it done. I'm thinking that 16k is a bit over-cautious though, especially as I don't thrash the engine. But it'll take me another 7 or 8 years to get to Albalde's 50k, so perhaps I might suggest to the dealer that waiting until 24k might be safe enough and see what they say. On my previous bike the same dealer didn't write anything in the service book about me declining the valve check at 16k.
As above, everyone is different, and only you can make that call. Personally, on my 4th Blade, stated before, covered around 250K miles on the 4 of them, and never had a valve check. Previously 10+ years of different CBR6s, similar mileage and same result. They have been, commuted, toured and tracked and trashed. Started in all temperatures 12 months a year and ridden off, so no special attention given other than religious oil changes at 4K and OEM filters. My current main dealer says they have given up doing them at 16K, so they did not want to even take my money, but its my call at the end of the day. Also nothing noted in any service book over the years. Have I been lucky? who knows, but I have saved a truck load, so if its goes pop then so be it, pay out and move on and still be thousands in the bank. That's a lot of valve checks at 500K divided by 16K
Chances are they won't need doing...but! Think about it this way, you could spend say £400 getting em checked with a service and know they are ok...OR not get them done and maybe have a doubt in the back of your mind that maybe you should have. Tight valve clearances will not be noisy so you will have no warning of anything being wrong until it's too late...burnt or bent valves or worse still a dropped valve at high rpm. A burnt or bent valve will cost a top end overhaul a dropped valve could see you visiting hospital and the bike the breakers yard or a new engine at the very least. Also, some Insurance policies such as vehicle breakdown etc specify that the vehicle is maintained according to the manufacturers specification...ie Valve check at 16,000 miles. Failure to be able to prove that may invalidate a policy. My 09 is just over 16K and will be getting checked in March/April when its serviced along with new chain and sprockets.
Perhaps Invalid is the wrong word, what I meant was that the insurer MAY not pay up if a claim was related to not following manufacturers recommendations on maintenance. Regular Fully comp. or third party insurance wouldn't be too bothered about it, BUT, if you had an accident in an unroadworthy vehicle it might be a different matter, if the accident was caused by not maintaining your brakes or tyres for example. Stand alone Vehicle Breakdown policies such as the AA etc certainly have a clause relating maintained to a manufacturers spec. (or schedule) as they specifically insure against vehicle breakdown, so if you have failed to correctly maintain your vehicle then the policy may not pay up in the event of a claim. Of course, if you didn't do the shims and your bike needed to be recovered due to a flat tyre/battery they wouldn't necessarily give two hoots about the shims not being done, might be different matter if it was because of an engine failure though.
Yes Mike - that's the big question, but I've no idea how much. I am going to ask them when they come to collect the bike on Saturday morning, then quickly make my mind up on the spot. In the meantime, thanks to everyone for their advice - it's all very useful and has made me think it over quite a bit. I'm thinking that if it costs < £200 extra on top of the service then I will do it, if it costs >£400 extra then I will postpone the decision until the 20k service. Any quote between £200 and £400 and I'll dither for a moment and then probably make the wrong decision....
It's not the valve check that costs the big money it's the adjustment that does if the tolerances are out.
Am having my 600 mile first service next week. when rang to book in they told me approx 2 hrs to complete, when asked why so long, the dealer told me they need to check valves??????? does anyone know if this is correct. i bought a 2014 fireblade. and can anyone recommend a tidy exhaust can.
I'd change dealer! Valve check is 16000 miles (or it is on 2013 and previous). If it did include Valve Check as well it would be longer than 2 hours! I don't think there are many end cans available yet for 2014 model.
Hi Ade my first service was £150 and valves do not need to be done. I thought that was steep £110 to £130 should be the going cost.
rang dealer on saturday to confirm they have to do valves, spoke to another service advisor and he told me they do not need doing. 600 mile service £85.
For £85.00p they will be lucky to do the tyre valves. Seriously tho, do valves get done at PDI, and if so are they now delaying the valve check till first service so they bed in or something. I have never known this? It's interesting. Mike.
