16K service - valve clearance check no longer needed?

[Throbber]

I booked my 2015 Crossrunner in for its 16k service - was quoted circa £600 by the dealer for the labour needed to check the valves.  On collection, I was told that Honda has released a service bulletin stating that the 16K service no longer requires the valves to be checked - this has now been moved to 32K miles.  Anyone else heard this? 

It was nice to come away from the dealer having paid much less than expected - that doesn't happen often!  Although £275 for what was essentially an oil change does seem a bit steep.

[peterj]

Hi,  not heard about the official Honda bulletin but spoke to an independent mechanic about the 16K check. He used to work for a Honda main dealer and has done 'hundreds of valve checks on VFRs over the last 10 years' and his view was that unless your VFR is a track bike being regularly thrashed he would wait for the 32K service to check the valves, so thats what I was going to do anyway !! I also take the view that if you can find a good independent bike mechanic locally they are a better bet than the main dealers and a good few quid cheaper!

[v8guy]

Originally Posted by peterj

Hi,  not heard about the official Honda bulletin but spoke to an independent mechanic about the 16K check. He used to work for a Honda main dealer and has done 'hundreds of valve checks on VFRs over the last 10 years' and his view was that unless your VFR is a track bike being regularly thrashed he would wait for the 32K service to check the valves, so thats what I was going to do anyway !! I also take the view that if you can find a good independent bike mechanic locally they are a better bet than the main dealers and a good few quid cheaper!

Interesting.. I'm approaching 16k and wanting to hear this! 

Agreed about a good, independent mechanic.. always a better bet to use someone working to maintain their own reputation rather than your typical trainee oik being told by a dealer's workshop manager that the more bikes per day the better (for the manager)! Personally, I use a guy called Keith Dubé in Sunbury upon Thames... top man! 

[CBM]

Appreciate not everyone has the facilities/tools or the motivation/spanner confidence but once out of warranty I've always serviced my bikes myself rather than taking them to a Stealer. I just make a note of what's been done/replaced and take photo's to add to the history too for as & when it's sold.
As Throbber says there's not much to a non valve service other than oil/filter change, air filter/brake fluid (dep. on age/miles), and just lube & inspect the rest. If I have a fault code/engine check light up etc. and it needs plugging in then my local independent Guy sorts it.

[stubax]

Was reading am article in the Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine on the 2014 Honda VFR800, in that article I am sure they said that the valve check had been moved to 24k. 

[jan1195xx]

I read that the crossrunner from 2017 on had to check valves at 36000 km, before 2017 at 24000km. I`m just checking the valves at my 2012 cr and it is a lot of work. Also the lifters at the vtec valves are much expensive if you need to change one of them. The dealer ask for more than 40 euros each!!! The shims of the "normal" valves are cheap with less than 10 euros.


Jan

[Skids]

Originally Posted by Throbber

I booked my 2015 Crossrunner in for its 16k service - was quoted circa £600 by the dealer for the labour needed to check the valves.  On collection, I was told that Honda has released a service bulletin stating that the 16K service no longer requires the valves to be checked - this has now been moved to 32K miles.  Anyone else heard this? 

It was nice to come away from the dealer having paid much less than expected - that doesn't happen often!  Although £275 for what was essentially an oil change does seem a bit steep.

I think the question we need an answer to is; which model does that service bulletin relate to? I could imagine the newer-engined 800 because it is newer, but it may also apply to older models presumably because history has shown that they rarely need replacing. We should beware assuming it applies to all VFR800 models though, without confirmation from Honda.

[2967martin]

Hi all
My Crossrunner is now 6 years old with 30,000 miles on the clock and has never had the valves checked.
I do most of my basic maintenance myself but the valve check will be left to a mechanic to complete.
A friend of mine with almost 40 years experience as a bike mechanic has advised me not to waste my money having the valves checked, until at least 40,00 thousand miles. As in his experience they rarely need any adjustment until then. 

Cheers Martin

[Jochem]

My brand new Crossrunner has it's valve clearance check at 24,000 miles or 36,000 km.
Sorry it's in Dutch

[Jochem]

The 2014 VFR800F that I've traded for the new Crossrunner had it's valves checked at 23400 km and 49000 km and was totally within tolerance both times.