fried valve at 56,000 miles

[PhotoAl]

On a previous bike I had the dealer do all the maintenance.  On the second valve clearance check the tech said one exhaust valve was really tight.  He wrote down all the before and after clearances.  Seemed like he knew what he was doing.  One of the exhaust valves was really tight.  I'm trying to figure out how when I realized it was set to an intake valve spec!!!!  Tech didn't exactly rat out the previous mechanic but gave me all the info to figure it out!  That is not the only thing I took issue with  - I'm doing the maintenance on my Tracer GT!

[2and3cylinders]

12 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

On a previous bike I had the dealer do all the maintenance.  On the second valve clearance check the tech said one exhaust valve was really tight.  He wrote down all the before and after clearances.  Seemed like he knew what he was doing.  One of the exhaust valves was really tight.  I'm trying to figure out how when I realized it was set to an intake valve spec!!!!  Tech didn't exactly rat out the previous mechanic but gave me all the info to figure it out!  That is not the only thing I took issue with  - I'm doing the maintenance on my Tracer GT!

As Spock would say "that's very interesting".

He was known for "the understatement"

I guess it's very understandable that that could happen, especially unfortunate, "that really sucks" type of not good,

but understandable

I immediately said that's something I could do not because I was not trying to a factor of 10 NOT to apply the correct lash to the wrong valve.

Fortunately over the last 50 years of wrenching I've developed painful ways to remind myself not to do that sort of thing

Not that I still say "Doh!" like Homer way too often, and I have a wife who forgets nothing 

Need I say more?

 

[Ride365]

Assume been running at least 91 octane?  

[rustyshackles]

5 hours ago, Ride365 said:

Assume been running at least 91 octane?  

Yes

[DavidS]

As a former dealer employee, I don't bring my bike in for service at the dealer. At least in Seattle, there are plenty of good independent mechanics and I have found one I really like. Not the cheapest, but less money than the dealers, and I can trust what they tell me. Even get old parts to inspect when they are done.

I only use them for things I don't want to do myself, normal maintenance and replacement parts I do myself.

[knyte]

@rustyshacklesUghh, sorry to hear that man...that really sucks.  Hope you can find a solution.

[nhchris]

On 12/19/2020 at 2:38 PM, peteinpa said:

I also look at a reflash as a good thing. To meet emissions the MFGs must run the engines doomsday lean. Then the new owner puts on a pipe without a reflash and it's even leaner. THIS makes it run stupid lean which kills engines.

I'm never going near a 2021 bike. New regs are way crazy.  I don't get it, out on the road a truck, bus, etc. pukes out a black cloud but my little bike can't pollute. 

I dunno.  I've ridden behind many remapped Harleys that puked unburned fuel out open pipes till my eyes watered.  They do this tune for a few  more HP and to run rich to keep the engine (back cylinder esp.) cooler. Really?

The new Euro standards will be met by all manufacturers (even Harley).  The 2021 Tracer 9 meets them with a few tweaks and addl CCs. No big deal.

WRT diesel engines: I'm not sure if the seen or unseen pollutants from diesels are worse.  In any case, Europe is ahead of the U.S. regarding clean operation of internal combustion engines. Even VW is now complying!

Edited December 23, 2020 by nhchris

[Buggy Nate]

I would like to know how he knows the last mechanic set the clearance to intake spec, especially if the valve was tight enough to burn?

[estell]

17 hours ago, DavidS said:

 in Seattle, there are plenty of good independent mechanics and I have found one I really like. Not the cheapest, but less money than the dealers, and I can trust what they tell me. Even get old parts to inspect when they are done.

Is that Optimum Motorsports, or have you found another?

[duhs10]

8 hours ago, Buggy Nate said:

I would like to know how he knows the last mechanic set the clearance to intake spec, especially if the valve was tight enough to burn?

I think it was just a theory posed by someone based on feedback that the tech gave the OP to explain why one valve ended up completely burnt. No way to really know at this point.

[Lone Wolf]

This was not the member with burnt exhaust valve, not the OP Rusty

On 12/19/2020 at 8:30 PM, PhotoAl said:

...One of the exhaust valves was really tight.  I'm trying to figure out how when I realized it was set to an intake valve spec!!!!  

Edited December 23, 2020 by Lone Wolf

[DavidS]

3 hours ago, estell said:

Is that Optimum Motorsports, or have you found another?

Yep, Optimum Motorsports, I have been using them since 2015.

[Salish900]

25 minutes ago, DavidS said:

Yep, Optimum Motorsports, I have been using them since 2015.

I'm sorry to be contrary here, but I had the most horrible experience with Optimum Motorsports that I can't begin to do it justice here. They are the only Aprilia dealer in the PNW, and they have exactly one mechanic who is authorized to work on them. But my experience was not Aprilia specific. My bike sat in their shop for nearly 6 months, and I had to constantly reach out to them to get any updates. I'll spare the details, but it was ridiculous. And in the end, some really sketchy things were said and done, and when I picked up the bike I made it a mile down the road and it dumped ALL of it's coolant. The mechanic had not installed a hose properly. And they argued with me about trailering it back to the shop! 

It was the most horrible experience with a shop I have had or can imagine. I'm glad if others have had good experiences there, but my oh my, I will never purchase another Aprilia or Guzzi so long as they are the only shop that can service them. 

[DavidS]

Wow, sorry you had such a bad experience!

I've been going there since 2015 when I got my first FJ-09, and all of my experiences have been very positive. I have referred them many times to friends, and they have all been very happy. Alan, the owner is usually in the shop. He is very active in track days and the rider communities. Obviously your experience was very different, and I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. 

[PhotoAl]

Interesting but not surprising.  Bike I referred to with the exhaust valve set to intake spec was not serviced there.  I think part of my problem was similar in that my dealer did not see a lot of the F800GT BMWs and therefore was not as sharp servicing them.  The really good techs can service anything properly but they are usually not at a dealership - can make more money elsewhere.  When you get a tech who rarely sees a Guzzi or Aprillia then there is a good possibility they will miss things particularly stuff that is unique to that bike.  

My "favorite" experience was setting off on a long trip just after having my bike serviced.  At the end of the 2nd day I pulled into the place I was staying and turned the bike off.  It was 95F and I had been riding on the interstate with an 80MPH speed limit.  Bike proceeded to burp about a third of a cup of coolant out on the ground.  Coolant recover tank was full.  At this point I'm 1,100 miles from home.  Finished the trip, occasionally checking coolant reservoir tank - full to the top.  I presumed it had been overfilled during service.  On the last day of the trip I was 2 miles from home, it was hot, I had ridden 573 miles that day. Sitting at a traffic light waiting for the turn signal.  It went green and I started to go and looked down at my instrument panel - bike was flashing Overheat!  Couldn't stop so proceeded and looked for a spot to pull off - 1/4 mile down the road there was a good spot but the temperature had dropped so I went home and it stayed cool.  Later that night rode to Cycle Gear for bike night.  On the way there in stop and go traffic the bike overheated again.  Pulled over and let it cool down, as long as I kept moving it was fine.  I surmised there must be a bubble of air in the top of the radiator such that the cooling fan could not pull enough air across the area with coolant in it.  Took it in the next day.  Couple of days later got a phone call - engine had water not coolant in it and there was an air gap in the radiator!  I was happy to say that they were the only folks that had serviced the bike since it was sold new.  Water pump was checked and declared to be in perfect condition.  They vacuum filled the engine with the proper coolant and the bike ran cool the rest of the time I had it.  IMO either BMW shipped it with water in it or a tech put water in it.  That engine is difficult to fill and should be vacuum filled so as to avoid air pockets.  Fortunately the cooling system was very robust or I might have been stranded in a remote spot.  Again I have no clue how the water got in there, I know the original owner and he traded the bike at 4,700 miles and had the service done at the dealer.  I also had my service done there - only thing I did to that bike was check the oil occasionally.