SAFETY FIRST: Protective gloves and eyewear are recommended at this point.
NOTE: Always wear safety glasses when using compressed air and never point it directly at yourself or anyone else.
Remove the side covers, seat and fuel tank. See the Fuel Tank Removal topic for more information.
Disconnect the negative battery cable. See the Battery Removal topic for more information.
NOTE: Inspect the valve clearances when the engine is cold.
Remove the water temperature sensor wire and sparkplug cap.
Blow out any dirt or debris that maybe laying in the sparkplug area.
Remove the sparkplug using an 18 mm socket. Place a clean shop towel over the sparkplug hole.
Disconnect the primary leads that go to the ignition coil. The black/yellow wire goes to the negative terminal on the coil, the solid black wire goes to the positive terminal.
Remove the coil mounting bolt using a 10 mm wrench and remove the coil.
Remove the four bolts that secure the valve cover to the cylinder head using a 12 mm wrench.
Valve cover bolt torque specification: 7 ft-lb
Remove the valve cover by pulling up and outwards to the left side of the motorcycle.
Remove the timing inspection plugs using a large washer and pliers. Inspect the O-rings, replace as needed.
The valve clearances can only be checked with the piston located at TDC (top dead center) of the compression stroke. Turn the crankshaft counterclockwise when viewed from the left side with a 19 mm socket until you observe the intake valves (locate towards the rear) open and then close. You will see the valves move downward as they open and move upwards as they close. Once the intake valves have closed, turn the crankshaft about another half turn until the “T” mark on the flywheel is aligned with the notch on the upper hole of the alternator cover.
Once the engine has been rotated to Top Dead Center Compression and the ” T ” mark is in the inspection hole, make sure the timing marks on the cam sprockets are level with the cylinder head gasket mating surface. The intake and exhaust cam lobes should be facing away from each other.
Insert the correct size feeler gauge between the cam lobe and the shim. Record your measurement for the intake and the exhaust valve clearances and compare them with specification.
Exhaust valve clearance: .15 to .25 mm
Intake valve clearance: .10 – .20 mm
If the measurements are within specification reinstall the valve cover using a sealing bond around the cam cutouts in the gasket surface, this will help seal the rubber cam cover gasket and prevent an oil leak. Tighten the valve cover bolts to their proper torque specification.
Valve cover bolt torque: 7.8 N-m or 7.0 ft-lb
Reinstall the spark plug and torque it to specification.
Sparkplug torque: 14 N-m or 10.0 ft-lb
Install the ignition coil, making sure to connect the black/yellow wire to the negative terminal and the solid black wire to the positive terminal. Tighten the mounting bolt securely.
Plug in the water temperature sensor.
Connect the spark plug cap to the spark plug.
If any of the shims are out of specification you will need to remove the cams and replace the shim(s). See the Valve Train Removal topic and the Valve Shim Replacement topic for more information.