youtube tuning

[Darwin_R65]

I mentioned earlier on another thread I wasn't sure whether my bike was "singing" a little louder than she should be.

I checked my valve clearances and instead of 4 and 8 thou they were 4 and 3 thou.
The intake gap was OK but the exhaust was way too small.
Once adjusted I was still not sure about valve noise.

I went onto youtube and type R65 and was surprised at how many people have videoed their R65 going for a ride, but what was a great relief they all sound3ed the same as my bike, so I've stopped worrying and now accept the valves are talking to me in their normal voice.

Who would have thought I'd be checking valve noise via youtube.

John

[Justin B.]

You might want to keep an eye on the exhaust gap.  If it routinely closes up faster than the intake valve it might indicate a valve job is in your future...  

[nhmaf]

+1, Yes, indeed - do check your valve clearances after you've run up another 1500 miles or 3000 km or so.  If the exhaust has closed up by more than .001" or so from its previous setting, then you've got a wear and/or deformation issue happening and will need to start saving&planning for said valve job.   On the "plus" side, if you do get it done then you should not have to worry about them for a long long time.

I'm still running original valves, and to try to keep my exhaust valves cool, I tend to run my valve clearances at .005"/.010" instead of the usual .004/.008.  It does make them "sing" just a bit more, but the increased time spent in contact with the valve seats I think helps.  I also try to keep the carbs tuned to have the cylinders running just a little bit more towards the rich side than the lean side.

[Allred]

My local Master BMW Technician, with may years experience and a real fondness for airheads, says that an exhaust valve on the early 80's airheads that tightens up more than 0.001" inbetween "normal" service intervals (3,000 miles for me, though BMW says more) is probably a symptom of eroding valve seats, which were a problem in the early 80's or so when BMW changed the valve seat material to cope with unleaded gasoline.

I bit the bullet, and overhauled the top end of my '83 R100RT when the exhaust valve regularly closed up by that amount or more in intervals of 1,000 miles!  The motor had 92,000 miles at that time, now has 103,000 and runs just great!    [smiley=cool.gif]

I'm closely watching and listening to my '83 R65 now, with 51,000 miles, for same symptoms.