Northern VA xs needs valve adjustment.. anybody?

[coltrain5000]

I don't know what I am doing when it comes to valve adjustments. So I figured I would see if anybody close to me is willing to do it for money before I take it to a cycle shop. Maybe I make a new friend too... lol shot in the dark I know.

[GLoweVA]

Here's a link to Zee Maps and it shows that there are quite a few XSives in your general area.
http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=153721
You could then look them up here on XS11.com and send them a PM (private message) and see if they'd be willing and able.

I have trouble accessing zeemaps here at work, otherwise I'd give you more info/details.

Too bad I'm too far away.

[James England]

Many XSives would help you just for the love of it, not for cash, right?

[GLoweVA]

Hell ya!

I would and have! (for those that are local)

The feeling of belonging to a group that feels as passionate about these machines as I do is great!

Helping another fellow XSive bring his (or her) bike back to life is second only to doing it for your own bike.

[coltrain5000]

NICE TIP and thank you!!! Maybe aches n pains will help me

Good stuff!!! I would love to learn how to do it too.. I just have no shims, & never done it. I do pretty much everything on these bikes except for fork seals and valve adjustments lol!
I would learn too but me and the girl have a ride to new river gorge in early july and I just got back from columbus ohio yesterday. Riding the ol girl good n plenty.

[James England]

One XSive in the USA had his bike knocked off the stand.... hit and run. It wrecked his ignition casing and he posted here, saying how awful people/the world is. I sent him, at my expense, a spare casing I had.... for free! No I'm not saying I'm a saint but people in this forum help each other all the time! He sounded so cheesed off that I thought I'd show him that most people in the world are pretty much OK.

Doing valve shims for the first time is a bit too involved and if you get it wrong, you'll damage the top end of the engine. Based on what you've said, I would not attempt it yourself. Find an XSive or two near you, ply them with a few beers (not too many before the job is done) and watch them carefully so you learn for next time!

You'll really need to find out what the gaps are at the moment though. You can do that dead easy as you only have to take the valve cover off... nothing else. You may need shims, you see, and although knowing your present gaps doesn't show exactly what shims you'll need, it will show a general idea....... fancy trying that?

[coltrain5000]

Most people are wonderful

I have sent a guy an extra brass float I had for nothing.. I am no saint either lol..

I do not mind taking the valve cover and getting the gaps.. I may not be able to get to it til tomorrow evening though.

Thanks everybody who chimed in here.

[GLoweVA]

New River Gorge is near Beckley WV.
jjz28 (jeff) is near there. You should PM him and maybe he can join you in that ride. Looks like wonderful roads out that way.
I'm stuck out here in the SE coast and there aren't many twisties out this way.

James +1 on that. When I first started visiting the site in earnest, There was an XSive that was in dire need of the standard front turn signals and mounts. Since I had a fairing on my bike, I didn't need mine. I sent them to him Free. Since then, someone has sent me a set of carb boots and I even gave up my recitifier off my SG for a local XSive. It's almost like a feeling of family.

[James England]

. It's almost like a feeling of family.

Y'know, that's why I only use this forum. It's not crude or vulgar, full of swearing and macho posturing like some places. And everyone genuinely wants to help others. One remarkable thing is that there is very little, if any, ego stuff where people go on and on at each other with opposing views over something completely trivial. And it's not full of that funny kind of jargon people use to refer to each other and abbreviations and daft spellings! No wot I mean M8?

[James England]

I just have no shims, & never done it. I do pretty much everything on these bikes except for fork seals

I have four 270's and a 285 you can have, if needs be.

BTW, why don't you do fork seals? They're not difficult to do...

[coltrain5000]

fork seals

I usually outsource the fork work because I dont have a motorcycle jack nor a way to get the front up. My bike doesn't have the centerstand as the PO removed it for these pipes and bags to work. Pipes are dropped a tad lower for the bags..

[XS11UFO]

Miss the Ashburn Pub

I used to live in Ashburn, I miss the Ashburn Pub!

Unfortunately I'm in Florida now and working my way through my first shim job now, cams are back in but IDK if it will work. Slow and easy with all the great help here - its not that bad.

Scott

[newc4]

coltrain5000,

I PM'd you. I'll be happy to help, just not this weekend - goin to XSNorth.
I've done fork seals on my special, haven't had to do them on the XS11E yet. They're not that hard to do.

You got a garage?

[jimbyjimb]

I usually outsource the fork work because I dont have a motorcycle jack nor a way to get the front up. My bike doesn't have the centerstand as the PO removed it for these pipes and bags to work. Pipes are dropped a tad lower for the bags..

That sucks! The center-stand and a mechanical jack work great together for keeping the front up! The frame bar under the exhaust is a great place to put the jack.

In fact, that method is effective for removing the whole fork and rear tire.

I bet you could come up with a rig that would lift the rear and act like a center stand. The trick would be making sure it's rock-steady.

[Aches n Pains]

Coltrain500 and newC4,

I have never done valve adjustments but would very much like to watch and run wrenches if you guys get together.

I live in Reston (roughly corner of Route 7 and Reston Parkway) and have a barn, a motorcycle lift, and lots of tools. If you would like to work here that would be great.

Let me know what your plans are.

Doug (Aches n Pains)