To shim check or not to shim check

[Burchy]

Speaking to Pete Extance about this.  the majority of the cost is the labour in actually getting to the cams to measure the gaps and then to rebuild  everything.  The actual extra cost of pulling the cams is not that great if shims do need replacing.

My experience with Kawasakis and shims if a little different from some comments above.  Over the last few years I have shimmed 10 different Kawas.  All of them needed shims.  A ZRX needed 8 shims at 15000 but nothing again at 42000.
a ZX9R needed 6 shims at 15000 and none at 30000.  This seemed a common train of events

ALL engines sounded sharper, slightly noisier when shims had been changed and, after carb balancing, ran smoother than before.


The trouble with these engines is that they sound quieter and quieter as the clearance closes up and gives the false impression that all is OK.  If you wait until the gap closes completely and the  cam is actually holding a valve open, you will quickly burn a valve and valve seat and it WILL sound and run rough and will be an expensive hit on your wallet.

My 14 will need a shim service at the end of next year.  I will either do it slowly myself or strip it down and take it to BK in a van for them to do the essentials

[mattye]

Thanks for all of the feedback and advice. I agree with keeping the fluids and filters changed on a regular basis which mine has as i ride about 10 - 11K per year commuting to work and back.

I'm going to go with the option of waiting to have the shims checked and maybe have them done at 45K when I have the plugs changed. As per others comments I had the plugs changed at 15K as I think every 7.5K is just a money spinner for K.

Thanks again all.

[viper]

i did my own shim check and replacement on my zzr1200 when it had done 25k miles.  3 were out and i was able to swap 2 around , I had bought some replacemnt shims for just a few quid and ended up only using 1 of them

bike was no different before or after the check