The CB1100 Community Forum

There are a couple of questionable steps in the otherwise excellent shop manual.
1) I'm not sure why they would have you remove the cam chain tension before checking all 16 valve clearances. Wouldn't you want the chain to be tensioned as you turn the crank by hand to position for measuring the various valves?
2) Why do they specify you take the cam sprockets off before removing the cams? I've been doing valves on various bikes for 30 years and normally once the cam chain is loose you can take out the intake cam then the exhaust cam without removing the sprockets.
Any of you guys have first hand experience with doing the valve adjustments on this bike? I'm nowhere near 8,000mi but I'm curious.

--Joe in Lake Wylie, SC ('14 CB1100 standard)

#2 Well I've never done one, but looking at the manual for removal and replacement, it appears that as the sprocket drops off the flange, you get the clearance you need to remove the cam chain.

The replacement steps say to put the chain on the sprocket and then onto the flanges. That's why I think its for clearance.

Not sure about this Honda manual, but when I used to work on my 900 Ninja, if the Kawasaki manual said to do something, it was usually right, I think I learned this after trying to out smart it and take a few quicker routes.

Having already checked my valve clearances there is one important thing that the manual does not mention. When you remove the valve cover there is 4 small o rings that tend to fall out. They appear to be part of the exhaust gas recycling so make sure they do not fall into the motor. I found the 2 missing ones on mine resting down in the cylinder head fins. Also if you remove the cam caps make sure you mark them as to location because the caps have both IN and EX markings on them and so do the cam cogs.

In the German CB 1100 forum some people report that at the first "big" service at 12.000 km quite a lot of shims had to be used to adjust the valves. MY bike needed also quite a lot of shims: 12. :o

Tezza, nice tip! I'll print that out and stick it in my manual for future use.

(09-03-2015, 05:41 PM)ingobohn_imp Wrote: [ -> ]In the German CB 1100 forum some people report that at the first "big" service at 12.000 km quite a lot of shims had to be used to adjust the valves. MY bike needed also quite a lot of shims: 12. :o

Interesting. My '10 model required shims at 12000 but since then, at 56000, all OK.

Cheers
Ingebohn, is there any indication if it was dealers check of valve clearances, or the owners?