Design Disadvantages of the CB1100

[Pterodactyl_imp]

One of my first questions to my dealer was valve adjustment frequency - He told me 16,000 miles. I guess he's blowing smoke in my face...

That is the service manual stipulation. It's not the dealer that is blowing the smoke. It's Honda. Most people who check the valves themselves have found them to be within tolerance. My dealer checked mine at first major service and made adjustments. I had other issues with that service and since then I do all the servicing on my bike.

Back to Honda. Why does Honda make the stipulation? I don't know, but I believe they have better technical resources than most, if not all, on this forum. Honda chose the valve check interval for a reason. I don't think that Honda was driven by the bottom line in making that the check interval.

The dealer? Well, I don't use a dealer but if I did, I want that dealer to carry out the service manual procedure without deviation or omission. The last thing I would want from a dealer is for him to think, "These CBs probably don't require a valve check so often. The shops busy, my foreman has a hangover after the dealership Christmas party and needs a recovery lunch, so I won't get them to check Pterodactyl's bike, it's most likely OK. And if it's not I will win when he brings it back with the engine running like a sick donkey, or better still, with major damage (I'm planning a vacation in Aspen this winter and would love a new set of carvers)."

So if you, or the dealer, don't want to check the valves at the the stipulated intervals it's up to you. As a wise man once said, "You pays your money, you takes your choice"

Cheers
And I note that Calamari's thread has resurrected. Wonder if he still looks in occasionally. Cheers again.