nhawk7504_imp said:
These modern motors don't need the valves looked at like they used to. A Yamaha dealer told me about my FZ1, "I'm not going to waste your money. Just ride it." Valves go out of spec by redlining it. Having said that, a VFR was run flat out for 24 hours by a test team and was still as new after that when they took it apart. I had the valves "checked" ha ha, which means they started it and it didn't stall and then they wound up the motor near redline and it didn't miss a beat. It does one or the other when out of spec. Or it is obviously noisy.
The Yamaha FZ1 has a Genesis engine, which calls for valve clearance checks at 26,600 miles (42,800 km). These engines have very light valves and extremely durable materials in the valve train. Also, liquid-cooled engines have much more stable temperatures, which is why they can go far longer between inspections.
Keep in mind that a quiet engine may have tight valves, drastically more dangerous than if they are loose. The valve helps to cool the engine when it contacts the valve seat. The valve timing is critical to this function. If a valve spends too much time hanging out on the seat, it and the seat, and the combustion chamber will run hot. Parts will be destroyed. I've pulled apart two liquid-cooled engines where this occurred.
The edges of the valves were pounded so thin, they were almost razor-sharp, and did not seal properly. The first sign of this is very hard starting.
As Guth humorously pointed out, without a warranty voucher, perhaps a routine check, as Honda recommends, would be in order.
There is a reason why these service schedules are in place, and whilst they're expensive, they're to protect your investment and perhaps your safety, not to enrich dealers.
All that said, I did my own valve inspection (have done for the last 35 years on all my bikes) and all was perfect.
But without an inspection, it's just a guess.
