First Gen SV650 Valve Check

[Biking Sailor]

About 15 month ago I bought a 2001 SV650 naked with about 8K miles on it.  It has mostly been ridden by my teenage son and now has 15K+ miles and is ready for a valve check.

My question is what are some of the tricks/tips to do this.  He scanned the Haynes manual we have on the bike and told me checking the valves is gonna be a lot of work/time.  Those with experience, what say you?

Thanks in advance for you input.

[Scratch33]

'Poof did it in just 3 weeks!  

http://www.bluepoof.com/motorcycles/howto/svs_valves/

[bluepoof]

  Someone beat me to pimping my own website!

God, this reminds me that I need to do a valve adjustment on my Ninjette.   Thank god they're not shim under buckets.

[Cablebandit]

It can't be much different than a Vstrom.  It's easy to do.  Just take you time and follow the directions.

[Timan]

Checking is fairly easy, adjusting the rear is an adventure.

[Morgan]

I've done it three or four times now (can't recall) and with 83K the bike has never actually needed an adjustment, simply an inspection.  I'm not convinced I'd like to take the cams out myself or deal with the cam chain tensioner.  But the inspection is straight forward.  I'd recommend checking the rear first because if you are out of spec and elect to let someone else actually adjust the valves, then you have a lot less to do.  The front is a PIA with the radiator.  Either way, it's worth doing and cheaper than allowing someone else to screw it up for you.  For the record, I'd rather do the SV inspection with two valve covers to replace than ever do my CBR RR again.  It took me 2 hours to simply get to the valve cover.  Putting it back on took both me and my wife contorting, swearing, and contorting our bodies to align  the stupid thing in the only, exact, and millimeter specific way that it will fit.  Never again.