Tappet adjustment Varadero 1000

[Windmill John]

HI Guys,

I'll be looking at a couple of XLVs tomorrow
But
Are the rumours true re tappet adjustment, you would need to remove the camshafts?
This could be a deal breaker.
I've always had good old spanner adjustable tappets, BMs, Bandits, older Hondas etc. But a virtual strip just to adjust tappets!!!
Any advice, or am I woosing out.

Cheers

John

[Boris]

You can check the clearances with the cams in place but you're correct it's a camshaft out job if you actually need to adjust any as it uses shims in buckets. Fortunately it's not difficult and they rarely if ever need more than checking.

I'd be surprised if there are many bikes with reasonably modern engines that still have locknut and screw adjusting. Even the BMW has bowed down to the mistress of reciprocating mass and gone shims in buckets for the latest incarnation of the venerable boxer engine.

[Windmill John]

Thanks for that Boris,

I sold my 2000 BMW GS850 a few months back; tappets were sooooooo quick to check or adjust.
I like a traillie position and the choice for something to commute but also tour two up is a little limited. The Varadero looks good.
Could go for a Transalp, that would probably do. But I don't want to strain the engine if I'm two up with panniers, topbox and tank bag.

I think I'll still go and look at the Varadero.

Thanks again.

John

[StumpyFingers]

I had a Suzuki GS650 and it had bucket and shim tappets, they never needed adjustment in the 50,000 miles I did on it.

[davsato]

the new v4 vfr has both, inboard valves are directly under the camshaft with buckets, outboard valves have rockers and screw/locknut adjustment.

[africajim]

Well, adjustment due to wear of a small area of case hardened metal rubbing against a similarly case hardened camshaft compared to a shim in a bucket with around ten times as much contact with the camshaft? No contest really!
Perhaps later in life the older Varadero might need a couple of shims but it's hardly a major issue compared to checking and resetting tappets every 12,000 miles?
I've owned two Varadero's and consider them the best two up tourer made to date. A good bike, good build quality, big tank for long distance and Honda reliability
Honestly mate, I'd need a bigger excuse than hard to service tappets to stop progress! Try the Varadero, you won't regret it.