Are Valve Clearance Checks Essentia | The Honda CB1100 or the Bonneville T100 

As a ex-mechanic. Valve clearence: its a easy job, (on most bikes) so long you have The right tools and has enough mechanical experience to not damage things. Its delicate, but anyone with some careful and attention and most of all CORRECT GUIDANCE can do It. (Again, for most bikes) As to what If It is necessary? In short yes. But When? It depends. I never followed scheudule on this, you Will hear the tappet noise If your bike needs It. And doing It Will restore some Power, throttle response and efficency for your bike and reduce tappet noise of course. But don't expect anything massive. I recommend watching tutorials over and over and getting familiar with The process and then trying It yourself. Would do for a good vídeo for The channel Freddie. And then you could share If you noticed any differance afterwards

I recall one chap saying that he finally capitulated and had his Fireblade's valves checked at 91,000 miles and they were all still within spec. Had my SV thou's checked at about 24,200 and they were all fine. I asked the dealer if it'd be ok until 40,000 and his reply was 'at least '. An honourable man, unlike some places I've previously been to. You know, the kind of establishment where you need to wipe your feet on the way out. I will say, I am very fastidious regarding oil change intervals though. When it even deviates a tiny amount from honey coloured, it's out of there. Last time was after just over 1,100 miles, with a filter change this time too {every third oil change}. The bike's now done just over 31,000 miles and runs really nicely.

Purchase the simple tools required and do the servicing yourself. It’s not just about not wanting to pay for a shop, it’s more about the competence of said shop. Even if the tech is good, they are incentivized to cut corners. It’s all about how fast they can get a job done, not how well it’s done. Most techs don’t even bother with torque wrenches.

talking of keeping a bike or two not to ride but to own as a piece of biking history . about six or seven years ago my wfe Linda said she would like a classic bike to cherish . I started to look and came across a 1951 B S A Bantam D 1 at a proper classic dealer in Oxfordshire . they delivered it and it runs perfectly . we kept it in a room next to our garage covered up . Two years later Linda said she would like another classic bike and so this time found a nice James Captain in maroon colour ,again a 1951 model . both bikes have rigid back ends , no suspension . they are both 72 years old this year the same as my wife. We now keep them each end if the living room and can admire them like a piece of art . she would never sell them . I am 74 and we now ride scooters . she has a one year old vespa and i have a 300 cc vespa ,and two 125 cc hondas . we have been a ride through the lanes this afternoon together .living the dream ..

Regarding having a bike for a piece of art, I bought a 1986 Honda Elite 250. I wanted one in the worst way as a kid, but we lived in the country and dirt bikes just made more sense. But now I finally have my Elite. An icon of 80's design, complete with digital gauges (very futuristic for 1986). I have a couple of other bikes (one being a 2014 Honda CB1100 DLX), so the Elite is simply garage jewelry and I love just having it sitting in the corner looking oh so cool.

Freddie, I’m having so much fun with Tuesday at Dobb’s. So much rambling and so much analysis of the minutia of motorcycle ownership and usage, I love it. I wonder if you realise just how much your channel and others actually influence the lifestyle of those of us that follow your content? Next month I will be traveling over 3,000 miles to ride a Royal Enfield Classic 500 in Tenerife, followed by a Triumph T100, after watching so many of your videos about the beauty and motorcycle culture of the island. This is the encore to a trip in 2020 in the midst of COVID to ride in Gran Canaria on a Honda 500X thanks to the influence of the Missenden Flyer. I live on a tiny 21 square mile island with 20 mph speed limits and a maximum motorcycle engine size of 150cc but have just placed an order for a 2023 Honda CT 125, to be specially imported from Thailand that will hopefully be my ‘final’ daily ride. Your channel personifies what motorcycles are all about, riding is not just an activity, it is so much more, riding is an entire cultural experience and an expression of our most basic instincts that give us joy and fulfillment. Freddie, don’t measure your success by the number of subscribers, measure it by the pivotal influence you have provided to those of us who have changed our lifestyles as a result of your content. Oh, and just to be clear, don’t for one second think you could have done any of it without the assistance of your very special partner Monika. Keep up the great work and hopefully one day we will cross paths.

There is something about the CB1100 that tugs at the heart strings …. I have a speed twin 1200 and have decided to add a CB1100RS to my ‘collection’ 😊

I know this a bit outdated now but would like to blow the trumpet for my Honda CB1100EX. It looks great, it rides even better and is so flexible from tootling along a winding back road to a 1000kms trip in perfect comfort. Best bike I have ever owned. 61 years old and 47th steed. And probably my last. It will go to my son when I'm gone. ❤❤

If you don't have warranty then 99% of the time you'll get away without the valve clearances unless you have some unusual engine noises. However, if your bike is under warranty and you have an engine problem that might be associated with not doing the valve checks you'll be likely be paying for it yourself. Some companies like Harley sometimes void the warranty completely for missing required maintenance regardless of whether the problem had anything to do with the maintenance missed.

My father was a garage owner and engineer. Re valve clearances. I used to be manic about mine after he taught me to do it. However he used to laugh at me. He said if it runs right the valves are fine. If it doesnt check them. If its unusually noisy check them otherwise consider them checked. My vfr 800 fi i didn’t check them until 40k. Still fine. If they are tapped type it’s easy anyway. Shims u need some skill. Valves can go two ways. Close up = loses performance cant breathe. Get too loose = rattle. I once had an 1300 ohv Ford which rattled its head off. Never did the valves because got rattle again. I think it depends if they are hydraulic and also has it been maintained and has it had the shit revved out of it. If I thought they needed doing i would learn myself theres plently of utubers kind enough to show their skills. I would only be worried if they were too tight.

Your so right about the CB. Ive got one. So smooth and torquey relaxed ride. Top quality and beautiful. 70mph at 3000rpm in top. Best bike Ive ever had in 45 years and the only one I've ever fallen in love with. It happened quietly after riding it 2 or 3 times.

Helmets. I have a full face helmet but tend to choose my open face for riding at slower speeds - especially in town. For me, the claustrophobic, restricted view of my full face helmet negates it's benefit at slow speeds in busy traffic. Also, I find myself enjoying slower roads these days and a "bimble" is what gives me the most pleasure. My Shark Nano is easily the most comfortable helmet I've owned and the long visor actually tucks under the chin slightly too. It's all about personal choice and it's great that we have all bases covered with the styles of helmet available these days.

The CB1100 is a magnificent motorcycle. Sad to have sold mine. Megga engine. My only issue was the black finish coming off the barrel but they all seem to do that.

Couldn't agree more re the CB1100, especially in red......oh my goodness...gorgeous.

Valve clearance is intimidating but it isn't that hard to do yourself, Freddie. I just did my first valve clearance on a 2007 Triumph I bought. It's got nearly 22,000 miles on it and I plan on selling it at some point, so I figured I'd just do the valves... it's more about time than money when you do it yourself. It's good to know that some buyers are thinking about that when they buy a used bike. Makes me think I made the right decision to do them myself. To help with the sale. I've done the valves a bunch of times on my vintage bikes, but the 2007 Triumph is a very difference process. You have to remove the cam and replace a shim to "adjust" it. Of course I messed up and ordered the wrong size shims. My math was correct but I was off by a decimal point...so I guess my math wasn't correct. Oh well. That's how you learn. I'll end with this... after having to do it twice because I screwed up the shim size the first time... it's not as horrible as I thought it would be. I'm not as intimidated by it now that I've done it. Just watch a crap load of videos on it before attempting it.

As a 60 year old who's had a fair few bikes in my 44 years on the road and who spent several years as a despatch rider I always did my valve checks myself albeit rarely and I can honestly say I hardly ever had to adjust them ......and I mean HARDLY EVER . My old vfr 750 did 94,000 miles before I had to change a couple of shims and even then it was such a small amount I could of got away with not doing it . Make of that what you want but I rarely bother now . All the fluids I've always been hot on though.

Hi Freddie, love your work and videos. I listened to your Podcast for the first time today and I found your conversation on valve clearances very interesting. I am also a retired mechanic factory trained in the 1970s by Jaguar Rover & Triumph cars. In my career of 50yrs I have worked on cars bikes, trucks busses, material handling equipment and just about everything. When you have a service on your vehicle it should really be considered as a "Preventive Maintenance Service' To prevent problems occurring. Manufacturers set the service periods which can be considered by some as being on the safe side. In the case of valve clearances be in no doubt that a tight valve clearance causes more damage to an engine than a slack valve clearance due to valve seat re-secession. The valve seat recedes and the valve sinks into the seat, even though modern engines have hardened valve seats. This is due to wear of the valve seat and valve. Motorcycles have very small valve clearances and these can close up quickly causing valve seat and valve burning. When the tappet clearance is slack it is noisy, but causes little damage unless very slack. If the valve is quiet then to say its OK is really misguided. If there is no clearance the it will be quiet until it burns out the valve and seat. If you check your valves you know they are OK. Try to do it yourself because you will make sure it right. Overhead bucket and shim valves have longer service intervals usually. I ride a 2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor, 1975 Honda CB750 K5, 1975 Honda GL1000 GoldWing and a 1978 Honda CX500. live in Australia but a Pommie and love riding in Bali. Ubud is my favourite place. Make sure you look after your Bonneville

Bluetooth: I have both the Stryker and OutStar S (open face) Sena helmets. Both bluetooths are simple to use and for me and my useage, perfect.

Hi Freddie, appreciate the advise. I’m leaning towards the triumph. Purely due to the desire to have a Bonneville in the garage. The CB1100 is a beautiful bike, but the Bonneville just has the win for me. I don’t know why and I can’t explain it. Of course I’ll email over a picture when I make the purchase! Thanks, Luke

I had to have my clearances on my XJR at 40,00 kilometer a year ago and it cost me £325 and had to have 9 shims changed this also included a carb balance so I thought this was what I would call a reasonable price , shop around that's all I would as it was half what I was quoted .I will also say that all my carbed bikes never had any issues . Freddie sorry but I just don't agree on the pre 2008 bikes they are just as reliable and in some cases more so than more modern bikes will be in the future with so many electronics which without doubt will eventually let you down imagine the cost of a TFT when it fails .Great stuff 👌👍

I‘m lucky and privileged to be able to do the valve clearances myself, having previously worked as a m/c mechanic. Recommend to anyone to invest in courses and decent tools. You‘ll recuperate those investments after your 1st service and be left with more money in your pocket for bike holidays. At first, never do this alone until you’ve built up some routine. Btw, my friends Ktm 790 Adventure didn’t have the clearances done at the last service , the valves tightened up (as they do on most engines) , went through the piston and totally destroyed the whole engine. To add salt to the wounds it was just 2months out of the warranty period so, ended up buying another s/h engine from a crashed 790 Duke. Advise all riders to have things done in the warranty period. After that it’s your choice. Totally enjoy your reviews…😉

Valve clearance adjustment really depends on the bike, e.g my bike gsx 1400 virtually never require adjustment, one of the best bikes ever made.

On the topic of bluetooth, if you roll with a group that has Sena, get a sena. If you roll with a group that has Cardo, get a cardo. I know Sena has a high end model which can work with Cardo, but its so expensive, you could get 1 mid-range model from sena and 1 from Cardo. If you don't roll with a group, any bluetooth will do the job. Many (most?) helmets these days have slots for 3rd party speakers. Or even wired ear buds connected to phone work just fine, except for the annoying dangling wire and the inability to control it while riding.

Hello this was a very interesting blog, I enjoy your very innocent lack of engineering background yet you do your very best and I have a son of your age and similar mechanical knowledge. My generation grew up with the mini etc which all had push rod tappets and screw adjustments, yes they really did make a tapping noise when adjustment was required. You soon learned how to use feeler gauges to set inlet valve and exhaust valve tappet. Luckily I had an engineering apprenticeship so this all was second nature. The use of shims came about when camshafts suddenly appeared and overhead shim adjustment. A lot more difficult but less often required. They really have designed these so well now as to not require setting up except when rebuilding. Royal Enfield have a requirement for tappet adjustment yet on Japan engineered bikes almost unheard of Quality design and better materials. I have a new Suzuki Vstrom 650 and Royal Enfield 350 both brand new it’s a joke that I have to check the tappets on the RE at 1000 miles but more of a novelty to me where as somebody with no idea would have a large service bill due to old engineering design. Thanks Freddy as a good topic

Im not mechanically inclined; however, I bought a new RE INT650 last fall. The valve clearance check is required at 300 miles and every 6,000 miles after. I watched a RU-vid video and tackled it myself. RE uses the screw type adjuster so it’s really easy. Other bikes I’ve heard not so easy. This is one of the reasons I bought an RE so I could save on dealer maintenance. My other bike is a WR250R with valve checks every 25,000 miles. I’m no where close to that but I’ll have that done as it’s not so easy I’ve heard.

Protective gear….a few years ago in France we only reached around mid-France and were so hot that we headed back up north. Last year in Spain was damp and chill…some of the ‘mesh’ layers with armour built in look tempting as they can be worn on their own in real heat or under other layers without armour.

I’d say valve clearance checks are among the harder jobs (which is why it’s expensive). But it’s also absolutely essential. But I believe on average, you can get away with skipping it. You never hear “I wish Ihad done my valve clearance adjustment in time” in contrary to for instance timing chain belt replacements in cars. Note that I say “on average” meaning for every 9 times you skip them you may really harm your engine once. Meaning you’re saving 7000€ and then spending 5000€ on damage. I plan to do this check at 80.000 km which I doubt I’ll make.

Hiya Freddie, my view on why the CB1100 didn't sell Is simple, it was to big and to heavy, if Honda were to make 650-or a 750 in line four of course, with 50kg less weight it would have sold by the boat load, and I would be first in the queue to buy one. I tried the 1100 and it was a lovely bike but it was to big to heavy....

Hi Freddie, you are definitely an influencer. I now use a quadlock for sat nav, I am thinking about getting a bike with fuel injection for my next more regular ride, dropping my insurance to third party fire and theft, and I've even bought a new more fashionable jacket :) This is despite being in my sixties and having had a long list of bikes, which you read out a few podcasts ago. The issue of Valve Clearances caught my attention, and I thought I would share my thoughts. Bike valve clearances are a little like the cam belt thing with cars. If you ignore them, most of the time it won't cause any problems that you would notice. However, you may just be the unlucky one, and be the person that it does cause an issue for. I haven't really had a problem because of clearances, but I have had 3 cam belts snap, in cars not Ducatis, and the last one was well within the manufacturers service schedule. I now do all my own cam belts, and of more interest to you valve clearances, so I do know a little bit about both. I put videos of these on RU-vid as well, on a channel called SpannerRash. In the more distant past on the more complicated bikes I owned I would just ignore the valve clearances , but usually they would be fairly low mileage bikes and I never owned them for that long. Even though I never had a problem, I would worry about them, especially on high performance bikes where I might be doing track days and riding a little more exuberantly! Surprisingly clearances can go both ways, either get too big or too small. Too big, causes a noisy engine, and you may lose a little power, but it would have to get really bad before it was causing major damage. But too small is the real concern, the engine will be quiet, but the valves will stop seating properly, at first you will lose a little power, but if they get bad the likelihood is that the valve(s) run hotter and hotter and eventually will burn out or maybe even fail, which will cause catastrophic damage to the engine. I think that I would personally follow this. If your engine is becoming noisy, consider having the clearances done. If it is quiet, and past the service schedule for having the clearances checked, think about which category of bike/rider you fall into. If you usually potter about, mostly within speed limits, rarely really stressing the engine, then don't overly worry about them unless you notice the characteristics of your engine starts to change. However, if you do explore the rev range a lot, and put your engine under stress regularly, or do long high(ish) speed motorway journeys I would get them checked. Really, there is no hard and fast rule, some engines rarely go out of adjustment, and some always do, and each bike can be different even of the same make and type. If when they are checked they don't need adjustment I would probably ignore them in future for that bike, however if a number of the valves do need adjustment I would stick to the manufacturers schedule, as it is likely they will change again. Thinking of the long trips that you take on the Bonneville, and the fact that you do intend to keep it, I think you should probably get your valve clearances checked. It would be interesting to see what you find out. I would bet that they are probably alright, you don't seem to be somebody that always rides like you stole it, and you seem to give it a regular oil change! Now that you have thought a bit more about valve clearances I suspect they will start to be something you worry about, even if only a little. So getting them checked will give you a bit more peace of mind next time you are thinking of setting off to Spain on it :) Take care.

Saw some nice comments on valve clearance servicing. Freddie, the one thing I must stress, if you are doing this, is that for a first time non-mechanically inclined person, you MUST assume that this job will take at least 2-5 times longer than someone whos experienced, depending on how perfect and careful you want to be. Valve clearance, if you dont do your research, is something that can keep your bike on the shelf for days or longer. However, once you get the hang of it, it'll become easier and is a very rewarding service, esp if you want a smooth running engine. Also I agree that riders should know how to do this just for the sake of not getting robbed 600$ on clearance service alone if anything. If you want a bike thats hard to service you must be willing to make that sacrifice in todays corrupt market that makes servicing bikes (& cars) so prohibitablely difficult and expensive. Most bikes built before 2000-2010 were literally designed for the owner to service everything including the valves. Its absolutely criminal of the manufactures to make it this hard and expensive on newer, current, and future bikes to do BASIC servicing.

Totally agree about the loud pipe thing! As for valve clearances, my experience is that "it depends " - literally depends on the valve clearance adjustment method, for example my Harley will never need it done as it has automatic (hydraulic) lifters, whereas my RE 350 Classic has locknut and screw so may need it very often, but it will be easy and finally my CB1100 will likely not need adjustment for many miles as it uses shims (and is a Honda after all 😂) but will be complex (for me) or expensive.... simples! (Not) 😂😂 oh I had a Bonnie 865 T100, lovely but the CB1100 wins it for me

Finding it much easier to listen to the podcasts now on RU-vid. I bought a 1979 z200 for nostalgic reasons as I was born in 1979 and my uncle who has now passed had a red Kawasaki when I was a child. I’ve ridden it once in 3 years but as it’s small and only cost £1500 I like to look at it and have enjoyed doing some Mechanical work on it. Would also love a garage similar to what you describe. I currently have a lockup that I rent where I keep my bikes which is a great place for me and my friends to hang out and shoot the breeze. I also have a street twin and a bmw f650gs. What are your thoughts on multiple bikes for different occasions. Keep up the great content on both channels 👍

Checking valve clearences is easily done at home, and just for peace of mind it's worth doing. Then know this, tight clearences and no clearence require attention to prevent burned valves and maintian compression. Open clearences, depends on how you feel about rattly noises. Fredies Bonneville is one of the more difficult machines to adjust, but at least he could know the clearences without spending money first.

Late to the party. I also scratched my head about the much hyped tappet / valve clearance issue. I bought a new RE 350. The 300 miles services asks for tappet check. It's an easy job, thanks to RU-vid, on this bike. BUT. The bike shows no signs of a problem with loose or tight tappets. If loose, there's a rattle. If tight there's engine stall at idle and unstable idle rpm. The engine is running fine and there's no noise. There's chat on forums the workshops don't touch it if it's running ok. SO: I just did my own oil change and oil filter etc. And routine checks. Let's see what happens!

Freddie, I've really been enjoying these newer format podcasts you're doing so thank you! Regarding the valve clearance checks - I speak from someone who worked as a mechanic for many years and have personally done them. Whether to do the valve clearance checks or not is LARGELY based on the type of bike you're riding as well as the engine that's in it. There are certain classification/types of bikes that are known for needing the valve clearances checked due to a huge variety of reasons (vibrations/suspension, type of engine and whether it's got tight clearances (in general when speaking about the engine), the compression ratio of the engine, etc. For example, most Japanese bikes are very reliable and built so well and to be reliable, you could probably just get by with doing oil changes and as long as everything else is well maintained, you may not ever need to worry about the valve clearances. On the other hand, many Italian bikes along with Royal Enfield's have a very frequent schedule for checking/adjusting valve clearances and for these bikes, yes I would certainly recommend checking them. However that being said, depending on the bike and which engine and style it is, many are very simple to check valve clearances as a DIY job (if they're out in the open and easy to access without having dismantle a lot of parts beforehand). I will say regardless of bike/engine/make/model, IF you notice that your engine is suddenly starting to get a bit noisier or more difficult to start (assuming everything else checks out regarding plugs/wires/fuel/spark), then I would definitely recommend checking them as that's usually the reason for doing so. If the valve clearances fall too far out of spec, then it can cause a lot of unwarranted noise, or make the engine difficult to start or possibly even stay running as having the valves too far mis-adjusted could cause low compression readings in the engine. As someone with mechanical and engineering background, I would ALWAYS recommend checking the valve clearances, as well as sticking with and following the entire recommended maintenance schedule set forth by the manufacturer. After all, they built the bike and the engine and know it best in and out so they typically only recommend what's best for the health of the engine in the long-term. That being said however, one of the simplest things one can do is to do a quick Google search for your specific bike's year/make/model and read the forums to see what the historical data shows on your specific bike and whether or not it's highly recommended and/or required.

If Harley would do retro? They definitely have a market and customers. Oh' I bought my Kawasaki 900z Freddie! Off of your review in Bali. It's a beast. Thug in a suit.

Valve checks. If ignored can result in a ruined (top end) engine. I would advise getting the valve clearances checked at the manufacturers recommended mileages, ESPECIALLY the first time it is due. There are broadly two flavours of valve adjustment setup, screw and locknut and bucket and shim. If the the bike you own has screw and locknut only you will find it easy to do yourself if you can for example, adjust the chain correctly. The bucket and shim adjustment procedure is much more involved if any adjustments are needed, it involves removing camshafts and replacing shim or shims with different sized shims which you will need to purchase once you know what size you need.

I love your video, one very friendly suggestion would be to create a bit better thumbnails. You videos deserve the best thumbnails. Thanks for making this choose on CB1100

Good Afternoon Freddie, definitely a Helmet with Bluetooth built in. You always have everything available regardless of which bike you are riding. Cheers Julian

Regarding the comms system, I have an AGV Tourmodular that can take a purpose-built Cardo system that pops into slots cut into the helmet itself--no external units or wires are going to show, and the buttons will likewise be integrated. Several other brands do this as well, IIRC, just have a look. The helmet itself is from a solid brand that leaves little room for doubt as to the safety, and the Cardo mesh system works very well. It can also trigger the phone's voice assistant without having to blindly stab at the buttons integrated with the lid.

You’re absolutely right. If we want things made in the western old culture, origin. You will pay more for it. Thank god that we still have that choice! Is it more expensive? Yes, yes and yes. Money is not everything and the only value when you buy something that you love✌️

getting the right helmet fit is far more important than which bluetooth type. So helmet fit first.... then bluetooth option. I use a Shoei Neotech 2 which has the option of an aftermarket integrated unit.

I think you could do a entire Tuesday show with your opinion on buying stuff of value or buying it to have for cheap. You had me talking about hand made bags from the US or the Norton made in England. Then you switched subject. Please return to that one day

I remember doing the valves on my ‘76 750 ss Ducati desmo. It was complex but with enough time and a good oilstone, it was possible . Off with the heads and rockers , out with the shims , sand the new one to as close as you can get , all back together, then measure again, repeat, repeat, repeat until its right. Im not sure I could do it now days, i just don’t have the fine motor skill and dexterity to do it anymore. And that was just a twin! A good one but easy to work on with good access. I think a big 4 with shims is beyond me. Its a catch 22, if I still had the Ducati, id have to sell it to pay for someone to service it. They were fabulous bikes but not for the faint hearted.

Great content as always. I'm going to have a go at the valve clearances myself, watching a RU-vid about my bike, the key is to get the right tools and don't rush it. As I'm keeping the bike, I want to make sure I look after it as it gets higher in millage. A pain to do, but hopefully the gain will be worth it long term. Oh and I think the real reason manufacturers don't bring out good looking electric bikes is because they know electric is not really the future.

This is my favourite thing in RU-vid at the moment! I was looking at getting a open face helmet to ride on Sunday rides ect, went to gran caneria on a bike tour last month and within the first 10 km had two stones hit me in the visor, now I'm not even considering one. People comment on the new bsa about how they are made in India and slag it of, they also say that the new triumphs are not a proper triumph ect. Most people wouldnt buy a bike that is made in the UK anyway as they wouldn't pay the extra ect. People will always find a way to criticize. Keep up the content great watching.

I tour with an old friend…..we met in 1969(😮)…it’s just the two of us riding around abroad for a couple of weeks and spending the start of day and afternoons/evenings chatting. No way we want comms during the day as well. As long as I can can connect to my satnav…someone’s navigation is not always great 🤣🤣. Plenty of basic headsets available and I’ve never connected the microphone. Should connect to phones if you have to have music and my Garmin SatNav takes a micro sd for your own playlist…personally I enjoy getting away from it all and enjoy the ride.

You should have them done or do them yourself it is the clearance between cam lobe and the buckets it is a pain to do but you really need to do them ontime. Also if its an older bike it may have the simple rockers which are adjusted using a spanner and a slot driver and obviously feeler guages

Missed this one !. Valve clearances, yes and no. Depends on motorcycle, My old Enfield every 2 oil changes I check A cb1100 older ones, and yearly newer ones as per maintenance guide. Shims close up so get tighter, then what happens is u get burning of the seat , erratic running and blowback, Actually just rebuilt a new cb1100 where that has just happened. So you won't hear them. Also its not a difficult job, spin the engine to the back of cam, measure , spin the engine check another, do twice to double-check a couple of hours tops ( cb1100 )

It is possible to manufacture at a competitive price. It takes more investment in automation. Alot of the time the decision to move a factory to developing countries is linked to investment from the host countries. BMW and Motoguzzi still manufacture in europe. A shame triumph didn't try harder !

Valve clearances should be done on a regular basis - screw and locknut adjustments need to be performed more often than the shim and bucket variety. Valves tighten up with time and wear. The "tappety-tap" noise gets less and less audible as the clearance reduces - not more and more as some suggest. Tight clearances can lead to major problems. The big expense is often due to the time it takes to actually get the valve covers off - especially on liquid cooled motors. It took me 6 hours to do the wife's CBR 500R the first time - those plasticy fairing snaps are a pain....There is a lot of good online info + youtube [where was that when I was a kid...] Pulling your bike apart may seem daunting, but take your time, make notes and take pictures...when you've done it a few times, it is not so bad + you get to give your bike a real good clean in all those hard to get to places.....

Honda nighthawk 700 had hydraulic valves that never needed adjusting. I wish companies could be forced to follow suit LOL. I like your points about the CB1100. I am a fan of the bike but I don't like air-cooled motorcycles. I think of the 1100 was liquid cooled with a bit more power it would have been more successful. Rant over 😂!

Schuberth has the microphone and speakers built in, then you buy the module/Battery pack which just slots into the helmet so all concealed

Hi Freddie, I am lucky enough to have both GT's. The 535 lives in the Lounge room and the other is kept in the Garage. Don't get me wrong they both are use on a Sunday morning blast but one is a period work of art and the 650 is a beautiful modern retro. They are both, along with the other 4 Royal Enfield's in my collection what i would call Keepers!... Love your work Freddie. Kind regards from Gold Coast Australia.... the land of perfect biking weather.

Having owned both Sena & Cardo. Cardo is better than Sena. Buy Mesh over Bluetooth. Best thing about comms system is communicating with pals whilst our riding.

if the bike has a screw adjusted valves, the valvesclearance will change it self. If the bike has shim and Bucket adjusted valves, it will not change. I bought my cbf 500 from 2007 brand new. At the 24000 km schedueld maintainance they had to adjust one valve. After that they only checked the valve until 80000 km when I had my accident and never more needed to adjust the valve. However regardless how the valves are adjusted I personally would never neglect the valves.

Great show Freddie . As regards to intercom sets I don’t think you’ll beat the Cardo system it’s very easy to set up and very easy to install took me about twenty minutes all done , almost everything is voice controlled music phone satnav and if you change helmet you can simply move the wires over to the next one.

Hey Freddie really enjoy content on your other channel. People should ask your advice but should they follow it for bike maintenance? I pointed out your chain hanging off some years ago which is pretty basic stuff to maintain and regular servicing can spot things like a spark plug not being loose so the rider has a less fraught time travelling in France. I'm an independent tech and my advice would be...when a person buys a bike do homework on running costs first and don't buy what you cannot afford. You can get away with way more on cars than you can on bikes plus if a car goes bang you pull over for recovery and car spares are cheap compared to bikes for obvious reasons. If a bike goes bang and you fall off your having a very very bad day. I did two bikes last year with exhaust valves that would not seat and the bikes ran ok but for me it's ticking time to a burnt valve/big bill/new engine/selling a nice bike as an "ebay project". Electric is the future. Hours and hours of fun watching netflix waiting for a vacant charge point (if it works) and then waiting for the battery to charge. But no valve clearances to worry about! Great team work with nice editing from Monica on your other channel

Further to the Aussie’s comments, I have owned many bikes over my 50 years of biking. My latest addition to my garage is a Royal Enfield 350 Classic. This is a simple bike with minimal technology, which gives an incredible number of smiles per pound invested. As for helmet communications, I tried them and ditched them after realising that I just don’t need technology and gadgets to enjoy riding, in fact the reverse is true 😀😀

I’ve done about 7k miles on my Svartpilen 401 and had a really useful chat with my trusted mechanic Keith Rockingham (Southam, Warks). I was thinking I needed to stick to the schedule (15000km, so quite soon) but not at all!! If there’s no noise from the engine and no stalling issue then Keith’s happy to leave it almost indefinitely. It seems to come down purely to choice of the owner. The advisory schedule is set conservatively by a manufacturer that gains from regular servicing and has to account for engines that are thrashed in poor conditions and not cared for…. whereas many bikes (like mine) are pampered.

Hi Freddie. Thanks for the Tuesday content; loving it! I have just aquired a 2013 CB1100, and it's an absolute dream to ride, and a flame red beauty. I live near Ipswich if you fancy a look or ride.

I believe some models hardly go out of spec like yamaha supertenere 1200.others need checking far more and do go out of spec easily.

With valve clearance checks. I do the basic services,oil,water,brake fluid etc service myself.But valve adjustment on the v-strom650 is a finicky job,so will not worry about it.But,if the engine plays up,then I'll let the bikeshop check it out.

I poss think at 32000 miles and 64000 miles unless excess ticking. The oil change and filter is the most important part. On most bikes its more likely the timing chain asjusters fail. Unless you buy a vfr800fi the bullet proof engine. Good discussions here.

Firstly as an owner of an old Monster I do get the belts and valve clearances done at the required time, however if you find a trustworthy independent mechanic it doesn't need to be an arm and a leg . A petrol Triumph Speed RR my next bike, Cheers Freddie

Yes, I did find it odd that the bike did get up and go that way it should. Something did feel off about it, like it was in need of a service, can't put my finger on it ,but something was off for sure . one of the ways to hide that I suppose is by having an extra loud exhaust, it seemed like it was not running as smoothly as it should have been. Another character of an enfield is that even when something is not working right on it , it still runs..

I would never want an electric bike, I want character.

I think valve clearance checks are important, especially the first scheduled check when the bike is very new. Remember that the engine leaves the factory with correct clearances having basically never run. You then ride the bike 1,000km or whatever the first interval isz and in that time the valves have smashed down on their seats millions of times. This causes the seats to compress a bit and the valve clearances to tighten. This probably happens much more in that first service interval than in subsequent ones, as the valve seats stop "giving" so much. Incorrect clearances can ultimately cause burnt (overheated) valves if too tight, or just a rattly top end and less performance if too loose. Some bikes are very easy to check, predominantly those with screw type tappet adjustment. For example, RE 650s and modern 350s. Other bikes, like many Japanese multi cylinder machines, use a bucket over shim design that is much more involved to check and adjust (but needs if less frequently). I'd highly recommend doing screw type adjustment yourself if your bike uses it, but advise against trying the bucket over shim stuff as an amateur. Interestingly, the classic 500 you rode has automatic hydraulic valve adjustment and never needs to be checked or manually adjusted.

As its says in all workshop manual its only a check, most times no adjustment is needed, as regards to your bonneville it one of the easier valve check to do so why not,should take about and hour if you go to a small bike shop not a main dealer the cost will be lower

The most important considering when buying a bluetooth headset was what my mates had, I originally had a Senna and they had a Cardo, that was some serious pain trying to get those systems to work togther. The second I switched to Cardo for me and them it was just so much easier, auto connects, so much clearer audio, long distance, "mesh network" or something they call it. I'm sure it works the same for senna to senna though.

I would like a CB1100EX but I've got no time for all those shiny chrome bits. I've never had issues with my carburettor honda cb500

Regarding the Triumph vs the Honda. While the Honda is a great retro & will be silky smooth & great to ride, I doubt it will have any real character like the Triumph. The triumph will not only have the looks it will have that twin lump of an engine, giving a few vibes that let you feel it’s beating heart through the pegs & bars. The exhaust note will be music to your ears. And to me that’s why the triumph has done so well & continues to sell, while the Honda did not sell well, it was just to sanitised with no real character other than its looks.

I found the bluetooth helmet with built in electronics I used to have a bit hit and miss, the directions and music streaming was not much use above 50mph as it just wasn't loud enough over wind noise. However in town the intercom system with my pillion was useful. I sold the helmet.

For me its full face helmet all the time I also have Knox under armour and Dainese air vest that is really comfortable .

My jaw dropped when you mentioned your insurance cost of your bonneville! In malta I have to pay €300 euros for the Insurance Alone, third part Only, not even fully comprehensive plus another €110 for the road registration for my Triumph street Twin.

With you all the way on the Honda CB1100. I bought a black 2020 CB1100RS last year and love it dearly. It's comfortable, grunty, smooth, handles well and a real head turner. My last 3 bikes were a 2004 Bonneville 790, 2009 Bandit 1250 and a 2018 Kawasaki Z1000SX. To me the CB falls into the Goldilocks zone. Not only that, everybody rides a Triumph, Bandit or a Kawasaki, you don't see a CB1100 every day. 🙂.

Valve check: Depends on the bike, it's history, type of valve adjustment, etc. Specific forums are your best info. A few personal examples, CBR1100XX shim under bucket. I checked clearances all the way to 80k miles, always correct. Same with ST1300, 60k miles. This was great because these are the worst to adjust. Cams must come out. Glad they stayed good. V65 Sabre, screw and lock nut. Watch a video or 2 and anyone should be able to do it. You will be doing actual adjustments every time at 8k miles. FJ-09, FZ-09, all the triple Yamahas. SHIM UNDER BUCKET and you WILL be adjusting every 15k miles. It's so bad that the factory interval is first check at 26k miles but don't wait that long the exhausts WILL be at zero clearance long before that and there have been burned exhaust valves. Yamaha doesn't have the quality of Honda, why my FJ-09 is gone and I'm back to Honda. Short answer. check yourself, might all be good. If not, then bring to shop for adjustment. Pulling cams is advanced work, REALLY have to be a motorhead with the right tools to do yourself. Screw up and frag the engine. Shops even try to avoid this. Ive done 1 bike with cam removal but it was a single, much easier then a 3 or 4.

Open face with full face screen, enjoy the bubble look on the face screen. Wear it during the summer when it is above 80 degrees and always over 90 degree, on either bike. I sweat way to much to play with full face at high temperatures and humidity.

Freddie you're more than welcome to try one of my classic 500's out when you get back to Ipswich. Both standard. You might be pleasantly surprised

Hi Freddie, enjoying these video chats. Regarding the valve clearance checks, it is worth doing. You can do it yourself if you feel confident enough, its not that hard really if you have the manual and the tools or you can pay someone to do it for you. Missing it out completely is false economy in the long run. You may get away with it for a while, but in the end, you or the next person you sell it to will have an expensive mechanical mess to deal with ! If you really don`t want to do it, buy a Harley instead as the modern ones are self adjusting. Saying that, if you don`t have the correct Harley tools to do the general servicing, the dealer prices will make you scream ! You get caught both ways. Or by electric....

0ne of my bikes was a 2000 model 600 naked Bandit . It never let me down in about 17 years of ownership . I serviced it & changed oil & filter regularly , kept the battery charged & the odd squirt of WD 40 on electrics & switches . Never had it let me down once in the heavy rain or any weather . It’s not advisable to skimp on checking & adjusting valves as poorly adjusted valves can cause poor running & damage to your valve seats . It’s not as if it’s a big deal to check them ,the hardest part is shifting all the plumbing ,tank & sometimes plastics ,once you’ve done that it’s a doddle even on a multi . On bucket & shim valves ,they usually only need checking at longer intervals , & the ones that need checking every 3000 miles ,they are usually easy screw & nut adjusted anyway. As far as modern motorcycle clothing is concerned I find all this armour restrictive & preferred my old Wolf leather Lancer styled Jacket I wore back in the 1980 ‘s & early 1990’s ,it had no armour just quality reinforced leather in vulnerable places . I wear textiles now as the new leather jackets prevent me doing proper rear observations . I also preferred the old open face helmets in the summer as they gave better vision & ventilation. To finish off , why would you buy a modern fake overpriced Trumpet or a Norton that’s built for posh boys with more money than sense ,when you can get a nice big used reliable mint condition CB Honda for 125 cc money ? You have been hanging about in too many latte hipster cafes you will be after one of them awful agricultural crocks from Harley next .

Better to by an independent system rather than an integrated one. I’ve had both. For those who just want music/phone/intercom just buy a Sena SMH 5 @ £60 or so. If you intend riding with a group buy the Sena Spider with Mesh £140. I’m not wedded to Sena, but they are decent and reliable.

Another interesting presentation Freddie, I usually leave a comment on your vlogs but with this one I'd be writing something the length of 'War and Peace' to all the questions and opinions you dealt with, yes you sat on the fence mostly but I must say I agree with 99% of what you said and how you handled it. Ride safe.

Thanks for the great content Freddie, I've only just discovered the channels. I envy anyone that can dedicate so much time to biking. Juggling a stressful job and keeping family life enjoyable for everyone I don't get the time to take long all day spins never mind camping. Your trip all the way to Barcelona was the final straw. Here in Ireland we are very limited to riding anywhere other than roads. I ride a KLV1000 and love it. I don't really trust it be we have a love hate thing going on. I can see myself selling it even though I know life would be easier on a GS or Africa Twin... As a first trip away solo with the want to take some light off road/ track riding, where in the UK can you recommend? cheers for the entertainment and get Monika on that Vespa!

When I started riding 3/4 open face helmets were normal. I did have an severe accident as a youngster with a head on collision with a big truck but was fortunate not have any more damage than a Jay Leno jaw for a few months. 😂😂 After that I started wearing full face helmets until the modular or flip up helmets became available and I much prefer the modular helmets for their comfort. I stopped wearing anything but full face helmets for a year or two after being a witness of one our group with a 3/4 helmet get in an accident. I've never seen such injuries before and I hope never to see them again. I still use my modular helmets occasionally but when I remember the accident of one our group I go back to the full face helmets.

I have got a Schubert C4, I like the helmet with the intergraded coms system, Which cost £250. Schubert have now brought the new C5, which is a better helmet The coms however are not interchangeable. Which means I have to buy the new coms. I love the Bluetooth I can listen to music, take calls. I have had a separate system I could just put that in a new helmet. So I think that the stand alone systems are better

I had a 2018 Kawasaki Vulcan 650S that cut out at the lights due to harsh engine braking and how it was tuned, I had to install a Booster Plug to smooth it out.

Freddie. Look at the MAM Journals. Michael has your dream garage. His channel is also superb. Regards Den

On the Bonneville 790 and 865cc if you can take the tank off its not much more to remove the valve cover and check the clearances, if they are OK Bingo, just put it all back together. just be careful tightening down the cover caps as they can be easily overtightened. Mine were within spec at 15,000 miles and I have off road exhausts, used existing seals and no leaks. The biggest danger is a tight clearance on an exhaust valve could overheat it and burn it out.

As an old mechanic I can tell you this..if you don't check your valve clearances then you never know how the required gaps are diminishing over time and you risk much more costly damage to your engine. Inspection of valve clearances at the manufacturers recommended intervals are there for a reason. If the shims need to be changed and camshafts moved out of the way then the cost will increase from just an inspection and all gaps found to be within tolerance. After inspection many engines do not need any shims changing but some do need shims changing. You won't know if the gaps are reducing unless you have the inspections done. Don't be cheap..either learn how to do the job yourself or get it done by a qualified mechanic who does know.

On the subject of full face vs full face. I usually use full face on my Versys along with full touring gear. I recently got a Triumph speed four very cheaply and was using it as a winter hack, I've just booked for Wheels and Waves in Biarritz in June, and wanted an open face for touring around SW France the only option I could find was a Bell Broozer the only helmet with a detachable chin guard which is approved both with or without the guard fitted. I'm hoping it fits the bill for riding down through France and cool cruising around Biarritz etc.

I never had any problem with an old bike cuttting out. Valve clearances: my Suzuki B-King never needed any adjustment. My mehanic in Portugal said they never go out. 'Start it,' he said. 'Perfect,' he said. 'If the valves are out, it'll be difficulit to start.' I later read online of a B-King that didn't need shimming in 80,000 miles BUT some bikes do need adjustments, I've been told - BMW Boxers, for example. My KTM 390 Duke in Chiang Rai: took it in for a service at 20,000 km. The valves were supposed to be checked at 15,000 km. The race mechanic said a friend of his raced a KTM 390 RC. It has a high compression head and didn't need a shim until 40,000 km. To convince me, he did a compression check on my bike. It was perfect. He said it's a way bike shops have of making money. If he had shimmed my bike, the shim would have been so small as to make no difference. He also said that if I ride in the middle of the rev range, the chances are I wouldn't need a shim for ages. Entertaining video.

Being the owner of a 2019 Honda CB1100 EX, I’d definitely choose it over the T100 865, as it’s got more mid range power, but if the Honda and a T120 were the same price I may have gone with the Bonneville. My friend has a new T120 Chrome and each bike has its own classic look and heritage. The CB is more 70’s and the Bonneville more 60’s. Both look fantastic in their own right. One thing to consider is the T100 and T120’s are lighter. The CB is over 250 Kg!!!

It’s not necessarily more expensive to manufacture in the UK than elsewhere in the world 🌍 with modern manufacturing techniques the labour costs are reduced. Norton as a small scale manufacturer buying low volumes of materials will be paying more per item than a larger manufacturer such as Triumph, Honda ect

I’ve had a few CB1100’s. Lovely bikes. Didn’t sell well because the mainstream motorcycle press talked it down from the off as not having enough power. Which was BS. It had a lovely turbine smooth motor.

Honda CB1100RS is one of my all time favourites and will join my T120 in the garage at some point in the not too distant future. The only negative with it is it is a very heavy bike, c20kg more than the T120. CB comes in at 255kg.

Freddie first of all on valve clearances. I think this depends on the bike. I know with my classic BMW Airheads valve clearance checks and adjustments are important to prevent the clearances from tightening up and causing some serious engine damage. On these bikes this is a simple process and easy for even the most inexperienced DIY mechanic. With other bikes the difficulty can go up a lot as you move from the screw type clearance adjustment to bucket and shim. The clearance measurement itself may still be simple depending on how difficult it to access in the first place. But if adjustment is required with the bucket and shim system you need to have shims on hand and you need to do more disassembly all of this makes the process less accessible for the DIY mechanic. All of this is something to consider when purchasing a bike. If you are on a budget maybe consider how easy or difficult the maintenance may be to perform yourself. I move on. Intercoms. My wife and I have been using them for about 10 years now and wouldn't go back. We still love our helmet time and respect the silence required, but its great to be able to communicate when needed or if we want to share something we see along the ride. Also can be good for warnings if she sees something that I miss like a deer about to jump in the road. I prefer to have the separate system since I have several helmets and with a mounting unit in each helmet I can move the main unit around and not have to have a full system for each lid. I see the gear discussion still goes on. Just one added comment here, I tried an open face helmet a few years ago but didn't get on with it. I was just going to use it for commuting and if I admit it to myself also for the cool factor with a pair of aviator goggles. Here in Calgary we have so many rocks on the road and between getting those in the face and the added noise I just had to go back to the full face. I have been riding with a full face since I started in 1977 so I feel oddly exposed without one. I do get the idea of freedom and retro styling but it doesn't work for me. I am really enjoying the podcast and the level of audience engagement you get. Keep up the good work. Regards Richard (aka @airheadrick)

Buy a guzzi and do your own! Same procedure as my 1978 Le Mans mk1 😀

I'd MUCH rather pay the premium if its built in England. It's not only about nostalgia (which is worth it all by its self) but more importantly it's about employing people from your country and building your country's economy.

Ohh Freddie, another brilliant video podcast! So many interesting topics of discussion, it’s never endless😉 Would love to know your own hereditary & stories. This would be fascinating ⭐️ Enjoy your holidays & then is it back home?😭