Valve Adjustment on a Moto Guzzi V85tt. 

Taking off the cover (the lid-like cover) in the front of you engine, you will see a bolt which connects your rotor on the crankshaft. Instead of using your back tire to adjust the piston height you can adjust it from there. Much more accurate than via the back tire. ‘Easy piezy’

Excellent video. Thank you for taking the time to film it. The pace was perfect for me. I had my dealer do the last adjustment but after your video I'll do it myself. I just turned 15k on my V85 and I love it. I did an almost 5k ride in June through 7 states and had 0 issues. It's my first Guzzi and I am very impressed.

Excellent video, thanks for taking the time and the tip re lifting the tank. Glad to see you don't need to remove the front bolts on the tank, makes the job quicker! I'll start doing the valve checks myself on my V85TT soon too, and this will definitely help. Gotta love tappets, so much easier to adjust than bucket and shim valves. Usually slightly looser valve clearances are preferred though ;)

Thanks for this video man. Your constant dictation and train of thought as you were working was very helpful.

Brilliant video, I’ve been waiting for this. I like the way you take things in a measured way. I’ve seen a couple of videos showing valve adjustments on the V7 but nice to see it on the V85tt. Actually looks quite straightforward. I saw a chap adjust the valves on an Africa Twin and it was an absolute nightmare. He had to remove the fuel tank, measure and replace shims etc. Took about five hours .

Thank you very much for filming the servicing and how straightforward it is.

Helpful video , instead of fighting the spark plug wire in the clip, I detached the little holder with the 2 screws, it went well with the gas tank lifted slightly and I did not risk damaging the spark plug wire. Again , thanks for the great video

oil changes are pretty straighforward usually, but Moto Guzzi somehow found a way to make it a little bit different from Japanese bikes. so after using that video, i was hoping you had one for valve adjustments. thanks for taking the time to make and post these vids.

Man that is super easy. Not paying the dealer for it anymore! Thanks!

Thanks for this and your other maintenance videos - very helpful! I've owned several Guzzis and always done my own maintenance, it's great to see it on my specific bike. My dealer wants US$500 - $600 to do the first service, I think I'll do it myself! Maybe get them just to check and reset the computer. Agreed on the fiddly-ness of adjusting the valves, I find it always loosens slightly when I tighten the locknut, maybe just from the tension on the adjuster post. So I set it just a fraction tight, then lock it down. But note my other comment on the clearance - the euro-spec is 0.05mm looser than the US spec for clearances! I.e. 0.15in/0.20exh. So I use the looser setting or something in between. As you said there's a lot of wiggle room here!

Great tutorial! Thank you! For this and the valve adjustment video. Good side tips and straight forward methods.

Thx for that clear and proper lesson👌🙌🏻… i ve done that several years ago on my bellagio but couldn't remind what to take care of…Thx a lot👍

Thank you. Learned a lot as a new 2023 V85TT owner

Wish I had this last summer when I did my 1st Valve Job on the V85 TT. Thank you for a job well done. I'll be linking this in the Wrenching & Tips section of my personal site dedicated to the V85 TT

Thank you. New V85TT owner, so really appreciate your informative videos.

very thorough, based on your video, i think i will take on my own valve adjustments

Thanks for the video. Gives me confidence to try my own. Great shirt, BTW. Nine Line Apparel rocks!

Thanks for the help. Nice to be able to learn the "tricks and traps" without having to repeat them! Much appreciated!

Seems like a great simple design, the way a bike should be. Great video!

I think I want to get the V85 just because of your 'how to' vids lol! Thank you! Also...I love that tattoo!

Great vid for general reference! I plan on doing my V7 Stone S valve adjustment soon! Thank you! You should do a oil, gearbox, and rear diff fluid change on camera next!

Thank you. I'll be using your video for when I do my valve adjustments on my new 2021 v85tt. :) Need to buy a feeler gauge tool though.

On my 1400 Eldorado i learned a cool way to set the valve positions without having to turn the back tire. I keep my back wheel on the ground. Put bike in neutral. After removing covers and plugs, i remove a rubber plug near the bottom of the front of the engine between the horns. Put a socket on the Alternator bolt and turn. It saved me tons of frustration.

I’m glad I have a fellow Guzzi V85tt friend here on you tube! You Sir are very appreciated and though comments by other articulate better methods at times you are the one making the conversation possible. I have learned a great deal about my. v85 from your videos and that has removed any fear of me messing my bike up buy doing my own servicing. The oil and filter change video was wild , I’d never seen an engine have the filter inside like the Guzzi 🤪 but after watching your video I’m confident now that I can do a good job. Thanks again! Oh , if you figure out how to reset that annoying service wrench light let us all know please 😝😜😄✌️🇺🇸

Fantastic detailed review here thanks a lot.

I think you should err on the side of Loose rather than too tight, no burnt valves that way. But I certainly appreciate your video, Thanks

Thx, Yesterday I did it, used your guide as it is clear and very usefull. For measurement of piston if is up or down I used wooden stick (usually used for shis kebab).

Stunning bike!

Thanks for sharing!... I'm thinking about do my self the maintenance in the bike, so your videos are good as a tutorial to get it. I'd like subtitles in Spanish, because my english is not so good... Anyway, thanks.

It sounds like some kind of agricultural piece of equipment for planting potatoes. I love potatoes, therefore I just ordered a 2021 V85TT even though I'm not a farmer. My V9 sounds a bit better without cats and baffles in the Agostini exhaust. Glorious sound. Can't wait to get delivery of my new V85TT

Excellent job, thanks for sharing

Nice video. I have a V7 so this is helpful to me. (Reminds me of adjusting valves on my VW bug)

Thanks for showing, very helpful.

Nice job. Helpful ! Thanks.

You don't certainly want too tight valve gap and when the 0.1 mm didn't fit, it was not "there already" but quite the contrary, that valve gap needed adjustment. Expansion tolerances are greater in air-cooled engines and oddly MG does not specify an acceptable range, but normally we have to add valve gap as the bike ages, adjusting to make them more tight should be rarely needed and it would raise the question why.

Thanks for the video. I use a plastic straw down the spark plug hole.

Better a bit lose rather than a bit tight . Clearance will reduce as engine heats up . To tight will eventually burn a valve . Cheers .

Awesome video, just a quick tip. Sometimes it pays to check the cylinder head bolts are torqued down to specs. Otherwise, valve adjustments can still be out. When a 5/8 TDC tool becomes available, valve adjustments will be as good as can be done in a shop. Great looking bike. Thanks for the video, great job. 👍

super video, greetings from Croatia

i highly recommend you put in ngk iridiums. they don't wear and its the last plug will ever have to use. great vid. i've a 2015 guzzi norge

Much appreciated - very nice, thank you!

If you happen to do a service that requires the removal of the tank I think we would all appreciate it. I know it's not rocket science but it's a lot more involved than the old school bikes I've owned up until now. Even if you don't film it, any learnings you got from doing it the first time would be helpful. I saw your video on the Moto Guzzi Rally that was coming up last year in September. I never heard or saw anything about it until today. Thanks for all you do to support the brand.

Thank you for this!

How about a clutch cable adjustment/replacement. I loved your centre stand video. I’m the least mechanical person in the world and I was able to install my own centre stand!

Hint: If you are going to shove something in the spark plug hole to feel the piston getting to TDC, use an old plastic ballpoint pen or something similar (old toothbrush?). That way you don't mess up the thread for the spark plug if you overdo things and whack the piston against your 'probe'.

Very useful indeed. A big thank you!

I have the Givi crash bars on mine and they come up higher than the OEM or SW Motech bars - blocking off the cam covers. I've found it easier to just remove the tank and get it out of the way. Takes less time than trying to work around it. Also easier to with with the plug wires with the tank out of the way.

Brill video, really useful ty :-)

Great video! Thank you for this

Many thanks from France.

Hi, thanks for your moto guzzi videos. They are very helpful to me. How often do you adjust the valves and do you always replace the gaskets on the covers after adjusting them?

great video, thank you

How about the Valve cover gasket? Are they good to re-use for a while?? Finally, are head bolt a good idea to re torque while opened up?

Thank you for the video I am going to buy same bike after first of year

Hello, how are you, your video is very good! well illustrated, I consult it when I look for the valance of the valves I take out the spark plug of the other cylinder?, since in the video it was seen that the engine offered resistance. Thank you in advance for what you share, it is very helpful! Greetings from Rosario SF, Arnetina.

Thx , great job

very nice demonstration, thanks. But I suggest everyone to use torque wrench so you don't guess how tight things are.

Looking at that bike yesterday. I know nothing about them. Watching the valve timing you did was aswome. I love to wrench and have rebuilt 2 boat motors. Trading my harley 2022, so looking at a miriad of bikes that may work. I would love to call you and talk about the guzzi...somewhere on here there is a way to do pms. But I cannot remember how....Also watched your camping video, I too use a cot "they are well worth it if you can pack it"!

Great video, sir! In a couple of days I will adjust the valves in my V85TT. One quick question: what year is yours? Mine is 2019 and I think the spark plug cable has a closed clamp bolted on the head of the cylinder, and it is a pain to remove. Most people remove the fuel tank completely or leave the cylinder head aside, hanging off the cable.

I really like this motorcycle. I have yet to go try one out but hopefully this summer I will. My son bought a V7 Stone last year but I prefer the adventure platform. This reminds me of adjusting the valves on my old Yamaha SR500. Can you tell me if it makes a difference which TDC you are looking for? TDC between exhaust and intake strokes or between compression and power strokes?

Good stuff

Hey Cubby, how do I know when I hit TDC? The engine is a four stroke and I cannot tell when I attempt this.

i have a stelvio, to check the top dead end i do not use any metal tool inside the cylinder, steel tools could damage aluminum piston, i always use a drinking straw

Thanks for the video, question for you, did you bike come with a OEM tool kit under the seat?

erring on the side of tight valves is an odd suggestion. the common wisdom is that tappy valves are happy valves. if your engine taps when its cold but quietens down when it's warm, that's perfect. if you go too tight, as the engine heats up, it will lose compression. the tappets keep the valves open just a crack even when they should be closed and it'll run poorly. ask me how i know :-) if you're too loose, it'll tap even when it's warmed up, that's a sign you need to tighten them just a bit. trial and error can work for this.

Thanks a lot.

Merci beaucoup l'Ami

Have you sorted out how to reset the service reminder after doing this? Great videos-keep 'em coming

How do you reset the wrench? It would be great if you could add this to your video collection. Great work. Love the bike.

Very good video, I have seen that you do the services of the motorcycle, do you know how to delete the key that appears in the box indicating service?

I know my bike is v7 but same deal. Glad you posted this. V85 looks great. Prob dumb question but is their an easy access location on these bikes to turn the crank without having to prop rear wheel up? I havent examined my v7 detailed but is that a cover on the front that can be taken off to rotate the motor beneath that engraved eagle? Good description on tightness feel of the feeler gauges. I'm glad these are two valve heads.

Good evening from Italy! I saw that you have the flange for the cases with the tanklock system. If you read the instructions, it is written that you must mount two supports behind the fork, to reduce steering angle. Did you put them?

merci pour cette vidéo et les sous titres en français 👍

Similar procedure as in aircooled VW boxer engines. I think I can manage this easily 😊

A good idea would be to check torque of those small 8mm bolts that hold the valve rocker. Mine became loose

Great vid. Is there no inspection cover to wind over to tdc?

Thanks a lot for all info very well explain. I have to decide if I will buy a moto Guzzi V85TT adventure. You seem to be very knowledgable on this bike, but for a non mechanical person how reliable is this bike in comparison with other. I don't know if I will go with the Yamaha super tenere 3k$ more expensive but with bigger engine and electronic suspension or this moto Guzzi less expensive

Very similar to my old Oil head BMW valve adjustment, except I'd use a pencil and if you roll the engine to quickly the pencil shoots out.

GREAT GOOD VIDEO

Hola amigo !! Quiero comprar esa moto pero tengo algunas dudas , veo que sabes de su mecánica y tu opinión me va a ayudar mucho !! Mi pregunta es si piensas que es una moto confiable resistente , la quiero para hacer viajes de 20 000 millas vivo en Mexico y viajo cada año a Estados Unidos y Canadá necesito una moto que no me deje tirado fácilmente necesito una moto confiable tú sabes !!! Excelente video muchas gracias suscripción saludos

Hi Cubbysue, cold or warm engine to ajust the valves? Why aren't you using a torque-tool to turn screws?

Good stuff. I do agree with Steve Johnson in the comments with regards to err on the side of loose than tight. To some of the noobs I recommend using a plastic straw for a top dead center gauge, not applicable in Commiefornia.....Lol! There are some inexpensive gauges available on eBay too. Are the fuel tanks on the V85 steel of aluminum?

Help: when adjusting the valves on the right side of the motorcycle (as you’re sitting on it) I noticed that I had to loosen the valves a whole lot in order to fit the feeler gauge underneath. However, this seemed wrong, so I turn the engine just to see what happened and of course when the piston went down the space now in the valves is huge probably like half an inch. This is with me using the .1 and .15 mm on the feeler gauge with the piston in the top position. Any suggestions?

Hello Guzzi owners, I use to have a Lemans 2 and this bike had an inspection hole with a rubber cap at the bellhousing with TDC flywheel markings. Do these new bikes have no such option?!

Doing your own maintenance, how have you been getting around the service light? I’m coming up on my first service with my new V85 and am worried about that having to be reset. I’ve done all my own work on my V7 that didn’t have a service light.. cheers!

Is there a crankshaft cover that can be removed to reveal a mark for TDC on the compression stroke for each cylinder?

Also remember this is a pushrod engine. The pushrod is made of steel. The cylinder and head are aluminium. Steel will not react in the same degree as aluminium when heated up to normal driving temperature.

Long individual feeler gauges are easier to use.

Set screw, lock nut and valve clearance are the proper nomenclature.......... Also, "go" and "no go".

NEVER use anything METAL to check TDC, if you don't have a proper TDC gauge (which are quite reasonably priced, even Guzzi specific ones) then use a long plastic or paper drinking straw and once you have it at TDC you can mark it with a sharpie for next time and no danger of damage to piston or head. Using that allen or a screwdriver could leave you with a very large repair bill.

Why not check clearance before loosening adjuster? It might be spot on already.

they make a tool to make setting the valves alot easier. its only about 25 bucks and totally worth it.

I think you forgot to mention that top dead center of the piston is on the compression stroke only!!!! TDC on the exhaust stroke will give the wrong clearances!!!!!

How satisfied are you with the VTT, do much off road?

How do you like the bike overall?

I have never owned a bike that you didn't find TDC with a mark on the flywheel or crankshaft, etc. Is this really the only way to find TDC on the bike? It seems like such an archaic non-precision method.

What’s the interval for valve check / adjustment on a new 85tt?

The valve clearance 0.10 and 0.15 is on a warm engine or cold engine?

How is the bike holding up for you ,I'm thinking about getting one ,only negative reviews I've seen is about the seat being hard on the butt

Can you do a rear brake pad replacement on MG 850 TT?