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10 Jun 2011
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Registered Users
HUBB regular
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 80
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Kawasaki Gt550
I once bought an ex despatch GT550 for very little. The engine over revved at idle and when I serviced it I discovered the valves seats/valves were worn to the extent that some of the shims ( shim and bucket adjustment for clearances) were the smallest available. Correct solution would be to fit new seats and possibly new valves but that was something i couldn't afford at that time. So I calculated what size shims I needed and using a flat whet stone I ground the smallest shims down to that size. It transformed the engine which ran correctly after that intervention. I probably ran the bike for another 40,000 miles after that and did a few more grinding jobs on the remaining shims when service needed. I did wonder if the valves would disintegrate at some stage but they never did. A cheap fix and definately a bodge albeit it one that required use of a micrometer.
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12 Apr 2014
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Registered Users
HUBB regular
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: tenerife
Posts: 75
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gt550
..utterly fantastic bike, tough, and easily bodged and fixed..used by London motorcycle couriers, the ultimate accolade.....shaft drive, medium engine, power, good fuel consumption, no rad.........lovely bike....!!
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26 Apr 2014
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Registered Users
New on the HUBB
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PE28
Posts: 14
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The real bodger would have simply taken an angle grinder to the valve stem and reused the original shim. I know this for a fact, I caught a mechanic doing just that to my bike during an un announced visit to see why it was taking so long for a simple service.
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11 Jan 2016
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Registered Users
HUBB regular
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 80
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I can see some sense in the stem grinding but you end up with little bits of grinding and debris from the grinding wheel in your engine then.
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Next HU Events
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2025 Confirmed Events:
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2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
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