10k service

[Elvis]

It is a shame the magazine articles left this info out.

Don't get me wrong I like the R3T, but a an 08 bike should have self adjusting valves. I will be craving a big Honda again if this is a regular occurence every 10k miles. This reminds of the Harleys except not quite as frequent.

 

[Molinoman]

Elvis, not sure what other bikes you've been riding, but a 10,000 mile service interval is what I would consider pretty good/not bad and that is also for the "required" oil change (though a lot of people waste their money on getting oil changes sooner than recommended....but that's their money not mine).

The only other "big" Honda I am familiar with is the Gold Wing and it's valve adjustment interval, I believe, is at 24,000 miles, but a lot of oil changes (and like us....tires) in between.

Dennis

19 dtg Dubai
20 dtg Home

 

[ROCKETHEAD]

I am on my 3rd Rocket3 and I change the oil every 5000 miles with Mobile1 full synthetic and none of them needed valve adjustments until the 20k service.

 

[Ygransom]

Elvis, automatic valve adjustors are not real common. Since most bikes now have dual OH cams acting directly on valve stem you need to check/adjust valves every so often. This is one area "antique" HD's have an advantage. With the cam in block they use hydraulic lifters - no need to adjust valves.

 

[Elvis]

Elvis, automatic valve adjustors are not real common. Since most bikes now have dual OH cams acting directly on valve stem you need to check/adjust valves every so often. This is one area "antique" HD's have an advantage. With the cam in block they use hydraulic lifters - no need to adjust valves.

I had a 91 Goldwing and a 96, 97,99 valkyrie and all had the self adjusting valves meaning all you had to do was change the oil which is all I ever did. I had a 95 harley ultra and that **** thing stayed at the dealer more than it did at my house. LIke I said, I like the R3T but these outragous prices for valve adjustments is just plain rape.

 

[TxRIIIRider]

I agree here that the Rocket should have hydraulic lifters, and that was almost a turn-off for me. The Rocket and most all cruisers/touring bikes have no reason not to have hydraulic lifters or shims. We're not really looking for weight savings here. Even the Honda NightHawk 750 had hydraulic lifters. We're really not talking a "performance" bike here. The Rocket motor is really just a giant, low compression, low stress motor that should last a life time under touring use.

The shim over/under bucket design is lighter than hydraulic lifters which is great for high speed valve trains, such as in sport bikes. Unfortunatley, they are also cheaper to maufacturer, so most all bikes get them.

Don't get me wrong I like the R3T, but a an 08 bike should have self adjusting valves. I will be craving a big Honda again if this is a regular occurence every 10k miles. This reminds of the Harleys except not quite as frequent.

 

[ROCKETHEAD]

I had a 91 Goldwing and a 96, 97,99 valkyrie and all had the self adjusting valves meaning all you had to do was change the oil which is all I ever did. I had a 95 harley ultra and that **** thing stayed at the dealer more than it did at my house. LIke I said, I like the R3T but these outragous prices for valve adjustments is just plain rape.

the valkyries still needed adjustment, they weren't self adjusting, they just took forever to go out of whack...

 

[Elvis]

the valkyries still needed adjustment, they weren't self adjusting, they just took forever to go out of whack...

I never had one that needed adjusting, and they received much more abuse than this bike will ever see. two of them had over 100k miles when I got rid of them and all they required was tires, oil, and brake pads.

 

[HellFire]

Driud.....

Depending on the shop, the temperment of the owner and the market climate, 'service' on yout Rocket might consist of dabbing on a few greasy fingerprints and parking the bike in the corner and calling it good...or maybe not.

This is all so common nowdays and it just makes me sick. If it's not just outright thievery then its cutting corners, doing the bare minimum or breaking something on the vehicle without saying anything to the owner. What happened to pride and integrity? I'm in the process of sueing the guy who filled in my pool just because he refuses to fix a shoddy job (sink holes and standing water). It's a **** shame.
I've always done my own mechanical work so that I know it's done right. But as I get older it would be nice to have a place you can trust to do stuff you don't have time for or just don't feel like doing yourself.
I'm about due for the 10k and it scares the hell out of me it won't be done right and will cause trouble down the road that never would have happened if she'd never been cracked open at all.
D&D in Dover seems trustworthy enough, but then so did the pool guy.

 

[PolarisJay13]

I am thinking of doing my own work.. Like Hellfire, I HATE letting other people touch my stuff for the sole reason that I do not trust them. Every time I have let someone else do work on one of my toys, I have had to fix it myself anyway. In any case, does anyone have any recommendations on the 10K service? I was just gonna check everything myself by using the manual. I am not afraid to get dirty, nor am I afraid to tear down my bike if I have to. I just don't feel like dropping my bike off for a day and having someone put finger prints.. afterward telling me that I owe them 800 smackers because they had to adjust all the valves... On the same token, I am rounding 13K and I don't want to risk going much further without checking the valves.

Let me know what you guys think.

Jay