Hey guys.... I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around this whole valve adjustment thing.

After assembling the bike, and trying to start it with very poor results (very poor) I have a strong feeling that the front jug's valves aren't adjusted properly.

I took a spark plug off each jug so I could turn the crankshaft easily.

I place a wooden chopstick into the cylinder, turn the crankshaft until the chopstick starts to drop, and the exhaust valves begin to open. I'm able to twist the push-rods with ease!

At this point I took a .0015 inch feeler gauge (couldn't find a .0016), and adjusted both valve adjustment knobs so that the gauge slid between the adjustable finger and valve with slight drag.

MY QUESTION! What the 'H' am I supposed to do with the second finger? At no point during this time of the stroke am I able to fit the feeler gauge between both the adjustable finger, and the second non-adjustable finger. Should I be able to slide the gauge between the adjustable finger, and non-adjustable? Do I have a problem? Am I doing something wrong?

Acually I didn't use a feeler guage on mine. I followed Odo's advise in the tech section (under:valve adjustment) and adjusted the thing with my fingers until it just touched the push rod. then locked 'em down. works great.

Do I have to worry about the second non-adjustable finger though? Do I need to make sure it's doing anything in particular or do I just need to touch the adjustable finger down onto the valve?

When you adjust one you adjust them both. When the cyclinder is on the compression stroke at tdc the rocker arm should move slitely back and forth.

Think of it this way: The .0015 feeler is used as a go/nogo guage on either arm (finger). The idea is to adjust until both arms are touching the valves equally, that way both valves open at the same time. This isn't a clearance type adjustment like you may have done on other bikes. The Road Star has hydraulic lifters so there isn't any "clearance" adjustment. The Yamaha .0016 measurement is the maximum allowable gap difference between the two arms.

Oh and the adjustment is made with the valves completely closed and the lifters at the bottom of their travel. You don't want any rockers beginning to open the valves.

Scott B.

Greysnake wrote:
Acually I didn't use a feeler guage on mine. I followed Odo's advise in the tech section (under:valve adjustment) and adjusted the thing with my fingers until it just touched the push rod. then locked 'em down. works great.

This is what I did and it works great, just back off the push-rod and adjust it down with your fingers till you feel it touch, and you will feel it touch, then hold it with a wrench and tighten the lock nut and your done, works like a champ every time.

If that doesn't get your bike running well, stop back and we will find something else to adjust...