20,000 mile service ‘not worth doing’

[TrickyWoo56]

Hi,

My bike’s due at Triumph tomorrow for the 20k service (£800 including valve clearances).

I noticed that the non-triumph dealer who sold me the bike at 15k did a basic service then and I called them. The mechanic said ‘it’s a waste of time doing the full valve check service and if you speak to Pidcocks (not my triumph dealer) their mechanic will tell you the same if you see him around the back of the workshop. They take ‘em apart and almost never have to adjust.’

What’s the view of other lucky owners please? I’m thinking of asking Triumph  to just do oil and filter etc. Not sure...

Bike is running A1 as usual btw and the alert comes up to say ‘service due in 400 miles’ (its on 24,000 now)

Thanks,

Richard

[spl383]

All of my exhaust valves were out of spec.  All intake valves were good. In the past I have had v-twin bikes and after the initial valve check they were always good after that, that does not seem to be the case with this bike.

[TrickyWoo56]

Interesting. I’m still thinking of oil and filter change and leave the valves until 30,000 as it’s only 5000 away and I’m doing 2000 a month

(Assuming there’s no other work on the 20k like shaft drive maintenance etc. Perhaps I can pick and choose...)

[trophied]

A lot of bodywork has to come off anyway to change the air filter, so if you do those services at different times you're paying to remove the bodywork twice instead of once.  I think I'll stick to the recommended schedule.

[TrickyWoo56]

Ok I’ll do that - a pannier mounting rack needs replacing and that needs bodywork off too

[janfmiller]

At the 20K a procedure unique to THAT service is that the camshaft timing is checked.  Necessary?  Material?  Maybe who knows.   I had my dealer do service up through 20K.  I've done it since.

At 20K the tech said he "Had to adjust a couple of the valves"  Couldn't tell me which ones.. I'm skeptical about what was actually done as it is a HUGE job.   

At 40K, I found 2 out of spec, tight, but set all the valves ( you have to pull the camshafts, so might as well set them all ) as close to maximum clearance as possible...   

At 60K they were still in spec but a couple were close to the minimum.   

That change indicated to me it's a good idea to check them.

Big Girl just turned over 81,000 miles.  Good as ever, but TES warnings are happening more frequently... ( TES doesn't seem to like loading changes in weather below 50 degrees F )..

[TrickyWoo56]

Interesting - thank you. Other than the valves I wonder what else is so expensive. Important

[Wilko]

My TTSE is coming up to 18k.....In August I’m going to  Bulgaria on it. A Triumph Dealer, I enquirer at said to leave it untill I return, Near my mum, I have found an ex triumph mechanic, he worked at Birmingham Triumph, they have since closed,he now works for a local dealer, but also does work at home on a weekend, a side line....he said he would do check the valve clearances for £100, but he did say that they most likely do not need doing, and again, do it on my return as it would not hurt anything, I did say I was going to be doing around 5 thousand miles on a round trip, I may just get them checked for piece of mind.