Valve clearance check

Valve clearances are the small gaps between the tops of the valve stems and the part of the mechanism which presses on them to open the valves. These needs to be checked every 5000 - 10000 km since they might need adjustments. My KTM 640 Adventure had small inspection windows where the clearance could be checked and adjusted with a screw. On the 690 Enduro R it is a bit more fiddly which is why I documented it here for next time.

Front fairings removed now remove the tanks. First step is to disconnect the fuel line so that fuel from the rear tank wont flow thru the hoses to the front once they are disconnected.

Now remove the tanks by first removing the fuel lines

Remove air box and battery

Cover the air intake from dirt and remove the breather housing

 

Unscrew the 4 bolts holding the valve cover lid and remove it exposing the mechanism

Set the position to top dead center. Different ways to do this but I find it easiest to just set the bike in highest gear and roll it until the marking it at the very to.

Measure the valve clearance with a feeler gauge. It should be between 0.13 and 0.07 mm.

My were all around 0.12 - 0.13 so reckon I get som fatter shims.  In order to know the current thickness you need to pop them out. Remove the top four bolts holding the rocker arm center bolts and use one of the cover bolts to pull them out

Lift out the rocker arms

Use a magnet to get the valve clearance shims out. This is my improvised magnetic pickup tool

Measue each shim with a caliper and note the size on a piece of paper

Front left	Front right
0.13mm gap, 2.70mm shim -> need 2.73mm	0.12mm gap, 2.70mm shim -> need 2.72
Rear left	Rear right
0.12mm gap, 2.45mm shim -> need 2.47mm	0.13mm gap, 2.35mm shim -> need 2.38