need some advice i have a vtx 1300r with 27000 miles on it the valves in the front cylinder are making a light tapping sound sometimes when slowing down , how hard is it to adjust them , or should i send it to a dealer ?

Hey Dundee,

Well, if you have the patience and mechanical skills, and don't want to give the 'stealer' $200-$300 to do it for you ~ here is the manual section for it.
vtx1300tips.com/Valveadjustmentmanual.pdf

You will need some specialized tools (like from Honda Marine or get them somewhere else) as one is 4mm and the other is a deep offset wrench... just remember... if it's too quiet, the valve is not happy!

Here is a site with a bunch of tips for you   vtx1300tips.com/VTX1300TIPS.htm

Good luck and keep the shiny side up!

Coop

Looks they are going to be naturally noisy. That is a lot more clearance than my Yamaha.

dundee,

couple of questions for you...

does it do it all the time? or only when cold or hot?

are you running the highest octane gas you can?
what is the highest octane in your area? If it is less than 92 you may want to try some octane booster?

thanks for the help , peeps it dont look that hard to do , once i find one of them fancy tools

if it has solid tappets, like some yamahas do, a little tick is normal, and is actually prefered. just remember, if you set them cold, when the engine heats up the gap you set them at gets smaller, better a mm or so loose than too tight

Aww heck ~ it's just tryin' to sound like a Harley... heh heh! Coulda fooled me when I got mine... I had no idea they were hydraulic! They sure didn't sound like it ;-)

my vstar1100 was a solid lift setup. and it wasn't too terribly bad to set the valvetrain, about a couple hours to do it and recheck. but it ran so damned good i didn't mind

I have an 06 1300R. If they haven't been adjusted you should at least check them. they should make noise. A slappy valve is a happy valve on these bikes. If they are quiet then you should worry. Rob

Dundee

Did you ever check the clearances?

Did mine at 35,000+ no adjustment was needed,left them on the loose side.

Slight tapping noise is normal

Your going to adjust them? That's great, If your within a 75 radius of Irving, Texas you can adjust them, do nothing or take it to a dealer. I'm here to repair it when it goes. On the other hand if your too far away then by all means get it to a competent shop and mechanic. I can make a referal if your in S.E. PA., Buffalo, NY, or Oklahoma City.