Valve Adjustment ?

[legend29]

I had work done on my scooter and it runs better than it ever has before,purr's like a kitten. the mechanic said bring it back after 300 miles to have valves adjusted and it's close to the 300 miles now,So my question is,Do I really need it adjusted if it runs great ? This place has a bad reputation for ripping people off or so i've heard. I found this out after the fact but they did a good job on my scooter so I'm not sure what to do.If i'm supposed to have them adjusted after 300 miles i will.I just want to make sure it's legit and i'm not being scammed for money.

[dwint51]

if its running good id leave it alone.you will know when your valves need adjusting

[kz1000st]

I would have to know what kind of work you had done. I'm assuming that you have a 50cc scooter. The valve clearance for those is only .002 inch and can tighten up quick. If your scooter is still running well I would be tempted to leave it alone since 1,000 miles would make more sense in terms of mileage.

[legend29]

i had an performance exhaust,cdi and ignition coil installed to go with the big bore kit that was already on it when i got bike. it ran bad until i had the work done and now it's great and idle is smooth but he said i could mess the engine up if i don't come pay the 60.00 dollar charge to have valves adjusted and oil changed even though i had oil changed 250 miles ago. So you think these guys are fishing for money ? i know everyone has different opinions on when to do things so i just want to make sure i don't blow my motor or mess up anything that could be prevented now but i also don't wont to pay 60.00 bucks if i don't need it

[dwint51]

change the oil your self and have them do the valves later

[mmsscooters]

damn thats expensive, my shop does synthetic amsoil motor oil, gear oil, valve adjustment, visu-filter fuel filter, and ngk plug for 59. You will know if your valves are bad, the bike will be hard to start and shut off when idling, I can hear if theres not enough or too much but ive been fixing scooters for years

[Firehawk989]

It's also fairly easy to adjust the valves yourself. All you need is a feeler gauge, a couple of wrenches, and a screwdriver.

[kz1000st]

I go along with the "Do the valves later" idea but try to keep this in perspective. $60 is not a lot to pay to have a shop do the work for you. If it was a $3800 50cc Vespa a sixty dollar bill would be peanuts. A valve adjustment and an oil change? I take my wife's car to a Toyota dealer to do oil changes, the filter and plug are in a terrible place. The oil change and tire rotation routinely costs me $75.

I do my own valve adjustments and oil changes on the scooters. It takes me two hours to get off all the plastic, adjust the valves and put the plastic back without rushing. Most bike shops get $80 an hour shop rate up here. Throw in the oil change and you're easily talking two plus hours.

This is the problem with cheap anything. Purchase price might be dirt cheap but repair places have to keep the lights on. It doesn't matter if the scooter is an Aprilia or a Znen. An hour repair still takes an hour and shop rates don't vary with purchase price.

That's why most scooter forum attendees do their own work. We're cheap and have tools to play with. I wouldn't have an electric impact gun if I hadn't bought a scooter.