life expectancy??!!

Hi,

I've got a year 2000 'W' reg black curvy 'S' model with just over 20,000 miles on the clock. It was meticulously maintained and serviced at the correct service intervals at a main dealer up until 10,500 miles. From then onwards the 2nd owner only gave it an oil, filter and spark plug change at 15,000 miles. I am the 3rd owner and have just had a major service including new chain & sprockets, valve clearances, all filters and fluids etc at just over the 20,000 mile mark.

The bike is generally in very good condition, a few scuffs here and there but nothing more than you would expect for a bike coming up to 8 years old.

I was just wondering what people's thoughts were with regard to the damage (if any) caused by missing the usual valve clearance check/major service at 15,000 miles? I've fallen in love with my little SV and want to spend money on exhausts, fairings, db screens etc but am in two minds as to whether I should save my money and trade her in for a newer model?
Have any of you more experienced guys and girls encountered any problems as the bike approaches 30k miles or 40k miles?? Am I worrying about nothing?!!!!

Any help/advice much appreciated.

[Biker Biggles]

It will be fine unless the valve check found any of the clearences to be non existant,and I very much doubt you will have that problem.If you chage the oil and filters properly and do the valve checks regularly as the bike gets some mileage on it will do 100,000 no bother.
My sons SV did 85000 before he changed the engine and that had a dubious service history.

My engine has done 60,000 miles or so and not missed a beat. I've done all my own servicing from 4,000 miles.

[dizzyblonde]

I have 2 Sv's, one is a w reg 2000 curvy, with 30000 miles on it, metuculously maintained by the previous owner( i think) the other a 2001 K1 with 21000 miles on it. The only owner of this one was my other half....although all things like shims etc were done she really has had a hard paper round and is currently going through a massive rebuild which you can view in the photo section. It really is horses for courses bikes last as long as you look after them....it really doesn't matter how old they are if you don't...and at the end of the day if you buy a newer one the likelyhood of you having to do all these things like shims etc will still have to be tackled within its life with you even if you meticulously maintain it. Basically you'll have to do shims and such every 15000 anyway

[yorkie_chris]

If the valves were alright at 20k then there won't have been any damage to them.

If they needed adjustment, but nothing wierd is happening, then there may have been more wear than normal but no damage caused. All IMO.

I say keep hold of it and do the servicing properly and it'll be right.

Thanks a lot for your replies everybody!

Dizzyblonde - What are shims???

[yorkie_chris]

Shims are the finely toleranced metal disc that sits on top of the valve and determines the valve clearance.
You replace them with different sizes if the clearance is wrong at 15k.

Were any changed when you had them checked?

To be honest I'm not sure, nothing like that appeared in the invoice.
What does it mean if they were / were not changed?

[yorkie_chris]

checked and not changed, no problem.

checked and changed, very slim chance of a problem

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Sjbuckle83

To be honest I'm not sure, nothing like that appeared in the invoice.
What does it mean if they were / were not changed?

If they were not changed either the mechanics scammed you & didn't do any work => Worry
Or they did not need to be changed so it doesn't matter it was done 5000 miles late => Don't worry.

IIRC I wouldn't expect to see a bill for shims if they invoice you for the work done instead? Is that right anyone?