12,000 miles service interval?

[Bob Palin]

I just spent the afternoon taking my RT apart to find that after 6907 miles my valves did not need adjusting and my TBs were still perfectly in balance, in fact my valves haven't needed adjustment for almost 14,000 miles. I use synthetic oil which I'm pretty sure is good for 12K, if it wasn't for my extended warranty I'd start a 12K regime - does anyone do that with a higher mileage bike? (Mine has 91K) I don't particularly enjoy wrenching and would certainly have preferred to be out riding.

[TonyS]

I go ahead and do the service at 6k (or longer sometimes). In the three services only one valve per service had been less than spot on, and that one .001" or less. The throttle bodies have always been on as well. I actually began to suspect the TwinMax was not working, but that wasn't the case. The throttle and fast idle cables had stretched quite a bit and needed adjustment during one of the services. I see the maintenance as a chance to look around for something that might need attention as much as performing needed adjusments and fluid changes. Change your oil filter at 5k if you are going to extended change intervals and the rest should be fine. It's your bike.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Bob,

 

I don't see it as a problem at all. My GS hasn't needed a valve adjustment since 48K, the S had a couple of loose valves at the 30K service. I skipped the 24K altogether. I have gone to Mobil-1 full synthetic, extended life oil and don't plan on changing till the 40K point. The spate of long distance riding I have been doing is better for the oil than most of what the weekend warriors do to their bikes so no worries. My plan, what there is of it, is 10K mile intervals from here on out on both bikes. Probably 20K on the gear oil (same mfg) and 30K on air and fuel filters. With luck, I'll have the tire situation right in sync and can get it all done at once.