A KTM 390 Adventure Valve Clearance Check

[@abominacja47]

You are doing God's work here Matt. Thanks to you I built confidence to do work with my bike myself. Thank you for that! Cheers from Europe.

[@advmatt]

Thanks. Really appreciate the feedback.

[@PonoBill]

I did my first valve check at 10K miles, the exhaust was a bit tight and I'm not a contortionist, so I pulled the engine to get better readings and ultimately set the valves, intake in the middle of the spec, and exhaust at the loose end. One BIG tip if you need to change shims: I zip tied the chain to the cams before I pulled the cams. It's easy to roll them back into the middle to do all the shim changes, and then I just rolled them back into place, reinstalled the caps, and triple checked both the clearance and timing. I didn't pull the engine the second time I checked them, but I did make some better feeler gauges by riveting short, pointed sections of feeler gauge to long, slim handles. I also plugged every hole in the head with rags. I wouldn't want to split the cases because I dropped something. It's a fussy job, but not that bad if you take the time to get stuff out of the way.

[@advmatt]

Great tips. I really like the zip tie idea. That makes it really easy to keep the timing.

[@stephenmartin-rn4jf]

Thanks Mat for this video, so helpful not many people show this process, I’m at 12k and mine has never been apart but this has given me the confidence to check them myself 👍 keep up the great work.

[@advmatt]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad this was helpful.

[@OneOldManRiding]

I am driving through West Virginia, but I will watch this when I stop. Been looking forward to seeing my BRILLIANT idea realized! Thank you Matt! - Frank

[@advmatt]

Well, wait until you see it before being too happy about it.

[@lunarluna]

Thx for the vid. Nice to see the valves were still in spec after 18k miles. I thought getting to the valves on my klr was a PITA but this is a whole nother level of fun........ugh.

[@advmatt]

There might be an easier way, but this seemed to make everything much more accessible. Without filming I think I can check them in about two hours, now that I know what needs to be done.

[@CCCZuzu]

Thank you Matt for the video. Short and clear indications. Little upset b'cause no adjusting needed to be able show us more things. But all good to know this engine is working just fine.

[@advmatt]

Check out the MC Garage video I left the link in the description. It shows everything for replacing shims. Between the two videos you have everything.

[@xentat4711]

Great video Matt! I have been afraid to tackle valve check/adjustment on my own, but you show its not that tough of a job (another one of your videos I saved for reference). Thanks for posting!👍

[@advmatt]

Glad you found this useful. It's really not that bad.

[@advinjapan]

Awesome, I’ve got this coming up too. Thanks Matt!

[@שון-ו3ז]

this bike is difficult for valve adjustment but i will do it , thanks to this video

[@advmatt]

It's a compact bike. Everything is mashed in.

[@appymarley]

Just serviced mine mat had to change the plug so thought I may as well check valves it is a bit involved but mine were all ok so peace of mind...when i reassembled it would run and then die eventually found out the new bosch plug was duff!..it went in the bin and an ngk has gone in...great vids of your maintenance hopefully mine will be good for another 10k...

[@advmatt]

Nice, well done servicing your bike yourself. It's really not all that hard. Bad plug. What a pain. Cheers.

[@SurvivalNomad]

This is why I bought an XT250 😊

[@vancemarin8022]

So that is why my local dealer here in Canada quoted me $400 for valve clearance check on my 390 Duke so I passed on getting it done even though I have 18000 miles on it. Maybe next year if I still have it !!

[@advmatt]

Totally understand. Gives perspective.

[@jons1148]

Thank you Matt!!!

[@advmatt]

You bet.

[@sipeb7543]

Good job, I wish I had your patience.

[@advmatt]

Thanks.

[@lukefish7562]

No lie. Like working on it until something goes wrong and then I flip my shit. At least I’m not in denial.

[@vijayam1]

Splendid and simple...How would you rate the bike overall from a quality perspective on a scale of 1 to 5.

[@advmatt]

I give it 4. For a small adventure bike it has a lot of features at this price point. I have had minimal issues. It's fun to ride.

[@lukefish7562]

Good Lawd. I have a Norden 901 Expedition at 11,500 miles and my dealer is set to check the valves BUT they admitted they’ve never done it so I’m not a lot more confident about them doing anymore than me trying. I have a terrible thought that the bikes gonna be worse off after their work which I’m likely to find it was fine anyway. What to do… Thanks for video

[@advmatt]

Tough spot to be in. It might worth giving it a go yourself.

[@KanaalMTS]

Wow, I thought it was gonna be easy due to the video only being 15 mins long 😅 Very well made video though!

[@advmatt]

Thanks. Without filming I could do it in about two hours if I don't have to change shims.

[@steveball2307]

Valve clearance checks are the curse of the modern motorcycle, quite often no attention required...but you never know!

[@advmatt]

Agreed. Parallel twins are pain. This wasn't too bad.

[@steveball2307]

@@advmatt I can check and adjust the valve clearance on my Cagiva W12 350 in about 40 minutes 😉

[@advmatt]

@@steveball2307 that's fast. Nice.

[@steveball2307]

@@advmatt More than the bike is on 28 HP (and some of them gave escaped!)

[@thegreenman2030]

Same goes for the RE Himalayan. It takes longer to get the gas tank off and back in then it does to adjust the valves. The only draw back is much shorter intervals for inspections. Fun for me but a bummer for people who pay the dealer.

[@steveh545]

this is cool. I'll never do it, lol. One thought and one question. I'm not master-mechanic, but would recommend trying to not stop mid-project to do other stuff. That simple reverse process is infinitely harder if there's been some time between disassembly and reassembly. YMMV. Q: So, what does KTM charge to do this job? That's a lot of work. (which probably means shop time, and $$, but I'd be thinking of letting them do it anyway). I realize every bike is different, some valve jobs are simpler than others.

[@advmatt]

Every dealership charges something different . The first time I had valves checked and new shims added was by the shop. It cost me around $200. I have heard of shops charging #300+. You will have to ask you local dealership.

[@steveh545]

@@advmatt well damn. That seems like a no-brainer. If you trust your shop. Unless you’re just mechanically inclined and have the time. Thanks Matt.

[@luciano136]

Would a shop typically remove the radiator as well? I'm having the valves done; if they take it off, I may as well get a coolant flush.

[@advmatt]

@@luciano136 I am not sure how to remove the valve cover with out completely removing the radiator. You should ask the shop if they remove it and decide if a flush is worth it.

[@luciano136]

@@advmatt It sure looks like there isn't much of an alternative. Definitely having the spark plug replaced as well; I'm just shy of 9k but doing the Norcal BDR. It'll probably end up being 2500-3000mi RT.

[@javierc2726]

Mic too quiet Matt. Put it closer

[@advmatt]

Try turning up your volume.

[@thomaskurek3524]

Hey where can I buy shims for 390 adventure valves, so far it’s very confusing which kit is right , and where I can find info on valve clearance gaps tolerance ?

[@advmatt]

I am not sure where you live, but I was able to find shims from AOMC.MX. I will leave a link at the end of this comment. The valve clearances are in the video. I don't exactly remember without watching the video. I think the intake clearance should be 0.10mm to 0.15mm and the exhaust should be 0.15mm to 0.20mm. aomc.mx/shop-ktm/oem-parts/?aribrand=KTM#/KTM/390_ADV_ENGINE_-_2020/VALVE_DRIVE/ce06336d-d3a8-4119-8ca0-d3b6e2042842/390_ADV_ENGINE_-_2020_VALVE_DRIVE/y

[@thomaskurek3524]

@@advmatt thanks for a quick response , I see they sell shims individually Should I buy them all the specific ones that I should buy. I live in Florida. I did buy stuff from that website already. Thanks again.

[@advmatt]

@@thomaskurek3524 I recommend measuring the shims you have now and calculating what you need. But, they cost much so you could buy two of each and should be able get everything set correctly and have some choices on which ones to use.

[@thomaskurek3524]

@@advmatt ok thanks

[@thebronextdoor3583]

After how long do you need to check the valve clearance?

[@advmatt]

KTM says every 9k miles. I went 18k on the second check and it was still good.

[@moturcu4226]

The only downside to this motorcycle is the valve adjustment. What would happen if I don't do the valve adjustment?

[@advmatt]

If you don't do valve adjustments the first thing you will notice is the performance of the engine will degrade. The exhaust valves won't close all the way allowing combustion to escape into the exhaust. Eventually you will damage the engine. This is if you never check the valves. The first valve check is the most important after the engine is broke in. After that most modern engines can go tens of thousands of miles without needing an adjustment. It is a good maintenance practice to check them to prevent damage. I agree, it's a pain in the butt.

[@moturcu4226]

@@advmatt Thanks.

[@jisoopark5021]

Swap out the cheap nasty OEM bosch plug for an iridium one which should last 30k.

[@advmatt]

I should have done that. The pkug is pretty easy to change.