Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Classic 350, Meteor 350. checking & adjusting the Valve clearances/Tappets

how to check and adjust the tappets on the new Royal Enfield J series machines. Also answering the numerous enquiries and reported problems I have received in the hope of providing the most comprehensive video on the subject to date!
Genuine Royal Enfield rocker gasket. accessories.hi...
Genuine Royal Enfield TDC lock tool. accessories.hi...
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PATREON. / stuartfillingham

[@Chris-kh2fm]

I checked mine after the bikes free service. They said they didn't need adjusting. The 'service' took 1.25 hours after dropping off. 1. The bike wouldn't have been cool enough and 2. there wasn't enough time. So I know they didn't check them. They were far too tight. It just confirmed the shoddy workmanship from dealers, all they're interested in is profit. They even put fully synthetic oil in, no wonder my bike has taken longer to run in. Make you wonder if they do it on purpose so they can make money on a warranty claim later.

[@scottboettcher]

Such a shame - especially since they charge so much! OTOH, if something happened to your motor, they'd be dealing with Royal Enfield to see which one pays for the fix! Ride Safe 🙏🏼

[@BlazinBlades]

Very sad 😞

[@markymarknj]

That's one reason why I DO the work! What I did was let my bike sit overnight, so it was totally cooled down. When I get back from a ride, it takes 1.5-2 hours to be able to touch the bike bare handed; it takes 3-4 before it's just above the ambient temperature. To ensure that the engine is completely cooled, I let it sit overnight. To do the valve check properly, the engine has to be stone cold in order for the valve readings to be accurate. The thing to remember is that techs at the dealer are paid by the job; whatever time the book says a job should take, that's what they get paid. It doesn't matter if the book's number reflects reality (it often doesn't); that's what they get paid. IOW, if the book says that a job should take 1.6 hours, then all they get paid is 1.6 hours' worth of time for that job. It doesn't matter if it actually took one hour or two hours; they still get paid for 1.6 hours worth of labor. Hence, they have incentive to do more jobs, as more jobs=more pay. Between that and how backed up the service department can be, there's pressure to get the most work done. It's a recipe for mistakes; it's unavoidable, really. For that reason and many others, I don't take my bike to the dealer. One, my dealer is 45 minutes away, and there's no public transportation anywhere near it or my house. That means arranging a ride both ways, so you can't really ask family or friends to help. They're busy enough; asking for 1.5 hours worth of their time is too much, I think. When my neighbor took me there to pick up the bike last year, I paid him-both for his time and his gas (er, petrol for our British friends). Two, for anything other than an inspection or oil change (where it's first come, first served on Saturdays), you're looking at a two month wait just to GET IN for an appointment; they're that backed up! They were so backed up that the service manager happily printed off the sheets from the workshop manual, so I could do it myself. Besides, I don't want to wait that long to get work done on my bike. What to do? How to reduce wait time? Do it yourself... :)

[@spencers4121]

Or if you need warranty work later. They can claim it's not covered because the warranty is void, as no one adjusted them at the service interval.

[@scottboettcher]

@@spencers4121 No, he has a record from the dealer that it was serviced. Whether or not they needed adjusting doesn't matter as they often don't, and you can't penalize someone for not adjusting something that doesn't need adjusting! 🤔

[@paulkinsella612]

Why do I love watching your maintenance videos on the Enfield when I don't own one? I think it's just the real world setting and calm, logical hints and tips. A very pleasant few minutes spent watching this with my morning coffee. Great video, once again. Thank you Uncle Stu.

[@carltonwittland1300]

I couldn't agree more what you said.

[@markymarknj]

I own a Meteor 350. When I did my first valve check, Stu didn't have his Classic 350 yet. Even so, I watched his video on how to do the job on an Interceptor; I learned lots of valuable tips and tricks for doing my bike! Now that he has the Classic, I still watched the video; I still learned a valuable trick. What's that? Dealing with the BLASTED ignition coil! RE did a good job designing the bike; they were thoughtful for the most part. No bike, though, is perfect; every bike has issues. With the RE 350s, it's the ignition coil. Last year, I unplugged all the wires from it (thankfully, I took a LOT Of pictures, making reassembly easy!). This year, I'll do what Stu did; I'll simply unscrew the whole assembly (leaving the wires attached), so I can move it around as needed.

[@imwatchingyou6113]

Asmr evening time... 😉

[@harrisdendromiris6124]

Same reaction here😂😂😂😂 to be honest i love technical data and engineering no mater the moto i own

[@tylerfameli1282]

I’ve commented on a few videos but I hope you read this. I bought my first ever motorcycle, the re classic 350, last year and was astounded at the first service price. I resolved to try to do whatever I can on my own and use the dealer as a last ditch effort (might need them to do my tires lol). I cannot overstate how amazing your videos have been, I would never have had the confidence to open up an engine, let alone adjust anything else, prior to you. Thank you for making it easy enough that I can now confidently service 80% of things on my own, as opposed to 5% prior. Please never delete these. You are an amazing human.

[@stuartfillingham]

Glad it helped!

[@davidjones6288]

I had the same experience as Chris, but expected it. In fact I've come to the conclusion that there are no honest dealers. I miss the old days when bikes were simpler, and we all know that Royal Enfield are about the simplest bike to strip down and maintain these days. The loss of tappet clearance is far more serious than people think, performance is lost, but it also causes a loss of compression and burnt valve seats and even pitting of the valve seat, if prolonged. What we really need is hydraulic tappets, but playing 'engineers' can be a lot of fun. I would urge all Royal Enfield owners to do all they can themselves.

[@davidc9695]

A couple ot tips on getting the tank off: (I am doing the (roughly) 1000 mile service. The PO allegedly had the dealer do the first service. ) First, cut a piece of scrap lumber about 4 to 4 1/2" long to prop the end of the tank up while you are removing the fittings under the tank. A piece of 2x4 will work fine. Second, the first time you take the two vent lines off they will be VERY tight. They are also different sizes. When the tank is held up on your block (above) you can look from the rear up the tunnel under the tank and see the locations of the fittings. The easiest way to get your hand in is from the rear, not the bottom. Once you work the hoses off, mark them "left" and "right" with a piece of masking tape, and put some silicone grease on the inside of each hose. This will make them much easier to install and remove. Reinstalling them is probably more difficult than removing them because you have to get them lined up just right to slide them on and there isn't a lot of room. Having small hands will help a lot. I'm 70 with large, arthritic hands and it was a huge pain in the ass. Next time I may trace the hoses out and cut them somewhere lower down then put a splice in them so I never have to force them on and off the metal nipples again. The easiest way to see where everything is located is to lay on the floor as close as you can to the bike and look up under the tank from both sides. A headlight or small flashlight helps a lot. Getting the fuel pump wiring plug and fuel hose fitting on was very simple, they just snapped on. My valves were very tight. The valve cover gasket was securely glued in place, and I'm sure the valve cover has not been off since the bike left the factory. Take the two metal covers off the left and right side to give yourself a little more room and so you can check the relays on the right side. All of my relays were covered with nasty yellow-white grease. I cleaned the relays and sockets with a little brush and electrical contact cleaner, then applied silicone grease with a Q Tip to the relay spades. Getting the valve cover off and on is very fiddily. It wants to hang up on the rear tappet adjuster. After I got the valve cover off, I cleaned the cover and gasket, then put a very small amount of silicone adhesive in the valve cover gasket groove, pressed the gasket in place, and then let it set up overnight. Old airhead BMWs are sure a lot easier. Now to change the oil. I sure miss my bike lift.

[@GK1976A]

Hi Stuart. Thanks for this video guide. Best one on KZbin. One thing I’d like to point out though is that it might be an idea to make sure you have a 14mm Hex Key before you start the job. Because I didn’t! ☹️ I’ve got every tool you can think of but not one of those. That’s a massive Hex Key! Also the breather hoses shouldn’t be too difficult to mix up because they’re quite different diameters. If you look at the ends of the hoses you can see one is clearly wider than the other.

[@GordonTillmanTexas]

Thank you Stuart. Very helpful. I'll be using this video when I do the 300 mile service on my wife's Hunter 350!.

[@SurreyAlan]

When did we start believing things could only be done by the garage, loved watching the video as this is how things used to be, everyone stripped bikes down and put back together with dollops of red hermetite. When we moved to cars swapping gearboxes was a fortnightly event when the one from the breakers didn't work right. We could all do tappets and feeler gauges in contact breakers and we all carried a test bulb so we could see if it was the coil, condensor or points that had to be changed when we broke down.

[@timsatch9198]

Been doing this half my working life, till I moved to aircraft halfway through. From my perspective this was an outstanding presentation.

[@tpelle2]

Here's just a minor picking of nits, but being an old retired engineer I find that I just can't help myself. The semi-circular rubber plug attached to the rocker cover gasket is not an inspection port, it simply closes the hole where the arbor for the tool that created the bed for the camshaft passed into the head during manufacturing. I apologize for my extreme nerdiness.

[@mekon1256]

on the interceptor, continental and these models the aperture is required to line up the TDC markings, otherwise especially on the 650s you can't see where TDC is.

[@martyntemple1487]

Excellent video as always Stu. With feeler gauges it's often best to use 3, one slightly bigger and one slightly smaller than the required clearance; the old "go and no go method". People sweat too much on the required "feel" and forget that size for size is actually an "interference fit", in other words if a feeler gauge fits (without of course compressing the valve spring which it won't as the spring is too strong) then the gap has to be at least the thickness of the feeler gauge.

[@BlazinBlades]

Yes, This is how I was taught some 30 years ago 👍 Excellent video 🍻🍻

[@magdasidorjakova1111]

Really simple explained.

[@gaza1952]

Thanks a million Stuart, you give us the confidence to have a go.

[@frankysworld]

Good to see that bit of instruction Stu, I always found that doing the maintenance is being part of the biking experience and it gives an opportunity to inspect (and clean) the areas on the bike you normally can't reach. But on this one, the Classis 500 owners are just going to sit back and look smug 😁

[@goldilocks913]

A case of seemingly going forward whilst going backwards?

[@frankysworld]

@@goldilocks913 to be honest, I heard of some people opting getting rid of the hydraulic adjusters to reduce the noise at higher RPM - some say that with special race adjusters the engine runs better, but honestly, I rather be smug and lazy when the subject comes to adjusting valves :)

[@markymarknj]

@@frankysworld thankfully, RE uses a dead simple screw & locknut adjusters; they're SUPER EASY to do! If you can adjust a cable actuated clutch, you can do the valves; both work on the same concept.

[@junkmangeorge6363]

@@frankysworld by their nature "hydraulic lifter cams" are ground a bit differently than "solid lifter cams", and some real world performance gains can be had by installing solid lifters on a hydraulic cam.

[@frankysworld]

@@markymarknj Fully aware of that, my first bike was a 1972 RE Bullet 350 that used that same method 🙂

[@posterlion]

Great video. I love the idea of doing my own maintenance. These bikes are incredibly simple to maintain. That is one of the main reasons I am attracted to them. Air cooled with easily adjustable tappets. And BONUS: no ignition points! I wonder how many people watching have adjusted points before.🙂

[@MrZap773]

My dealer said they recommended this as a "quality control" measure because the bikes were new. He told me wait till 3K miles... He has never seen the valves needing adjustments at 300 miles. But this video is great....thank u , sir

[@robertlamontweber5865]

I believe its best a smidge loose on valve clearance than a on the tight side to avoid burning a valve surface.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

Morning Uncle stew I stopped watching music videos and I'm the first one to watch your video and comment so cool. I love doing minor maintenance like adjusting valves and changing oil it gives you such a tighter bond with your motorcycle. I shake my head at the kind of people who take their bike to the dealer to have their oil checked. I'm going to shut up now and hear what you have to say.

[@keithwheeler3049]

I’ve just completed the 300mile service on my Hunter 350. Your advice re the rocker cover gasket was spot on. I fitted a new one as per your video, no sealer necessary and no leaks. Thanks Stu, as usual you go the extra mile with the information you provide. I needed to adjust the tappets, way too tight.

[@Ninja-samurai-]

Did you change the engine oil to a new Liquid Gun or any other brand semi synthetic? Doesn't working on your engine by yourself void the warranty claim ?

[@melfzs]

Good morning Uncle Stu, another precise tutorial, and being on the 350 has only made us more giddy for the arrival in the showrooms of the Hunter 350 for the missus, she can't stop watching the promo video, And of course I'll have to run it in for her and sevice it and take it for rides, "just to make sure everything's ok" 👌 😉

[@briansmith611]

Just getting ready to do my Meteor initial service & valve adjustment. Thanks for a great video!!

[@dozerblade]

My classic 500 C5 is ideal, with the hydraulic lifters/tappets never needing adjustment ! Nice clear video .

[@dannythinko]

Thanks Stuart. A great tutorial. My engineering student daughter and I have just used your video to service my Meteor. I really wanted to service the bike myself and now I have the confidence to do everything on the service schedule. The bike’s now running beautifully. Thank you!

[@Stefan_trekkie]

I am just a paper work - 1 or 2 days away from my Classic 350, same colour as yours. Thank you for all the videos on the bike. I live in a hilly area and will need to think of something for the running in period.

[@markymarknj]

Stu, I'm just finishing doing this service on my Meteor 350, and I must say THANK YOU! I especially appreciate the fact that I won't have to glue in the gasket at the inspection aperture, as that's a royal PITA. Now, I did glue in (i.e. used gasket sealer) to hold the gasket in the valve cover, because you have to flip it upside down before mating it with the engine. I find that, if I put a few dabs in the groove, then it'll stay in place as I reinstall the valve cover; the gasket won't fall out.

[@brianperry]

Ee By Gum, that takes me back a bit. Adjusting tappets on my Triumph Bonnie Engine...Fitted in my Triton. Unlike your Enfield the access was through a large hole once the rocker caps was removed. ..very fiddly, combined with frustrated Anglo Saxon...I believe a bit of 'Spanner' work was essential on motorcycles in Ye olden days. They were far simpler, certainly had less electronics to worry about plus there is a certain satisfaction about doing your own mechanics..

[@tylerfameli1282]

Thank you so much. I just adjusted my valves for the first time ever at about 5000 miles for my re classic 350, plus i installed an oil temp gauge and the dyna air filter and WOW. I am extremely impressed with the noticeable feel the bike now has at the entire range of the gears. Its way less choppy and it sounds amazing. Thank you!

[@mbjsrl]

Just successfully completed the tappets adjustment this morning before dawn on my beautiful Classic Chrome 350, following (most of) your instructions...yesterday evening had almost emptied tank, removed seat, disconnected electric & fuel hose (the yellow end by the frame), removed spark plug and tappets cover. After adjusting, made a tentative leaving the gasket cover on top of engine, but immediately realized it is much safer to remove it, carefully cleaning any trace of sealant (with a small piece of expired credit card, preserving the aluminum) from cover and simply seat it in the tappets cover before gently lowering it in place. The only real difference in reassembling from your method, has been to push the two vents hoses (which external surface I previously lubricated with a drop of motor oil) in the tank first and after that connecting the electrical and finish with the fuel hose. Double checked everything, before switching ignition...perfect !! and not a drop of oil from the gasket that I had carefully examined and cleaned, leaving the spare new one aside for next tappets check....Thanks, Stu !

[@OddSpanner]

There is a really helpful genuine factory full pdf of the workshop manual online and in various FB groups now that does have all the torque values in and a few tips that help out. Your description of actually setting the valves is one of the clearest and best I've ever come across, completely un-patronizing, and incredibly clear. The best laymans description ever. With the gasket, you're correct to attach it to the cover, the little bits of "glue" around the half moon are just belt and braces to try and prevent oil leaks from those less careful during assembly. Royal Enfield have played a blinder with this J-series 350 engine, it's so easy to work on, and hopefully will be pretty trouble free.

[@wallybuettner]

Just purchased a 2023 Classic 350. There doesn't seem to be a service manual available anywhere, so this video is a huge help... Thank you Stuart!

[@markymarknj]

Stu, THANK YOU! Just learning a better way to deal with the ignition coil is well worth the time spent watching this; it's good to know that one can leave all the wires attached while moving the whole thing around. Also, it's good to know that one can skip using gasket sealer in the inspection hole on the left side. As for the valve cover bolts, what I did was start them by hand, then screw them in by hand with a socket and extension; i.e. I just turned the socket and extension by hand without the ratchet attached. When I felt resistance, I attached the ratchet and gently cranked them in until they stopped. I made 3-4 passes just to make sure, since the bolts are arranged in a triangular pattern; tightening one side may make the others loose. When using the ratchet, I only used a couple of fingers to turn the bolts until they stopped. As for the gasket itself, I replaced mine; the original broke, thanks to all the sealer RE used in the inspection port. To replace the gasket, what I did was put a few dabs of sealer in the grooves of the valve cover, so as to hold it in when you flip it over just prior to remounting. This way, you not only can ensure that it's in the valve cover's grooves and will stay there; it won't come out during installation. Prior to doing that though, I did a trial fitment first, just to make sure of how to put the gasket in the valve cover's groove. Then, I put 5-6 dabs of sealer in the groove; after doing that, I mounted the gasket. I waited a few minutes just to make sure it would hold. Finally, I reinstalled the valve cover, or the rocker box cover. Finally, I don't know about the Classic 350, but on the Meteor 350, the fuel tank's breathers are of different diameters; i.e. you can't mix up placement of the breather tubes, as they won't fit if they're crossed; one will be too big, and the other will be too small. All I had to do was place the bigger tube on the bigger breather on the tank, and put the smaller tube on the smaller tank breather. I'm thankful that Royal Enfield were thoughtful enough to do with with the Meteor 350! Hopefully, it's the same story with both the Hunter 350 and Classic 350. Anyway, thanks again for the video! It'll be very helpful, as I'll be doing this soon.

[@peteeldridge1783]

So my first bike was a Honda SS50 and my Dad stipulated I needed to service it (he was ex-Fleet Air Arm). Next bike a Honda CB200…..both screw and locknut with access covers without disconnecting fuel tanks etc. Good video as disconnecting the tank and removing the tappet cover is my main concern. 👍

[@paulstoker7650]

Excellent video as always, clear concise step by step instructions. Your four part Interceptor service guide is legendary. I'm going to stop using the gasket seal, I'll make sure there's no leaks. The Interceptor is due it's service, I'll do be that before I mothball it for the winter. Ride safe

[@junkmangeorge6363]

Paul, as ling as the gasket remains, well, soft. Heating and cooling cycles can, and do, harden those gaskets a bit, necessitating a spot of silicone in those cut out areas, but just a spot, too much is worse than none, or an engine leak. (too much can plug the oil passages in your engine)

[@morrisminor56]

Good informative video with useful tips, thanks. Got 2300 miles on the bike now, and I can tell you that at around 2000 miles the bike feels run in.

[@Lee-70ish]

Thankyou Stuart . Just got a classic 350 and was quoted 300 quid for the 300 miler A pound a bloody mile for an oil change and two tappets ? We all know it'll just be bung in a filter and new oil . Tappets ? Got a suspicion as its a Kwaka main agent with Enfields as a side line they will get the dreaded sound ok test. So thanks for the strip off the tank info . Like you done one of two tappets in my time but your access info has saved me doing a look and learn . Thanks Lee

[@RonConsumer]

Excellent job... I found that every RE I own the tappets were all tight so it's very important to check them at the first service. Also thanks for the info about not needing the sealant that will save me one step. Although sometimes I cheat and just put a tiny dab in each of the corners to hold the gasket in place so the gasket stays in place.

[@Andriesdemotorrijder]

Ive ordered a new hunter 350 never sat on it, i have to wait 1 month before its here in the Netherlands love the looks hope im not too tall for it im 191cm

[@SandeepJha2626605]

thank you uncle stuart for putting these infotainment videos together, i cant imagine how difficult it would have been to film from different angle while getting your hand dirty, thanks a ton !!!!

[@bayoutrapper]

Thanks Stuey, great instructional video. Coming up on 12000 mi. service for my Bonneville soon. I wish Triumphs had the adjusters, instead of shims and buckets. God bless, and ride safe.

[@keithholyoake322]

Glad I watched this. Need to remove my tank soon to fit Fuelx Lite and check tappets and most other KZbin “experts” seem to remove the wrong fuel hose connector or fail spectacularly by trying to do so! Yours is the only channel that complies with Royal Enfield’s Maintenance Manual and clearly explains the process in easy to follow steps. Thanks for this and your other entertaining videos.

[@newlife155]

Been looking at a Kawasaki versys x300 , valve adjustment , shimmed type, cost around 450-500 US $ , including oil change. Going to be looking at the Royal Enfield now..!

[@roycspary8923]

two comment from years of maintaining many different vehicles ranging from motorcycles to 15 tonne trucks. an easy way to get the motor in the correct place to adjust is rotate the motor until the valve is fully open, then rotate the crank exactly 1 turn. always rotate in the same direction to avoid chain slack and gear backlash messing it up 1 crank turn is half a rotation of the cam and this is where the adjustment should take place, then rotate until the other valve is fully open, then 1 turn will put this in the adjustment spot. due to heat expansion the exhaust valve tightens up a little, so try not to err on the tight side. thanks for your usual excellent work. you could pass as a technical writer, that is writing manuals. great clarity and logic. hope this helps old boy Roy

[@bgilgall]

Thanks for posting this. My dealer wanted $440 to carry out the 1st service on my Classic 350. Ordered a bunch of genuine oil filters from India, and the correct oil from Amazon. Used to do the tappets on my old mk1 Ford Escort regularly when I was living in the UK and recently did them on an old CB750K that I'm fixing up so not worried about doing the job when it's on a single cylinder machine. Thanks for expanding my vocabulary too. I will now find a way to work in "twatknacker" to my conversations with my American friends here. I assume a northern English Yorkshire saying?

[@philedwards2679]

Excellent video Stuart, I will definitely be having a go at adjusting the tappets on my Meteor from now on. 👍

[@stringandreed]

As always, thank you so much for everything you provide on your channel it is by far my favorite motorcycle channel and I live in America. I was very fortunate in the 70s when I was in the Navy to ride triumph bonnevilles through Europe with my lieutenant commander. Those memories are such a joy for me today. Keep up the good work my friend

[@davidn1562]

Awesome Vid, just picked up a new 2023 Hunter here in Texas.. i plan to do my own service this will help me alot

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Mornin Great tutorial for anyone to understand. If they can’t follow your guidance they should use a mechanic/garage. Well Done Stuart.

[@themechanic2036]

Nice easy to understand Tutorial Stuart. Invaluable for less experienced bikers. No reason for them not to have a go on a nice simple bike like the classic.

[@jacek8122]

Stuart - excellent instructional material. Maybe you remember whether the ends of the adjustment screws, in addition to the slot for a flat screwdriver, have a hexagonal head enabling the installation of a tiny socket? I don't think I see it in your video, but maybe it's not visible. Thank you and greetings from Poland. Jack.

[@davidshort8070]

Thank you for a superb instructional video Stu. That's my job for Saturday morning's 3000 mile service on my Classic reborn sorted. Much obliged.

[@PatrickLeFloch]

I just adjusted mine today thanks to this video. I don't have a 14mm Allen, so I put it in 3rd (not 1st) gear and spun the wheel till it was dead center. Exhaust was still spot on, intake was a wee tight.

[@mikecrowley3102]

Every useful video. Some things that I might add are , Use the rear wheel to spin the crank, ... Before attempting to remove the rocker cover, first just loosen it then you will notice that the internal webbing of the cover can catch on the top of the inlet valve tappet adjuster when removing the cover ,(same refitting ) , to prevent this and make removal easier simply turn the crank until the inlet valve is depressed and this lowers the height of the adjuster.. When the cover is off then set to TDC. When refitting the cover I used a few dabs of grease to hold the gasket in its track.I Cheers.

[@paulshenton6527]

Took my dealer over 4 months to get my Meteor in for it's first service. By that time i had done about 800 miles. Could have done a better job myself. Anyway. This is the best video i have seen giving the best way to do the valves, and how to deal with the tank connections.. Cheers.

[@andrewiansummers]

Thank you Stuart for this video. Like some of the other commentators have said, I too am dubious as to whether the dealer actually went to the trouble of removing the tank at the first service. As soon as the weather improves I’m going to check the tappets myself, armed with your excellent video. Oh and I gave my Classic 350 the ‘full Fillingham’ clean and can highly recommend it for anyone who hasn’t seen that particular video! Cheers. Andy

[@shaunfleming8668]

Good video, thanks for that. Interesting to see that there's a fair bit of adjustment on the camchain sprocket, so you could play about with the valve timing. I'd guess its set fairly "safe" for environmental reasons, but I bet there's a bhp or two lying in wait there.

[@bengroves7521]

Great video Stuart - just used this to adjust my valves on a Meteor 350 here in the sunshine state, very helpful!

[@host.9826]

There's nothing like servicing your bike by yourself. Excelent vid folk.

[@richardcrighton8079]

cheers stuart. i followed your 1500km oil drop which was a bit fiddly but 100% done. i'm going to let my dealership do the 5000km but after that, it's a home made all the way. i'm NEVER selling this bike, it's just too good.

[@motormikeb1047]

This procedure is almost identical to the adjustment on my 650 Interceptor. Except the valve cover is a very tight fit on the 650's. I did the first valve check on the Interceptor at the RE shop and it was within specs. I do all the valve adjustments on my bikes except the old Ducati's. They use shims and I don't have a box pf shims. I think this video will help those who are intimidated with the thought of " valve adjustment " and then discover it's not that difficult. 😎

[@Ernes446]

My classic is now running smooth as butter, thanks Stuart. Please consider making a video on removing rpm/speed limiter. Gives me pleasure to run these efficient small engines to their capacity

[@stuartfillingham]

Thank You Ernesto!

[@sidweazel2883]

Once again an excellent video, well shot and nicely narrated. There is a tappet adjustment tool available that allows you to keep one hand on the feeler gauge and one on the adjustment tool. It’s not essential, your method is perfectly fine, however it does help a little.

[@bigal6684]

If you have trouble with that top cover rubber gasket falling out....hit the groove with degreaser and wipe with a paper towel in the groove, get it nice and clean and dry. Wash the gasket with hot soapy water also, get it dry, put it in the groove and either hit it with a hair dryer or some hot sunshine to get it to swell a little bit. And take those 2 screws off your coil bracket BEFORE you remove the top cover. You don't want objects falling into your engine!

[@mike-the-bike.]

Thanks for this Stuart, very helpful indeed

[@jasonoubridge3291]

Another excellent video, thanks Stuart 👍

[@indrishmo]

Thanks for the really detailed knowledge - you're a blessing to all motoring enthusiasts! 🙏🏽

[@MrJpb2000]

Thank you for making this and your other maintenance videos…after my motorcycle is out of warranty I’m going to be doing this myself (with the Interceptor). 👊😎👍

[@davidshort8070]

Great video Stu, by far the best I've seen on this subject and which I'll follow to the letter when doing my classic 350 tappets. Just one thing I might add is that before reassembly I'd turn the engine over once and recheck the clearances just to be sure. Keep up the good work Sir!

[@sidweazel2883]

Same

[@stephencox1955]

Brilliant,for a novice…very concise and easy to understand. Thank you.

[@stevecoppin4278]

Hi Stu spot on step by step instructions , ride safe

[@handycrowd]

Perfect. That cover sure looks a pain to get back into place though. Only thing I'd add is to follow my habit of smearing a little Vaseline on any connector I know I might have to remove again. Not on the electrical contacts themselves, they are generally okay, it's the little rubber seals which eventually 'grab' a hold and can make disconnecting difficult.

[@enfield7123]

Brilliant like the bike and good to see ur showing hornsea cafe a good stopping point for a cuppa

[@michaelc3416]

Very timely video release. Just purchased my Red Chrome 350 yesterday afternoon, and will be picking it up Friday morning. Weather is looking good this weekend, so I'll likely be doing the initial check/adjust either on Friday evening or Saturday. 😃

[@scottboettcher]

Much nicer camera work on this one! Looks great, and should help anyone looking to do it at home! Thanks, Stuart!

[@scottboettcher]

PS - dropped a few pounds your way for coffee! Ride Safe 🙏🏼

[@kenkennedy5516]

Stuart, make things much easier…..buy a set of go-no go feeler gauges. These take the guess work out of this process, and they are cheap, just make sure you buy from a premier supplier….happy daze👍🚀

[@stuartfillingham]

I find it easy enough!

[@goldilocks913]

Always look forward to your maintenance videos Stuart, thorough and confidence inspiring 👍

[@MikeMcRoberts]

Such a simple process.

[@thierryandraud186]

Wonderful job my dear and very satisfaying to do, I always work like this on my old bikes but unfortunatelly on modern bikes rocker arms have disaperead! 😅

[@johnk7814]

I’ve doing my service on my Intercepter since watching your video on adjusting the tappers 😁 which up to this point has been four times now, yea I have some mileage on my bike. 🤔 There is one thing I’ve done that first time is I tacked that gasket in place to the rocker cover with gasket sealer not a lot just small dots of sealer all around the cover . I never have to redo this my cover comes over with that gasket in place . Just found it easier to deal with when reinstalling the cover, less four letter words come out of me. 😂🤣 Cheers Mate

[@stephenwandersonea1935]

Thank you for making this video.

[@stevewalker2047]

Morning Stu. A good down to earth video. 👍

[@richardyardley5127]

Thank you Stu for another great bike maintenance video. Really well researched and expertly carried out work here. That's care and experience for you! It doesn't directly apply to me but the principals will be of great assistance with my Himalayan I'm sure. I did get a rather warm feeling though, knowing that this video does not apply to my Royal Enfield Classic 500, which of course has hydraulic tappets, which therefore means that they need no manual adjustment at all and makes a thorough service of the bike, something you can almost do in your sleep! 😁😁

[@sussexbikerpillion]

Fantastic tutorial. Feel confident now to have a go. Thanks Stuart 👍

[@GK1976A]

Both my valves were tight too. Did you notice after checking and adjusting the valve clearance that the engine had a lot more ticking noise coming from it. Mine has. Can’t be because the valves are now too loose because if anything I left them on the right side. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@peterwillis4239]

Excellent video Stuart. Thank you for spending the time doing this valve adjustment video thoroughly. My 350 will be going in to the dealers soon for its 300 mile service, plus valve adjustments. They have said to leave it with them so that they can do the valves with a cool engine. I will pick up the bike the next day. So hopefully the work will be done properl!. However for my own peace of mind and to gain experience I will check them myself shortly afterwards. Thanks again for this detailed video it will make the job so much easier. 👍

[@bikernate8902]

Thank you, Stuart... another of your videos that will be saved in my browser favorites for future service. Well done as always.

[@dickiedum]

Morning, thanks for the video. Twat knacker is still my favorite expression.

[@Tonyv1951]

For a long time now, I have been very cautious about using gasket cement. Way back when I was a lad, I wrecked two C15 engines by using far too much gasket cement to try to stop oil leaks. As the author of the video said, be very careful not to drop any lumps of the stuff into the engine as you pick of any surplus. It WILL find its way around in there and if it ends up blocking crankshaft oil ways like my youthful over generosity with it did - you are in a world of pain. This is definitely a case of less being more as is tightening those small bolts. NOT TOO MUCH. If it can bulge up inside the engine when the mating surfaces are compressed together, it may well come adrift inside the engine.

[@dougsmith7580]

Great stuff. Very clear instructions, easy to follow.

[@nigelreadon8381]

hi there i remember carrying out that job on the MZ ETZ 251, you would turn the back wheel with the feeler gauge in place while the parts would open and close. not the same for all bikes i guess.....i think Royal Enfields are the type of bike where you could easy fit a side car, not something you see much of these days.

[@peterwillis4239]

Thanks

[@stuartfillingham]

Thank You Peter.

[@Radiator_spring]

Old classic is different. Old is gold

[@harrisdendromiris6124]

Thanks for the infos highly appreciated dear Stuart, i always enjoy your vid's even if not commenting often, please continue your excellent job i really enjoyed ❤

[@yellownev]

Very well explained and filmed..... did you mention to do it on a cold engine ? Twatknacker - I'm going to try and use that word everyday for a week !

[@stuartfillingham]

No I forgot sorry!

[@johnrimmer5812]

Much prefer 'screw & locknut' too my Hondas' shims which i find a pain to find here in Thailand.

[@edreyes1391]

Outstanding!

[@jamesbarbato2463]

Good morning Stewart. I really enjoy your videos thank you.

[@andrerobertdrouin3642]

When i started cycling bikes were expensive for a student , money was not a plenty . The habit became buy bike helmet shop manual, and at one time how to manuels , on maintenance days friends met to help and learn as we had different makes and size bikes , from BSA to two cycle Yamaha , going to a mechanic was out of our means so we had to learn and take care of them , at that time shops were not in every city nor villages , no one to help on the road either so we all had tools , when i got my first honda it was a harley dealer that sold them , they called them toys for little boys , well the little boys became adept at maintaining and repairing hence saving for a bit more for HP from modern Japanese teck that left in the dust the so called mens toys ,maintained by school boys would you know . Well the boys opened their own shop while the mens toy shop closed .So we followed the teck as it came out , today to many bikers talk hp RIDING ONE WHEEL but cant adjust a drive chain and wear pants above their bums . So when you meet an old geezer on his RD LC 350 dont be smug he might show you how to take a tight S corner and beat the living pants of of you .

[@ruezi12]

Perfect explanation... Many thanks👍👍👍

[@SteveInskip]

Good vid Stuart! Very informative!

[@markbrowne9933]

Great informative video Stu. You've inspired me to check mine which i neglected to do at the first service.

[@davidtiddy6881]

Nice and clear explanation, thanks Stuart.