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Removing the rad is simple and makes access much much easier. I drain it simply from the bottom hose, I don't disturb the drain screw in the front of the cylinder block. If you're changing the coolant reasonably regularly the relatively small amount which remains in the block isn't significant, changing 75% of it will be fine. First time you might want to flush it with fresh tap water and make an allowance when adding the new stuff for the possible extra dilution, mix the new stuff at 60/40 instead of 50/50 for example, it's not that critical (assuming you use concentrate). A good

On a previous bike, I suspected that the clearances were never ever even checked so I painted little which dots to bridge the mating surfaces. On completion of the full service the dots of paint were unbroken. Nuff said! By the way... tight valve clearances would seem to indicate poor quality valve seats or valve pocketing, neither of which should be possible from a company which has been manufacturing unleaded engines for more than a quarter of a century. Slack valves clearnaces can be heard and normally mean that there is a lubrication problem somewhere in order to create the wear for the i

Personally I use Toyota Red coolant because I have a Toyota and it saves having more than one can on the shelf. I think 5Lts of concentrate cost me around £25 from the auction site a couple of years ago but it does a full change in all my vehicles/bikes, so good for 3-5yrs of my use. All the engines stay clean inside and never had any issues with leaks or pumps etc so it suits me. For example item 221764134022 on the auction site. Other coolants are available.

Hey, I never inferred that the HD-based engine in the XB Buell bikes is a modern engine! It is still lovely to use and has a lot of character. A fair power and torque output too even if less than more modern 1200cc engines. Yes, it does vibrate, but the rubber mounting system copes well with that once over about 2,500rpm. 3,000rpm is 100km/h. Here that is our highway speed limit and even from 80km/h the Buell thrums along beautifully in top gear and is a joy to ride. Below 2,500rpm it is rather grumpy and riding in stop-start traffic is a pain. One of the reasons I added the N

Many modern car engines use roller finger followers with hydraulic pedestals, low friction, no maintenance and consistent emission performance, low inertia, high stiffness, and the hydraulic element is essentially stationary (makes life easier for the engineers ). Google image

On a modern, low revving engine? Unlikely, especially with a Honda. I have worked on engines for 58 years and have never come across screw and locknut tappets working loose. A fair few seemed welded tight though! A bit too much clearance might be noisy but a good hot idle is a fair indicator that no clearances are dangerously tight. Frequent checking is just a fraud IMHO.

Service intervals are nothing to do with engine wear. They are set at a meeting between the dealer network managers (who want short intervals) and marketing (who want long to make new sales easier). The bike market has no fleets who challenge this, so those selling oil set the interval. If you have your oil analysed it will tell you to service sooner in 1% of cases, as the manufacturer says in a few and longer in the vast majority. There is also the argument that very few users keep a bike for the the 100000 miles it will do. Why do you care what the fifth owner after you has to de

May I refer you to your very own signature.