Tappets - NC700S 2014

[Guest Alfie434]

I have just hit 24000 miles and my NC is 12 months old, after having my tappets checked every 8000 miles i questioned why to my Honda Dealer.

Ans. Its what Honda recommend !!

I replyed well do you send the measurments to Honds to allow them to ascertain if the tappets really do require checking, clearly if all the garages send through the measurments and loe and behold the tappets were all in tolerance at say 8000 miles then they can amend the sevice schedule.

I then stated that I will be contacting Honda direct to ascertain why.

Within the next hour of my bike being serviced they rang me up and said Oh, it is only 2013 NCs and older that need tappets checking every 8000 miles MMMMMMmmmmmm. I smell something here.  Plus on thier schedule it states that brake fluid is only changed at the 2 year period !!  Again I questioned this, they stuck to thier guns and tried to ssay that Honds must use really good brake fluid, it appears that the brake fluid should have been changed earlier on  in the year once I hit a certain mileage, I cannot remeber the periodicy.  

It seems to me that garages are exploiting us riders that put alot of miles in and bikers in general, so much for a cheap bike, any money saved on fuel gets burned up by the servicing costs.

 

Can anyone else advise on any conflicts with thier Honds dealer on this type of issue. 

 

Where is the CORRECT service job sheet avaialble ??

 

I am now going to have to revisit all of my service checks for the last year and then go and argue the toss with people I have used for the past 7 years!

[bazza 3,629]

If our bike was a high revving item i could understand the 8000 mile bit- but its half a car engine!

so whats recommended for the jazz?

 

bazza

[Guest Alfie434]

Not Sure Bazza, thats what I asked the garage. Pretty sure the Jazz does not have the tappets checked every 8000 miles.

[Guest Alfie434]

24,000 miles on a Jazz engine for tappet check.

[Guest Alfie434]

These are the setttings for the car.  does anyone know what the bike settings are and how they compare ?

. Select the correct thickness feeler gauge for the valves you're going to check.

 

Intake: 0.15-0.19 mm (0.006-0.007 in.) Exhaust: 0.26-0.30 mm (0.010-0.012 in.)

 

[Guest motorboy]

I know the only for 2013 thing is for the CB500F-R-X never heard it for the NC

[Guest bonekicker]

It is a crude way off finding out if tappets need adjusting stripping all the parts off to even get to tappets--check tappets--the are ok --put bike together again--and we all pay for that assumption that they need checking--I am beging to believe more and more what my Honda service guy told me--when we connect our computer to bike and it is not running correctly the computer will show what the fault is --and then we do the tappets and then diagnose again to make sure the fault as gone.

[bazza 3,629]

tappets are simple things to adjust -if the screw and locknut type -and you have a set of feeler gauges.Even I can do it!

Its the usual thing -you can afford a newish bike they think " so lets charge you as much as we can".

The whole deal on NCs is they are low performance and thus low cost- fuel, tyres and SERVICING!

I am thinking of changing oil and filter myself -but if the DCT goes wrong its an excuse for them to say "go forth and multiply" so i reckon that giving my local bike shop £40 for him to do it is worth it (plus filter,oil and sump plug washer) - not £150 that the Honda dealer wants though !

[trisaki 2,029]

Concerning the 700 engine I believe the xac model needs to be checked at 8000 the xad 16000 / your hand book will tell you also it will give you the schedule both my Nc are ac models so I will be checking valves at 8000 as far as brake fluid it should be flushed through every 2 years

[DB1965 224]

Yep thats spot on Mark spoken to at least 10 people with 700 who have had the 8000 mile check with their servicing not one of them needed any adjustment as the engine was running fine via the diagnostics!!!!  anybody else had thier tappets checked out thier must be loads more 700 riders on here did you need any adjustment on the 800 mile check list below ladies and gents ???????? 

Cheers David

[embee 7,288]

I checked mine at around 6k miles while I was doing other stuff and they were fine.

 

Experience of many owners of Deauvilles is that 20k miles for valve clearance checks is more than adequate, often as not they don't need adjusting even then. The NC and Deau valve trains have a lot in common, the NC should need less maintenance with the roller followers. I have no intention of going in there again on my NC before 20k miles (if then!).

[Trev 18,797]

Had mine checked at 6k as it was due on 2 years old, not a Honda garage but my trusted mechanic and he said no adjustment needed and he wouldn't expect any on a motor like that in under 24k. I will be checking and adjusting (if needed) myself the next time

[Guest bonekicker]

Good on you all for proving the tappets/valves do not require checking unless the diagnostic gear says so 

[shiggsy 529]

Had mine checked at 8K and they were all fine. Checked them myself easter weekend, at 23k miles and they had all tightened up a bit. Bike felt  lot better after adjusting, mpg seems to have jumped up too. 

[beep 1,233]

Thanks for the information.

 

I don't do a lot of miles on my 2012 700 and was wondering whether to put off the tappet check until later (I've only just passed 5000 miles).

 

Maybe the reason they may have upped the tappet check on the 750 was that they found that none of the 700s needed adjusting at 8000 miles. This might even be the only reason for change of the schedule on the 750, although there are some engine changes and it might be a good selling point for some people.

 

Since the bike is now out of warranty, I think I'll just change the oil and filter before it's first MOT in September, then check the tappets myself, next year when it's at 8000 or 9000 miles (an easy job if they don't need adjusting). Obviously I'll change the coolant at the same time. I seriously doubt that the brake fluid will "need" replacing every two years, but may do that too.

Edited June 24, 2015 by beep

[Guest Southerner]

Since the bike is now out of warranty, I think I'll just change the oil and filter before it's first MOT in September, then check the tappets myself, next year when it's at 8000 or 9000 miles (an easy job if they don't need adjusting). Obviously I'll change the coolant at the same time. I seriously doubt that the brake fluid will "need" replacing every two years, but may do that too.

I think that's an entirely reasonable approach Steve. 

[embee 7,288]

I agree. It's a pretty simple job, only annoying aspect is the need to drain the coolant, but that has a positive aspect in that it's a good opportunity to change it anyway.

[ncmf 87]

70k on an nc and never checked tappets. 300k on other Hondas; never checked tappets. 10 grand saved.

[trisaki 2,029]

Worth changing brake fluid and striping calipers as often as you can coz it does make quite a difference to the way the brakes feel