[CRF230RiPPER]

I bought my bike a few months ago, and I am probably past the initinial 100 miles on the bike, I have done a couple oil changes already , but have yet to schedule my first servicing at the dealership where I bought it. (They want 170 bucks at least) They tell me the initial valve check after the first hundred miles is really important and blah blah blah...Is this something that I can do myself ? or is it better to have the dealership service it?. I'm no mechanic and I'm sure I can't set the bike up to run as well as they could, and also don't have a service manual yet , but I don't wanna give my money away either. I can purchase the manual , I planned on it anyway, But I also hear mixed things about the valve wear with this bike. Anyone have any experience with this? I enjoy learning to maintenance my bike and the ins and outs of being able to work on it myself although prior to owning a bike I had very little mechanical experience at all. The rejetting process was fun and relatively easy (besides that pesty link arm screw) and I'd like to learn more. please help ! ...thanks

[gal8x]

Get the service manual. The valve clearance is 0.1mm or 0.004in I find it much easer to work the feeler gauge into position if you bend the first 3/8”, 90 degrees. You can do this your self with minimal tools. I use a 10mm wrench and a small set of pliers. As you get to know your bike you will be able to recognize when the valves need adjusting simply from the sound they make when the engine is running.

All riders, IMO should be able to work on their bikes. It is my decided opinion that all dirt bike manufacturers should engineer their products with this philosophy in mind.

[Asmith]

But I also hear mixed things about the valve wear with this bike. Anyone have any experience with this?

If you heard that this bike has issues with valve wear then you were listening to a moron. (Or they got it mixed up with the 250's.)

The valve wear on the 230 is Glacial. They will get tens of thousands of miles without any issue.

Checking them is easy, alot easier than the 250/450.

Adjusting them is also easier.

Something that you should learn to do yourself, but certainly not something that you should worry about.

[CRF230RiPPER]

But I also hear mixed things about the valve wear with this bike. Anyone have any experience with this?

If you heard that this bike has issues with valve wear then you were listening to a moron. (Or they got it mixed up with the 250's.)

The valve wear on the 230 is Glacial. They will get tens of thousands of miles without any issue.

Checking them is easy, alot easier than the 250/450.

Adjusting them is also easier.

Something that you should learn to do yourself, but certainly not something that you should worry about.

So my best bet would be to get the service manual and do the work myself?....I'd like to learn as much as i can about the mechanics of the bike obviously, so i don't have to give money away , but my concern is just making sure the bike is running in top condition. I guess I just have some doubts about whether I'm up to the task and if this is the best course of action. I guess I'll find out ! But thank you for your response

[gal8x]

Dude you can do it. Adjusting the valves is a very good task for a beginner. You do not need a shop full of computers and dyno-whatchamacallits to make that bike haul butt.
Trust your self and pay attention to commonsense and the manual.
0.1mm is very close. It takes me about ten attempts before I am sure I got it right. If it is off a little its not going to explode. You will hear it when you are ridding and change it when you get back.

In general; the most common mistake I see young mechanics make is they have a tendency to over tighten nuts and bolts. They notice that the bolt/nut was very tight, so they assume that it must be put back on that way. Not so. Nuts/bolts will tighten themselves thru heat and vibration. You don’t need a toque wrench for this job but when you read the manual pay attention to them anyway and you will notice the values are low, 11 lbf to 4.3 lbf that equates to “snug, plus a little”

[Aussiecrf230]

gal8x,
I thought that was strip thread and back off a turn.

Seriously this bike is easy to work on and the Honda manual is good.

If you managed rejetting, the valves will come easy to you.

You will find most jobs in that area are much easier if you remove the tank. The 2 minutes it takes is worth it.

The only other normal maintenance is to nip up your spokes regularly - firm not locked solid when tightening.
There is a sticky on how to do it and there are probably several other good bike sites to read about it.

[postaldave]

does the standard owners manual cover valve adjustments or do you need a shop manual?

[CRF230RiPPER]

In general; the most common mistake I see young mechanics make is they have a tendency to over tighten nuts and bolts. They notice that the bolt/nut was very tight, so they assume that it must be put back on that way. Not so. Nuts/bolts will tighten themselves thru heat and vibration. You don’t need a toque wrench for this job but when you read the manual pay attention to them anyway and you will notice the values are low, 11 lbf to 4.3 lbf that equates to “snug, plus a little”

HAHA...thats funny because I have already had problems in this area, my clutch perch bolt seems to have been threaded in wrong and won't tighten or loosen...forcing me to find a way to get it out...(easy out possibly???) I'm starting to learn that i'm going to have to invest in some really good tools also. It'll save me money in the long run I suppose. I'd really like to do all the work myself that my bike requires. I'm gonna invest in the 56.00 dollar nuts and bolt kit CRF's sells. Good to have. I just want my bike to run in top condition as much as possible so I need to make sure I'm capable of getting it to that point trough my working on it.I love the learning process and its fun, so I guess i'm headed in the right direction. I'd also like to learn to tighten spokes/ Tru a wheel...that would be cool to know how to do!...Anyway thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear any other suggestions u might have. Any suggestions on getting that bolt out on my clutch perch???

Doug

[gal8x]

does the standard owners manual cover valve adjustments or do you need a shop manual?

No. Get a service manual

Any suggestions on getting that bolt out on my clutch perch???

Hopefully you are referring to one of the clutch mount screws. If you remove the good screw then you should be able to use the mounting plate as a pry bar. Get a flat head screwdriver in the gap between the plate and mount to put some pressure on the bad screw while slowly turning the screw out. If all else fails you need to drill out the screw. Use a drill bit that is smaller than the screw so you don’t damage the mount. I don’t remember but I think you can drill it from the back side (oh bugger! ). If the threads in the mount are stripped then you will need a tap to rethread it. Naturally you will need to move up to the next size bolt and drill a larger hole in the plate.
Again this is not hard to do, and you should try before considering a new mount.

If you get frustrated you could always…

gal8x,
I thought that was strip and back around a turn.