XR650R Valve adjustment D.I.Y

So after a “gidday mate” opening to a phone call from the Mayor I thought umm whats doing here it turned out to be a how do I do a valve adjustment on my piggy again phone call and then the next 3 calls back and forth while I explained valves closing and opening and rocking etc and he juggled the phone, I thought we need a DIY and I should have done it before really. Its never easy for the people on either end of the phone try to explain what they see and what your remember.

I aren’t going out to take photos this time of night so I borrowed this one

Red arrow Timing plug
Green arrow exhaust valves
Blue arrow Inlet valves

Valve clearance for a stock XR650R should be:

IN:0.15 +- .02mm (0.006 +- .001 inch)
EX:0.20 +- .02mm (0.008 +- .001inch)

Although I run my slightly different

Step by step

1. Remove the seat and petrol tank.

2. Clean around the tappet covers, spark plug and flywheel housing timing plug the top one in the flywheel housing (red arrow)

3. Remove the tappet covers

4. Remove the spark plug

5. Remove Timing plug.

6. Rotate the flywheel counter clockwise two or three revolutions using the back wheel to turn it, remember 5th gear not 1st gear Mick.

7. Watch the valves, exhaust valves down and then as they come back up the inlets will start to go down as the exhaust finish going up. That is the valves rocking, it is also the signal you are getting close as your piston is coming back up on the compression stroke. To make compression all the valves need to be closed and that’s when we do the adjustment because unless its been dusted or the likes all the valves should have clearance (you should be able to wiggle the rocker arms)

8. Line the “T” up with the “notch” on top of the flywheel housing plug you removed. If the “T”goes past the notch, start over. You don’t want to activate the decompression mechanism. Make sure you are at top dead centre (TDC) on the
compression stroke. A simple way to check this is by moving the rocker arms up and down once you’ve aligned the “T”. This can be confusing if the inlets are closed and you can’t get that movement. If you have followed the above it will be right so you can adjust then inlets. Don’t worry at worst you will end up with loose noisy valves and have to do them again is all

9. Using a feeler gauge check the clearances on the intake valves (closest to carburettor) they should be 0.006 Exhaust valves closest to where the exhaust system comes out of the head should be 0.008

10. Adjustment them using a 10mm spanner and a small screw driver, use a ring spanner and don’t over tighten the lock nuts because you will stretch the threads. Make sure the feeler gauge has a slight drag while pulling it out and sliding it
back in. Be sure to keep the screwdriver steady with no turning while you re-tighten the lock nut.

11. Re-assemble everything and fire her up. With the valves properly adjusted it will start easier hot and cold especially cold.

TB