I just checked my valves on my 2007 klx250s and noticed something odd. In the manual and online tutorial at TDC the lobes should be pointed outward at 180 ddegrees. My bike had them facing inward, with lobes facing each other at TDC. Bike only has 700 miles and guaranteed that I'm the first on to pull valve cover. I finished the job and oriented them like they came out and bike runs ok. But, it has been bugging me why the lobes are different than the picks.

 

What direction is your bike facing, rotate the bike so it is pointing exactly the other direction in the garage and you should be fine.

Otherwise your screwed, or you could just rotate the crank another 360 degrees.

 

wrong stroke

 

Rotate one more time tdc again. There are 2 tdc points on 4 strokes.

 

If you want to be absolutely certain, rotate engine until the exhaust cam has opened the valve - the intake is definitely loose now, check and adjust as needed. Then rotate the engine until the intake cam has opened the valves - the exhaust is definitely loose now, check and adjust as needed. If you know four stroke engines it just makes sense.

Of course if you think about it, rotated until at TDC compression, both valves are closed... they better be or your bike ain't gonna run.

Just some thoughts from someone who has done this kind of stuff without a manual.

 

Makes sense...and I didn't suspect anything was amiss since the bike runs fine (before and after). I have checked valves on a number of bikes and this was the first where the "T" mark had the lobes facing inward, plus it is pictured differently in the manual, so it made me wonder a bit. I just went about it like I usually do, and had one shim that borderline in spec so swapped it out and buttoned it back up.

Love how easy the thumpers are to work on--my KTM is another story.