I bought my 09 sf to a very reputable bike shop here in socal for a valve adjustment. I have 13500 miles last valve check/adjustment was done at 7000. They looked it over gave me a call and said the intake valves were still good the exhuast valves were out. They gave me 2 options either they can get the shims but then my bike wouldnt be ready for another couple days or they can lap the valves and my bike will be done in a few hours. I asked what does lapping mean if i remember correctly he said basically they use a glass sander and sand the valves down till there in spec. Since i wanted my bike back asap i just had them do that. Does this sound legit?

 

You might get the bike back faster but you'll likely pay more for labour because lapping generally involves more work than a simple valve adjustment. Also, I am not a mechanic, but I am not sure lapping is a good substitute for shimming...

 

Go to another shop!! Run.
To lap the valves they have to pull the head, that means new head gasket and if they disturb the cylinder a new base gasket. Way too high a cost (lots of labor/parts) and if they are bozos lots to go wrong.
I've never heard of doing that instead of waiting for shims.

 

Really, what type of bike shop runs out of shims.

 

This bike shop mainly works on vintage bikes maybe thats why they didnt have the shims? The guy said itll only be about an hour of more labor. They really have to pull the head? I guess ill get all the details on what they did when i pick my bike up, wish me luck.

 

It sounds like they are grinding down the valve stems, not actually lapping them. This would work to get the clearance in spec without shims, but it still seems a little sketchy.

 

@795: either way, if a shop is confusing lapping with grinding, I'd question their expertise...

 

Grinding the top of the valve stems is just as bogus. With the valves in place there is no way to prevent grindings from getting where they don't belong. It also destroy any tempering/hardening treatments of the valve stem. The valve stem would no longer be totally square as well.
Run, run away.
There must be a "real" shop nearby, no?

 

Hey'a, your a little low on oil too! But pay it no mined, we just droped some old nuts an marbles down the hole to bring the level up. Yer Good ter Go!

 

i can't believe they would even check without even already having multiple complete sets of valves ahead of time...makes no sense...