This guy is the single biggest reason why my vstar is running great right now

5 years later this video is still golden. Top notch Retro, top notch.

Thank you for taking the time to create this video. The time, money, and stress you are saving your viewers is huge.

Picked up an 05 1100, how you present your videos are excellent and easy to follow, thank you for what you do

Good job. I just wish you specified more on the rear cylinders valve clearance for those who don't have a service manual as myself. Loved how clean you got the engine before delivering to the customer also. Good job

Watched and used multiple videos of yours and just wanted to say thank you

Nice and clear tutorial with good balance. I like how you keep it clean and re-hook the chrome as you go. Well done Retro.

Excellent video! Thank you very much for taking the time to be so thorough in explaining and filming.

Another well executed tutorial! Will be following this when I swap out my carbs this week.

I’m having trouble getting mine all timed up and this seems to be the best clip to me

I used your oilchange video before and now I used this video to adjust the valves. Very detailed video. Thanks! I have a BT 1100 Yamaha but it has the same engine with the same specs.

Thank you very much for showing me so many things about my motorcycle. I have a 2003 Yamaha V Star 1100 need some work. it's a project bike for me and let me tell you you make it seem so easy. I thank you very much. hopefully I'll have my bike running perfectly by April

This may be 4 years old but, THANK YOU! This video is FK"N AWESOME!!! I appreciate you!

Hello Jordan. Thanks for the video. This is my project for today. I have a Yamaha Virago 1100 but you gave me a good overview.

I like watching all of your videos. Very informative and very helpful. When I reinstall Spark plugs try using a clear or black tubing that fit's around the top of the plug. The plug can still be installed. This way the spark plug gap will not change from dropping the plug in. The tubing also works to get the plus started and when it's time to tighten the plug you won't need a spark plug socket the has the rubber to get a snug fit. Then you can remove the socket without pliers. It works on cars that has the same recest plug holes.

I love how your go into every detail I appreciate it

This is an absolutely fantastic video. Thank you.

I'm about to adjust the valves on my VSTAR 1300. This is helpful. Thanks.

Great videos. Really appreciate you putting these out there. Your whole series has been tremendously helpful. Keep up the great work!

thank you for actually editing!

Great video. Very good detail

Your videos are so helpful. Thank you so much!

Thanks for the great video. I have a 2007 v star classic and need to change the cam chain tensioner gaskets " leaking oil". I see on your video how to line up the markers 0n the front sprocket along with the one by the gear shiftier. This would place pistons in the highest position i believe to help from dropping. My question is there a way i should place a block of some type to secure it from moving while removing and resetting cam tensioners? or if lining up makers to be sufficient. a service tech said this was part of the process but i"m unable to locate any info in regards to blocking the sprockets. Thanks for your help in advance.

Love the 2 stroke exercise bike! Thanks again man, your videos are awesome.

Great video. One thing I would change is when installing the plugs I use rubber hose around the plug tip to prevent the spark plug electrode changing the gap. The use the socket to screw the plug into place. Again All of your videos are in my Library.

Great video, saved my ass. I went to adjust the front cylinder. Put it in TDC, and the intake rocket barely moved, and the exhaust didn't budge. Same on the rear cylinder. Thought I was doing something wrong, but nope, the bike just desperately needed a V-job.

Great vid, very clear instructions, good tips, nice man!

You make THE best videos... I hate sitting through blah blah blah... you put the good info, no BS, love it. If I ever buy another type of bike, I'll have to buy you one too, just for the videos!! haha

Awesome vid. Thanks so much for this.

thank you verry much for the valuable information on your videos verry eazy to understand. beeing i two ouwn a yamaha vstar the have been verry helpfull in me survecing my own motorcycle . again thank you verry much sir.

An easy way to start threading the spark plugs is using a 3-4" piece of fuel line tight enough to grip the end of the plug. After it is started, pull it off and finish with the plug socket without the rubber insert. Easy peasy.

Doing this on my 2008 VStar 650 Custom. I removed the side cover off the rear cylinder and rotated the fly wheel until I saw the "TI" with the "I" right in the notch. However when I do that and I look at the sprocket with the side cover off the dot is to the left of the tab. It's not lined up? Have I discovered a major mechanical problem, or should I just adjust based on the TI marking?

Hi from Aust Want to say a huge thanks for this clip. It's so helpful I have an 06 with only 10K on the clock but this needs to be checked. The price mechanics charge is way too much & I'm not working - this is a huge help Thanks

Nice work! What is the normal axial gap between rocker arm and the head? Mine is about 0.24mm and there is some knocking on the hot engine. That really makes me angry. I think to instal washers from inox 0.12mm. What do you think? Greethings from Bulgaria!

I was curious when your all done do you have to rotate the crank back ?

Hi Mr. retro I have a Yamaha V*1102000 and when I give it gas it goes and then it like he doesn’t want to go I’d like it just makes a loud noise and it doesn’t go in till I go to the next year if I go to first and then it does it again do you think by adjusting the chain that would take care of the problem

Very helpful thank you

THANKYOU for this extremely helpful video. I just completed a valve lash adjustment and my 1100 V-Star fired right up! Only thing is I do hear a very slight "PFTT" or "Popping" sound coming through the exhaust. If it is a backfire it is NOT a loud one at all...it's more like a soft sounding misfire...

very good instruktionvideo. Great job! and thank you!

Wonderful sight on the AIS system as well ! How did you seal those little pipe joints ? Did you seal it with some heat proof silicone ?

Be sure to plug up the "hell holes" at the back of the motor with rags so you don't drop your bolts down into them and then get to spend an hour dismantling the transmission cover, etc looking for them.

Great video. Thanks

Thank you. Im pretty sure this will solve my problema

thank you verry much for the videos verry helpfull.thank you agin!!!!!!

Hi, you have a great videos for XVS 1100 maintenance, thanks. I have an XVS 1100 from 2005, and I have in trouble with it. Vibrations appears when I reach 60 Km/h, and at 80 Km/h, motor go down, and sounds like fuel failure and vibrations are very strong. Any suggestion? Thanks

First of all outstanding video. Question for you or anyone else, would 440 cams in my 1100 change the clearances any?

Verry nice video

When you timed your bike in the beginning, were all three of your timing marks at their top dead center mark?

Two questions: 1) do you need to drain the oil when doing this. And 2) where did you purchase the tool to check the valve clearance, and what's the name of it. Thanks

Hey thanks so much for posting this video. It has helped me to conceptually understand how to adjust my valves. I have a question if you wouldn't mind responding. I have a 2008 V Star 1300. After removing the Front Exhaust Tappet cover I found what appears to be twin tappets.... I think I am seeing 2 tappets under each of the four tappet covers. Should I just do my best to adjust them both to the service manual specs? Any help welcome.

Thank you for this video. I started the project today and unfortunately I've had to adjust all of four valves. One thing I am questioning is that when I got a head to TDC, there was hardly any free play at all at the arms. I spun the crankshaft several times to make sure I was there.

Thanks for these awesome videos. They have helped me so much. What do you use to polish the chrome?

Amazing

Do both the front and back supposed to TDC at the same time?

Amazing video thanks. I will refer to it many times this weekend when doing my valves... The printed clearances on your video (.45 seconds in) are incorrect though. The Exhaust valve clearance should read 0.12 - 0.17 (.0047-.0067). From my Clymer V Star shop manual

Would you say this job could be done without removing the carbs? I’m thinking I will need to check the ones on the Vstar I just bought sometime soon. Has only about 13,000 miles but still. Just curious if the carbs could stay in for this procedure. Your videos are so helpful! thank you!!

Thanks! I would love for you to add a Carb sync video to this series.

great video thanks a lot :)

your videos are the best online, thank you for being perfectly explained in detail. i have my front cylinder running hotter than the rear. any suggestions ? 2003 yamaha v star 1100

Good job

I looked at your homepage and I see you have done a teardown on an older Harley. Do you find working on this Yamaha more or less difficult than the Harley? I remember years ago the price of replacement parts were less expensive for Harleys than for the metric bikes but in my experience that has changed to the opposite. What have you found in that regard? BTW from your photo I assume you had your electronics training in the Navy. Were you brown shoe or black shoe Navy? I was an AT many years ago and went to "A" school at Millington.

Quick question. I didn't notice you rotate to the different TDC after doing the first cylinder. Aren't there 2 different TDCs? I'm using this video to do my first valve adjustment.

Thank you for such a detailed video. I have one question though. I have pretty much same bike, the screw you removed with a quarter, the previous previous owner applied a cement to hold it in place. There's a good chance I'm going to have to break it but I need a replacement at the ready when I do. By what name do I search for such a specific piece?

So to adjust the valve am I moving the wrench or Allen wrench to adjust the valve?

Btw thanks for the video. just did mine. Front cylinder exhaust was in spec, but every other valve was too tight. Had to loosen and readjust to spec.

Allternatively you can put the bike in high-gear to rotate the engine

I'm doing most the stuff you make videos for and im very thankful, oil change, spark plugs, gasket changes I'm confused on this feeling tool there's two sets of numbers for example top number .004 bottom number .102 it has mm under the bottom ( I'm pretty sure I bought the millimeter only)

Hi! It is normal to find the spark plugs totally black? or I will need adjustement. Thank you!

When adjusting the valves, does it get rid of the famous Yamaha vstar ticking in the engine?

You mention lining up the notch on the front and the "T" on the back. Why not line up the "T" mark on the front cylinder as well as the rear?

I've got a knock in my 1100 Silverado. Too expensive to have done, so I gotta tear it down myself, I guess. I'd like to run it off the bike on a stand, but don't know how to set that up. Can't even find a decent book on the thing. The factory manual that i do have has specs that are mislabeled with decimals in the wrong place, etc. I need a junk engine to practice on.

In the service manual stabds i have to turn the engine coubterclockwise.... is that right or wrong (i didi it)

I was told I have a bent valve on the front cylinder because the timing was off and someone kept running it, are these the valves they are talking about, and do you know which one it would be?

Great video! ..I would have change the o-rings in the covers, ..they seems to start leek within short time, - when they've first been removed..!

Hello hope is all well with you and your Family. Can you do or have you done a video on clutch replacement on a Yamaha vstar classic 1100 ? I have found some but they are not as good as your step by step instructions and the way you notify what might happen if you do or don't do that Thanks Dale

What do you call that gauge tool you are using

The first time I checked the valves on my 1100, being green about motorcycles, I went through all that nonsense with cam covers and timing marks. First of all those marks may or may not line up so that method is less than precision. Having used the ICEO (intake closed, exhaust open) method on my race engines for years I did it that way and it's just as applicable to this 4 stroke engine as it is to all others. KISS

Subscribed. I haven't seen any activity recently, But, I noticed you have aftermarket pipes. I bought this bike with Cobra pipes, and they gave me the originals. The bike backfires all the time. I have resorted to putting back on the OME pipes. Do you have any suggestions on whats successful in the carbs, jet or mixing screws wise?

For the record! The valve clearances given at :40 are mathematically incorrect. The figures for the Intake valve are right. The figures for the Exhaust valve are not. 0.12mm = 0.0047in (Not 0.0028in) 0.17mm = 0.0067in (Not 0.0047in)

Can this be done with out removing the carbs?

I love your videos, you do a fantastic job. However using the first valve you adjusted as an example... The tolerance is between 0.07 & 0.16 this shows there is a considerable range here, before you made the adjustment you demonstrated that 0.07 was lose and 0.10 was just a little tight. that means this valve was at approx. 0.09 and well within spec. loosening and resetting the adjustment bolt that could very well be as it was set from the factory is ill advised. I've seen this time and time again in videos and in forums and I have never once seen an account of the valves actually being out of spec. When they set them at the factory they set them within spec, not perfectly in the middle because it isn't necessary. The whole idea of constantly needed valve adjustments is largely a scam perpetuated by dealerships to take your money. When your valves are out to any significant degree you will know it, your bike will run like sh*#!

what yr is this

Gonna give it a look at ,got change my Intake Manifolds cause they looking bad

A washer welded to an old screwdriver?

Good video. However I notice when checking the 1st exhaust valve, you were slightly forcing the valve up with the feeler gauge. The clearance you measured wasn’t accurate. And you would flip between imperial and metric when mentioning the feeler gauge measurements. Confusing to some. This is a metric bike. I would stick to metric measurements. And it’s not 10 or 17, it’s .010 mm and .017 mm. I never pull covers off without having new o-rings to replace. That’s my “policy”.

You said 4000 but the data that you were going across said 16,000 at 4 mm

At "3.18" you line up to the dash (not the "T"), then at "!0.22" you line up to the "T" (not the dash). Why is that? Should they both be lined up to the "T". I'm guessing the "T" is for Top Dead Center!

I was looking at one of these,saw a few of these videos.no longer interested...in yamaha v star 1100

Just to let everyone know you may have to rotate the crank up to 10 times to get the rear cylinder to line the timing marks up.

I’m not touching shit. I’ll let y’all know the longevity

Well this is an unfortunate time to realize your 22mm is too fat to fit. Got all the way to the part where we get to TDC😂 off to the store i guess

What a pain in the ass

I've gone through all that ridiculous cover removal BS. And it's less than precise anyway. A camshaft is a camshaft is a camshaft. I check it just like I always have my drag car engines. It's the ICEO method. It works every time. If it works on long duration, long overlap racing cams it will work on the mild cams in an 1100. So save you self some needless time, energy and heartburn.

And this needs to be done every 4,000 miles?! Wtf