I used to ride a bigger bike (triumph tiger 1200), but the Himalayan 450 is soo much easier to ride off-road. It’s a “go anywhere anytime” kinda bike! Very playful. Loving it!
Well done. Considering a RE Guerrilla 450. Glad you are one of the few who actually knows what a torque wrench is and how to use it. Just saying "click" doesn't cut it.
Thank you so much, an excellent tutorial! I bought a Guerrilla 450 a few months ago and will be checking the valve clearances at it's first main service (10,000 Km) so this video, of yours, will be very useful indeed. I have just stumbled upon your channel by chance but will now subscribe and check your other videos. Thanks again and it's an absolute pleasure to see someone who knows exactly what they are doing. All the best, Phil (UK)
Very good job and very clear explanation. It is a valuable tutorial. If i remember correctly the previous 350 engines didn’t use the shims for valve clearance. Must have been easier to do the job. But i guess this new engine design allows more horse power.
Glad you liked it. I started my motorcycle maintenance journey 6 yrs ago with the help of other helpful people online and my aim is to get people to get to know their bikes better and not be afraid to work on them :)
Honestly, I think it’s a lot easier than the other adv bikes. I did valve clearance on my tiger 1200 inline triple engine and that was way more work … for one, 3 times the number of valves to check and adjust, but also a lot more stuff to remove and get out of the way just to get access to the cam cover.
Great educational video, although my himalayan has only 800 miles, so a few more miles before my first clearance check at 6,000miles. Only question I have " why only remove the 6 cam cover bolts and then the cam chain guide plate protector" as it seems all 8 bolts are needed to retain the caps. Also on your refit, same issue for me, replacing 6 bolts and then the 2 guide cover bolts. I would have thought it would have been better to fit and spread the torque to all 8 in one operation? Is there a reason for the refit being different for one cam cap and the other?Just downlaoded the pdf service operation from your other comments - I now have something new to read over the christmas holidays, thanks again. Just a pity it will probably be a problems getting service tools in uk! ( Already have many service parts and ZANA accessories ordered direct to uk from India Royal Enfield suppliers, oil filter and service kits, half the uk dealership price here,so hopefully they will be available next year when needed EDIT - reading that service pdf it does show the same 6 bolts removal and fitting, then 2 guide bolts, but also tighten all bolts together! Can be read either way I think.
Enjoy the Christmas holiday reading :) yeah the parts and accessories are very well priced in india! As for the torquing of the can cap bolts, doing all 8 on both caps probably is the best thing to do, like you suggested. But as long as each cap is torqued evenly, it probably should be ok :)
If your cam locking tool will not fit when you reassemble the cams, you don’t need to remove you caps again. You need to loosen the sprockets on the cam, and adjust the cam position till the locking tool will fit. Then re torque the cam sprockets.
You’re absolutely right! I should have been more clear in the video … I meant to say if the cam and crank locking tools fit before removing the cams (ie the timing was right), then they should fit again after installing the cams. I probably should have shown the timing procedure too though while I had the engine open!
@@eazyontwowheels merry Christmas your valve clearance vid is perfect as it is, l was unaware of the adjustment on the sprockets though this would only be used for cam chain replacement or to adjust out chain wear at higher mileage?? Maybe a separate video!!! Love your work all the best to you from a new subscriber.
Good video! Few areas of improvement, place the camshaft in a lint free cloth or facial tissue, don’t place it in the cover like that, the cam circle might get scratched. While tightening the cam bridge (cam retainer) tighten the inner bolts and then the outer bolts in gradual manner. This reduces flexing of the cam bridge. Also take readings multiple times this eliminates the possibility of error. I tend to turn the engine for every trial i usually take 3 readings. New thing i learnt, RE has tools for everything which is a good thing since it reduces the chances of making mistakes. I am curious how many kms has your bike done?
Thanks for those reminders 🙏🏽 I should be a little more careful with the cams when they’re out! And not be lazy and measure clearances multiple times :) I do torque the cam cap fasteners from the inside out. Should have mentioned that in the video. I’ve done a little more than 20k kms on this bike, so this was part of my 20k service.
@@eazyontwowheels So this was the second valve check on your bike. Were the clearances at the 10k service as far out of spec as they were this time? It surprises me that the intake clearances were so far out of spec on the 20k service. Your next valve check isn't due until 40k - so will you go that long without checking? It makes me wonder why so far out of spec. Are the valves wearing into their seats more than they should??
Was the 10k valve service done by you? If so, were the clearances within spec? It's surprising and concerning that the intake clearances were so far off spec beween the first and second adjustments.
I was in the midst of a 3 month, 15,000 kms ride through some very remote parts of India and Nepal when i had to do my 10k service. So I just had the shop do an oil change and an air filter change and skipped the valve clearance check. Just recently got home from the ride, and did a full 20k service.
Is it normal for the valve clearence to get lesser with time?As I have seen in other videos with more the engine runs,the valve clearence shoud increase and be out of spec,can you please explain why it occurs?Also can you explain does the tappet sit under the shim or the valve bucket contains the tappet itself.Sorry,I am very new to these things and am trying to learn
It’s possible for valve clearances to increase or decrease over time. In my experience, they typically decrease because of valve and seat wear (the place where the valve contacts the cylinder) from repeated opening and closing. Also the valve stems could increase slightly in length because of thermal expansion. Valve clearance increasing is also possible if the cap lobes themselves wear slightly over time, but this I think is less likely. For bucket and shim type valve adjustments, the tappet is integrated into the bucket. You can think of the bucket as the tappet itself. The bucket and the shim underneath it sit on top of the valve stem and spring. In screw type valve adjustments, like in the 350 engine, the tappet is a part of the rocker arm assembly sitting on top of the valve stem and spring. Hope that makes sense
@eazyontwowheels thankyou very much sir,have been trying to get exactly this kind of information over the net and youtube but was not able to understand properly,also found most explanations for hydraulic tappets,thanks alot for the help
In India, the best option to search for a Royal Enfield parts distributor near you on google maps. Dealerships may refuse to sell it to you. Outside of India, you can ask your dealer or you can buy them online on some sites.
The crank locking tool locks the crank when the piston is at top dead center. The cam locking tool is to ensure proper cam timing when the piston is at TDC. Without the cam locking tool, you won’t be able to accurately synchronize the camshafts and the crankshaft. Proper timing is achieved when the crank locking tool is able to lock the crank and the cam locking tool is able to lock the cams at the same time.
ruclips.net/video/vg0x4_mQd9M/видео.htmlsi=IIwfTCOBf5XbPSTy This video does a good job showing the piston moving up and down (caused by turning the crank), and the camshafts rotating to open and close the valves at the right timing. Remember, the crank and the cams are connected and synchronized by the timing chain and the sprockets
I notice that you didn't pull the spark plug out to make finding TDC easier. Unnecessary in this case? Also, it seems like it would be an ideal time to check or replace the spark plug with the tank and air box removed.
Good observation! I forgot to take out the spark plug but my intake valve clearances were way too tight so the valves were not fully closing, making the engine easier to turn. I only realized after I adjusted my valve clearances to be within spec and then it became harder to turn. I forgot to mention that in the video :( but no need to replace the spark plug at 20k kms. Still has plenty of life left in it!
I thought about this a little bit more and went back to check the manual. There is a mechanical decompresser on the exhaust camshaft that keeps the exhaust valve slightly open at low rpms to reduce compression, but as rpms build it the valves start behaving normally. The purpose of the decompressor is to make it easier for the starter motor to turn the engine over during the starting process. This is what was likely making it easy to turn the engine manually (low rpm)
So if your spark plug fails when you are out in the wilds, you have to remove your fuel tank and air box to change the spark plug, that was well designed wasn't it.
It’s pretty much the same for every adv motorcycle in the market (except for the boxer engine of the gs1200). Adv bikes as they are built today are more street bikes than trail bikes. And to be honest, things hardly fail on these bikes because everything is so well covered and protected (which also adds to the weight). I think dirt and enduro bikes are more suited for dedicated trail riding
It’s good practice to measure valve clearances about every 20,000 kms. Only after measuring, you’ll know if they are in spec or not. If they are not in spec, then you need to adjust them
@eazyontwowheels thanks sir and I'm facing stalling in the lower speed below 20 kmph whats the issue? I have already visited SC they clear the idling issue but still I have the same issue any solution?
@ hard to say brother. Could be one of many issues … dirty fuel hoses or fuel injector, dirty air filter, dirty spark plugs, bad cam timing, etc. can’t tell without looking at the bike :(
these type of valves are such a pain to do, interceptor has screws which is super easy, and old uce engine had hydraulic one that didn't need any adjustments. my dominar has the same valves and its a mess to adjust, showroom doesn't do it and outside shops charge way too much
That’s the trade off of liquid cooling and overhead cams … better performance and higher revving engines but more complex and little more difficult to work on than air cooled engines with pushrods and cams near the crank 🤷🏽♂️
@@eazyontwowheelsI can adjust the valves on my KTM 450 RFS engine in 13 minutes from start to finish with no special tools not even feeler guages.. There are OHC/water cooled designs which are good and then there are the other ones!
@@jimtitt3571 don’t think you can compare enduro bikes to adv or street bikes. Enduro engines are intentionally made easier to access (less body panels and air boxes etc to remove) and faster to take apart and work on because they require much more frequent valve clearance checks and maintenance. I also assume they have screw type adjusters as opposed to bucket and shims (I don’t own a KTM 450 so I could be wrong here). For comparison take a look at valve clearance procedure for a KTM 790 or 890 adventure. It’s much more involved than the enduro 450. And it does require some special tools
@@eazyontwowheelsThe point being you can build powerful, light and reliable OHC engines which don't take hours to adjust the valves. And bikes which are easy to maintain. The Himalayan has lost it's virtues of being a travel bike maintainable by anyone anywhere and is now an expensive to own machine (my local dealer is quoting around €800 for a valve adjustment) that can only go from dealer to dealer.
Check with your dealer. Otherwise, it’s available on this site: www.bike-parts-royalenfield.com/royalenfield-motorcycle/assignment_spare_parts/ST32062_A. But not sure if they ship internationally.
Yeah it’s a very different engine than the other air cooled RE engines. I would think the RE service centers would be trained (I hope they are trained) to do this. hopefully they don’t just do an oil and air filter change for the 20k service intervals
Honestly if you’re looking to buy an adv motorcycle (not enduro or dirt bike), this is probably the easiest bike to work on. I’ve worked on triumphs and ktms .. this is relatively much easier.
One of, if not the best shimmed valve adjustment tutorials!
Been waiting for just such a video. Much appreciated 👏
This video cannot be more informative. Excellent
Thank you for the deep insights!
I'm from Germany and still waiting for my 450 🥲
I used to ride a bigger bike (triumph tiger 1200), but the Himalayan 450 is soo much easier to ride off-road. It’s a “go anywhere anytime” kinda bike! Very playful. Loving it!
Well done. Considering a RE Guerrilla 450. Glad you are one of the few who actually knows what a torque wrench is and how to use it. Just saying "click" doesn't cut it.
Your video is really excellent. Well done. Thank you for taking the time to record it.
Excellent 👌 one of the best tutorials. Enjoyed however I don't own a Himalayan.
Thank you so much, an excellent tutorial! I bought a Guerrilla 450 a few months ago and will be checking the valve clearances at it's first main service (10,000 Km) so this video, of yours, will be very useful indeed. I have just stumbled upon your channel by chance but will now subscribe and check your other videos. Thanks again and it's an absolute pleasure to see someone who knows exactly what they are doing. All the best, Phil (UK)
Excellent Tutorial. I have Himalayan 411 bs6. I am also DIY guy. I loved your neat & clean work towards the motorcycle.
Very good job and very clear explanation. It is a valuable tutorial. If i remember correctly the previous 350 engines didn’t use the shims for valve clearance. Must have been easier to do the job. But i guess this new engine design allows more horse power.
Thank you 🙏🏽 Yup if I’m not mistaken, the RE single cylinder and the 650 twin engines use screw type valve adjusters
Very clear and informative video. Watched it from start to finish and I don't even own a Himalayan 450 😊.
Very clean,easy,simple engine to work on! Excellent overland machine
What a great teacher you are, thank you !!
First time seeing your channel. You have so much patience, and have awesome tools. Me too having the same bike, three months old.
Yeah, took me a couple years to slowly build up a good tool set 🙏🏽
Great, clear video thanks, it looks like if you slide the cam locking tool backwards a little, you can secure it in place with a cam cover bolt.
Yup. Didn’t know this until after I was done :)
@@eazyontwowheels I'm still learning even as an old man 👍
Very Informative content. Kudos to your work. I'm glad that your video listed in my RUclips suggestion. Subscribed !
Glad you liked it. I started my motorcycle maintenance journey 6 yrs ago with the help of other helpful people online and my aim is to get people to get to know their bikes better and not be afraid to work on them :)
Great video Eazy, nice work!
Excellent tutorial, A++++++
wow what a informative and eye opening video.👍😃
Happy to hear you liked it!
Glad to find this video from colombia
Finally a video . Thanks
Nice & informative content, keep up the good work 👏
Excellent informative video. Thanks!
Fantastic video, well explained!
Ciao ottimo video benfatto complimenti👍👍
Nice one 👍🖖
Muy instructivo y claro de entender.Gracias.
De nada 🙏🏽
Thank you, very intuitive video.
glad you found it useful 🙏
Informative, Thank you
Never thought RE engines could be so complicated
Honestly, I think it’s a lot easier than the other adv bikes. I did valve clearance on my tiger 1200 inline triple engine and that was way more work … for one, 3 times the number of valves to check and adjust, but also a lot more stuff to remove and get out of the way just to get access to the cam cover.
Great sharing even though i dont owning this bike. May i know what device(left side) with the spring that hold onto exhaust cam?
@@mustaqimjaafar85 automatic decompressor 💨
@mrgrumpy. I see. Thanks 👍🏻
Brilliant...
Great educational video, although my himalayan has only 800 miles, so a few more miles before my first clearance check at 6,000miles. Only question I have " why only remove the 6 cam cover bolts and then the cam chain guide plate protector" as it seems all 8 bolts are needed to retain the caps. Also on your refit, same issue for me, replacing 6 bolts and then the 2 guide cover bolts. I would have thought it would have been better to fit and spread the torque to all 8 in one operation? Is there a reason for the refit being different for one cam cap and the other?Just downlaoded the pdf service operation from your other comments - I now have something new to read over the christmas holidays, thanks again. Just a pity it will probably be a problems getting service tools in uk! ( Already have many service parts and ZANA accessories ordered direct to uk from India Royal Enfield suppliers, oil filter and service kits, half the uk dealership price here,so hopefully they will be available next year when needed EDIT - reading that service pdf it does show the same 6 bolts removal and fitting, then 2 guide bolts, but also tighten all bolts together! Can be read either way I think.
Enjoy the Christmas holiday reading :) yeah the parts and accessories are very well priced in india! As for the torquing of the can cap bolts, doing all 8 on both caps probably is the best thing to do, like you suggested. But as long as each cap is torqued evenly, it probably should be ok :)
If your cam locking tool will not fit when you reassemble the cams, you don’t need to remove you caps again. You need to loosen the sprockets on the cam, and adjust the cam position till the locking tool will fit. Then re torque the cam sprockets.
Good man thanks 👍
You’re absolutely right! I should have been more clear in the video … I meant to say if the cam and crank locking tools fit before removing the cams (ie the timing was right), then they should fit again after installing the cams. I probably should have shown the timing procedure too though while I had the engine open!
@@eazyontwowheels merry Christmas your valve clearance vid is perfect as it is, l was unaware of the adjustment on the sprockets though this would only be used for cam chain replacement or to adjust out chain wear at higher mileage?? Maybe a separate video!!! Love your work all the best to you from a new subscriber.
Good video!
Few areas of improvement, place the camshaft in a lint free cloth or facial tissue, don’t place it in the cover like that, the cam circle might get scratched.
While tightening the cam bridge (cam retainer) tighten the inner bolts and then the outer bolts in gradual manner. This reduces flexing of the cam bridge.
Also take readings multiple times this eliminates the possibility of error. I tend to turn the engine for every trial i usually take 3 readings.
New thing i learnt, RE has tools for everything which is a good thing since it reduces the chances of making mistakes.
I am curious how many kms has your bike done?
Thanks for those reminders 🙏🏽 I should be a little more careful with the cams when they’re out! And not be lazy and measure clearances multiple times :) I do torque the cam cap fasteners from the inside out. Should have mentioned that in the video.
I’ve done a little more than 20k kms on this bike, so this was part of my 20k service.
@@eazyontwowheels So this was the second valve check on your bike. Were the clearances at the 10k service as far out of spec as they were this time? It surprises me that the intake clearances were so far out of spec on the 20k service. Your next valve check isn't due until 40k - so will you go that long without checking? It makes me wonder why so far out of spec. Are the valves wearing into their seats more than they should??
Was the 10k valve service done by you? If so, were the clearances within spec? It's surprising and concerning that the intake clearances were so far off spec beween the first and second adjustments.
I was in the midst of a 3 month, 15,000 kms ride through some very remote parts of India and Nepal when i had to do my 10k service. So I just had the shop do an oil change and an air filter change and skipped the valve clearance check. Just recently got home from the ride, and did a full 20k service.
@@eazyontwowheels So at the time of this video the bike had 20k on it or 15k? Thanks for your replies - they give extra insight on what to expect.
Is it normal for the valve clearence to get lesser with time?As I have seen in other videos with more the engine runs,the valve clearence shoud increase and be out of spec,can you please explain why it occurs?Also can you explain does the tappet sit under the shim or the valve bucket contains the tappet itself.Sorry,I am very new to these things and am trying to learn
It’s possible for valve clearances to increase or decrease over time. In my experience, they typically decrease because of valve and seat wear (the place where the valve contacts the cylinder) from repeated opening and closing. Also the valve stems could increase slightly in length because of thermal expansion. Valve clearance increasing is also possible if the cap lobes themselves wear slightly over time, but this I think is less likely.
For bucket and shim type valve adjustments, the tappet is integrated into the bucket. You can think of the bucket as the tappet itself. The bucket and the shim underneath it sit on top of the valve stem and spring. In screw type valve adjustments, like in the 350 engine, the tappet is a part of the rocker arm assembly sitting on top of the valve stem and spring. Hope that makes sense
@eazyontwowheels thankyou very much sir,have been trying to get exactly this kind of information over the net and youtube but was not able to understand properly,also found most explanations for hydraulic tappets,thanks alot for the help
Hey where can get cam and crank locking tool?
In India, the best option to search for a Royal Enfield parts distributor near you on google maps. Dealerships may refuse to sell it to you. Outside of India, you can ask your dealer or you can buy them online on some sites.
Would it be possible to bypass buying the cam locking tool and just use the crank locking tool??
The crank locking tool locks the crank when the piston is at top dead center. The cam locking tool is to ensure proper cam timing when the piston is at TDC. Without the cam locking tool, you won’t be able to accurately synchronize the camshafts and the crankshaft. Proper timing is achieved when the crank locking tool is able to lock the crank and the cam locking tool is able to lock the cams at the same time.
ruclips.net/video/vg0x4_mQd9M/видео.htmlsi=IIwfTCOBf5XbPSTy
This video does a good job showing the piston moving up and down (caused by turning the crank), and the camshafts rotating to open and close the valves at the right timing. Remember, the crank and the cams are connected and synchronized by the timing chain and the sprockets
I notice that you didn't pull the spark plug out to make finding TDC easier. Unnecessary in this case? Also, it seems like it would be an ideal time to check or replace the spark plug with the tank and air box removed.
Good observation! I forgot to take out the spark plug but my intake valve clearances were way too tight so the valves were not fully closing, making the engine easier to turn. I only realized after I adjusted my valve clearances to be within spec and then it became harder to turn. I forgot to mention that in the video :( but no need to replace the spark plug at 20k kms. Still has plenty of life left in it!
I thought about this a little bit more and went back to check the manual. There is a mechanical decompresser on the exhaust camshaft that keeps the exhaust valve slightly open at low rpms to reduce compression, but as rpms build it the valves start behaving normally. The purpose of the decompressor is to make it easier for the starter motor to turn the engine over during the starting process. This is what was likely making it easy to turn the engine manually (low rpm)
So if your spark plug fails when you are out in the wilds, you have to remove your fuel tank and air box to change the spark plug, that was well designed wasn't it.
It’s pretty much the same for every adv motorcycle in the market (except for the boxer engine of the gs1200). Adv bikes as they are built today are more street bikes than trail bikes. And to be honest, things hardly fail on these bikes because everything is so well covered and protected (which also adds to the weight). I think dirt and enduro bikes are more suited for dedicated trail riding
hi sir how we can able to recognize when we have to adjust the value clearance ?
It’s good practice to measure valve clearances about every 20,000 kms. Only after measuring, you’ll know if they are in spec or not. If they are not in spec, then you need to adjust them
@eazyontwowheels thanks sir and I'm facing stalling in the lower speed below 20 kmph whats the issue? I have already visited SC they clear the idling issue but still I have the same issue any solution?
@ hard to say brother. Could be one of many issues … dirty fuel hoses or fuel injector, dirty air filter, dirty spark plugs, bad cam timing, etc. can’t tell without looking at the bike :(
Why is it that you never have to check the clearance's on a car engine. Does anybody know ??
You actually do, but the interval is much longer
hello, please tell me do you have a service manual, you can share it?
Here you go: www.royalenfieldowners.com/index.php?threads/himalayan-450-service-manual.7810/
😊
@@eazyontwowheels Thank you sir!
In June 2025 my Himalayan 450 will be 1 year old and have less than 5000 km. Should I check the valve clearance?
Nah don’t think it’s needed so soon.
these type of valves are such a pain to do, interceptor has screws which is super easy, and old uce engine had hydraulic one that didn't need any adjustments. my dominar has the same valves and its a mess to adjust, showroom doesn't do it and outside shops charge way too much
That’s the trade off of liquid cooling and overhead cams … better performance and higher revving engines but more complex and little more difficult to work on than air cooled engines with pushrods and cams near the crank 🤷🏽♂️
@@eazyontwowheelsI can adjust the valves on my KTM 450 RFS engine in 13 minutes from start to finish with no special tools not even feeler guages.. There are OHC/water cooled designs which are good and then there are the other ones!
@@jimtitt3571 don’t think you can compare enduro bikes to adv or street bikes. Enduro engines are intentionally made easier to access (less body panels and air boxes etc to remove) and faster to take apart and work on because they require much more frequent valve clearance checks and maintenance. I also assume they have screw type adjusters as opposed to bucket and shims (I don’t own a KTM 450 so I could be wrong here).
For comparison take a look at valve clearance procedure for a KTM 790 or 890 adventure. It’s much more involved than the enduro 450. And it does require some special tools
@@eazyontwowheelsThe point being you can build powerful, light and reliable OHC engines which don't take hours to adjust the valves. And bikes which are easy to maintain.
The Himalayan has lost it's virtues of being a travel bike maintainable by anyone anywhere and is now an expensive to own machine (my local dealer is quoting around €800 for a valve adjustment) that can only go from dealer to dealer.
It revs a lot so under bucket shims are the best option mechanically no ifs or buts!!! Merry Christmas all 🖖
Sadly can’t find the tools anywhere.
Check with your dealer. Otherwise, it’s available on this site: www.bike-parts-royalenfield.com/royalenfield-motorcycle/assignment_spare_parts/ST32062_A. But not sure if they ship internationally.
I’m worried now if RE service boys have any idea about valve adjustments in RE450 motors 😢
Yeah it’s a very different engine than the other air cooled RE engines. I would think the RE service centers would be trained (I hope they are trained) to do this. hopefully they don’t just do an oil and air filter change for the 20k service intervals
Fantastic but you put me right off buying one of these. Apart from the massive pain in the r's it looks like the valves have sunk into the head.
Honestly if you’re looking to buy an adv motorcycle (not enduro or dirt bike), this is probably the easiest bike to work on. I’ve worked on triumphs and ktms .. this is relatively much easier.
My bike has done just 2500KM!
ruclips.net/video/GPa76TtoJwk/видео.html
does this sound normal?
a little ticking noise is normal. I wouldn't worry too much and just enjoy the ride :)
@@eazyontwowheels Thanks but my bike sounds crazy ! compared to the others! Can you post a video on how it sounds on your bike?