Valve shims and ranting about dealers

[twocool]

So...I finally take the bike apart to get down to the valve shim check.....they are all four, a bit tight....what to do?    They sell the K&L "starter kit" on the internet for say about $125...and you get 18 shims....so that's about $7 per shim....(great).....but only two of each size!    So it's going to work out that you  use two shims from the kit......with 16 going unused....and you still have to buy two more loose shims!!!  So a big waste of time  (waiting for kit to show up while bike is apart) and a big waste of money (as you are probably never going to use the really big shims or the really small shims)


So I get the bright idea to call my dealer...........nice sounding girl in the "parts dept."   Doesn't really know what a shim is.....but looks up the part number and says she "thinks" they have some in a little plastic box.   I say are they "29.5mm"  she says, I dunno...looks like 1-1/8" because I don't have a metric ruler.   Oh yeah, it looks like 265 and 260 are missing from the box!   

Guess what sizes I need?

So there's a bigger dealer a bit further away....I drive down there and ask for shims.....

The guy brings out a really big yellow plastic box.....with like 200 shims in it....but all mixed up!  And all USED SHIMS, not new.....So they guy sits there measuring with a micrometer, one by one until he comes up with about 6 in the 260+ range.......I figure there's nothing wrong with used shims so what the heck..and I want to get the bike back together tonight, because I need it for work the next day..

I say BTW...these are all used, right?  He give me a dirty look, and says ..."well yeah"  like I'm suposed to expect to buy used stuff from a dealer...I say how much"  He says ...Well Suzuki gets $15 each for shims...so since these are used, it'll be 2/3 price or $10 each....(WTF?)

I say WTF?  (I was planning on buying many shims in order to have some on hand for next time)  I say I can get them on the internet for like $6......another dirtly look...he says..that's less the wholesale from Suzuki....I say right, because they are K&L.....

So, any way, I figure I better just shut up and buy 4 used shims for $40 plus tax and get the heck out of dodge, and put the bike together and be done with it...which I did....

To the credit of this dealer...he did have the parts I needed in stock (although used)..and the parts guy actually did have a digital claiper to measure.....

But then I got to thinking as to what I should have done..(and will do).....simply measure the shims you have in the bike  (mine were 272 for all four) and just buy the new refill kits from K&L for $34 for 5 shims....I will get (5) at 265, and (5) at 260......these will most likely be the shims I will need in the future....

Oh..and while waiting for the guy to measure all those shims...I checksed out the "motorcycle oil" at the dealership....10W-40 motorcycle oil.....$12 plus tax for $12.85 a quart!!   I wonder what an oil change would cost at that dealership??  Even worse...what would a valve check and adjust cost?  Funny though, when the "recession" hit..about half the motorcycle dealerships around here went out of business...Hmmmm

Cookie

[adidasguy]

You should live in Seattle.
Dealer here will swap shims for $1 each. That's right - swap the shims for a buck.
If you don't know what you need, they'd probably let you take a couple at regular price then credit you back when  you return what you don't need.

[twocool]

You should live in Seattle.
Dealer here will swap shims for $1 each. That's right - swap the shims for a buck.
If you don't know what you need, they'd probably let you take a couple at regular price then credit you back when  you return what you don't need.

Nice.....they guy did say that I could "exchange" the shims I bought for other used ones, but would not take my old shims in as trade...But it seemed that almost all of those 200 or so shims in his box, were the same size!  And not a size I needed.....

Cookie

[4strings]

Sorry you had a bad experience.  I called around to all the bike dealerships in my area and asked if they would swap shims with me.  Finally I found one shop and they guy said, "Sure, no problem." 

He had the right diameter shims so I went with my old ones and swapped.  I actually brought my own digital micrometer from home and double checked after he measured them.  It was a one man business with a small shop by his garage.  I'm super glad I went because the guy was really nice and I'll probably be going back there if I need other things from a shop.

He also asked me what bike I was working on.  When I told him the GS, he said, "Oh yeah, I used to race on one back in the day.  They're good bikes!"

Next time I check my valves, I'm NOT going to leave the timing chain hole uncovered and drop a shim all the way down to the bottom.  I tried to get it out with my magnet but it was too big.  Reached down there with one of those flexible three-fingered claw tools and nabbed it the first time.  Holy crap was I relieved!

Anyways, Why do you want to have more than four shims?  Next time you can measure, figure out what you need, and swap 'em for cheap/free.

[twocool]

Sorry you had a bad experience.  I called around to all the bike dealerships in my area and asked if they would swap shims with me.  Finally I found one shop and they guy said, "Sure, no problem." 

He had the right diameter shims so I went with my old ones and swapped.  I actually brought my own digital micrometer from home and double checked after he measured them.  It was a one man business with a small shop by his garage.  I'm super glad I went because the guy was really nice and I'll probably be going back there if I need other things from a shop.

He also asked me what bike I was working on.  When I told him the GS, he said, "Oh yeah, I used to race on one back in the day.  They're good bikes!"

Next time I check my valves, I'm NOT going to leave the timing chain hole uncovered and drop a shim all the way down to the bottom.  I tried to get it out with my magnet but it was too big.  Reached down there with one of those flexible three-fingered claw tools and nabbed it the first time.  Holy crap was I relieved!

Anyways, Why do you want to have more than four shims?  Next time you can measure, figure out what you need, and swap 'em for cheap/free.

Why more than 4?..well one lone shim is $15 from Suzuki....K&L gives 5 for $34.....

All of my shims in the bike were 272...all were a tad tight...so 4 slightly smaller would work.....

The other problem I have is I want to do the valve check all at once...not take the bike apart one day...then spend the next day or two looking for a dealer with shims...then putting together on the 4th day.....I only found one dealer so far that even has shims....in 29.5....and that's a 1/2 day trip back and forth....and they are only open when I'm supposed to be at my job..and they're closed Sunday and Monday..when I might want to work on my bike so there's another two days lost...

I want the most likely sizes on hand so I can do the whole service in one evening and go riding in the morning....

I would consider trading my extras, or selling for reasonable (cheap) price..

Cookie

[4strings]

Ah, that sucks.  I wish for you, that shop was closer.

[The Buddha]

BTW K&L shims are OK, stock is better, many many ways ... main thing is, the stock ones are a shade softer and help the cams last longer ... possibly not a whole lot unless you dont change oil etc ... but aftermarket shims are best in a total pinch, stay with suzi.
Of course that was back in the 90's when suzi made em in japan, now they make em in china, while K&L prolly selling american made stuff they didn't sell 20 years ago ... so 
Cool.
Buddha.