So based on what I've seen and read, it's obvious you want to get all the valves to have a gap of 0.03mm-0.08mm. The problem I'm running into is, the shims I get are not exactly2.55, 2.50, or 2.45mm. They all seem to be about one or two hundredths off, generally on the over size, which makes sense since the cutting bit is wearing down over time. This ultimately results in the gap I'm adjusting between shims to be 0.06mm often times.
Now that being the case, it seems common place to err on the side of too much gap on the exhaust and let it go as high as 0.10mm. But what about the intake? Is it better to be riding right on the edge of 0.08mm, or go a little under 0.03mm as long as the bucket spins freely so there is clearance?
I started getting a tick after I adjusted the valves last time, so I'm installing a manual cam chain tensioner to see if it's the cam chain ticking, but I figured as long as it's open, if it's better to narrow the gap on the intake, now is the time to do it.
Get it close to 8 or slightly more on the exhaust. The intakes are good at 6, they wear a lot slower than the exhausts. I set my 94 to just under 8 on the exhausts and left the intakes at 5.
regards
Mech
I set exhaust valves at .08-.13mm and leave intakes at the .03-.08mm factory spec since they don't change like exhausts do. I've set exhausts at .005" (.13mm) a couple times with no problems. The factory spec is too tight for exhausts, set them wider and they'll hold as long as intakes.
On my 97 an exhaust valve that ran at minimum factory spec for a long time was down to a min 215 shim at 80k miles. When a minimum spec exhaust valve on my 02 started to recede like the one on the 97 I went to the new wider spec at 30-40k miles and it then went another 40k miles without shim changes.
At 80k miles when the 97 was totaled it had the original factory intake shims in it as does my 02 at over 100k miles. I changed one on the 02 and changed it back the next time. I've gone the whole 180k miles on the factory cct's on both bikes.
http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/GSvalvelogs.jpg