Last time I adjusted the valves (last season) I think I managed to cross-thread the front-most bolt holding the valve cover on. Any ideas for fixing this? It still screws in, it just takes a bit to do it. I'm hoping I can get away with running a tap through it to clean the threads up, and avoid having to drill it. I'm also hoping I don't have to remove the head to fix it.

The bike is still in "winter storage", so I'm just going by what I remember from last time I had it apart. The weather here is getting nicer, though, and I'm trying to come up with a plan of attack and compile parts to ready the bike for the season when the weather is nice enough to work outside.

Thanks,
Paul

You need to run a RETHREADING tap through the hole and prolly a RETHREADING die over the bolt threads.  Craftsman sells a reasonably priced kit with metric and inch rethread tools.  Standard taps and dies may cut away material that you need, where as the rethreading tools are made to push the thread metal back into place.  Its never as good as new.

prs

If nothing else you may have to drill it out and put in a helicoil, but I'd try rethreading it first.