I find it best to run one of these to access its condition, as long as there's nothing obviously wrong with it. Does it run well? Does it smoke or use excessive amounts of oil? Use this coming summer as the bike's "shakedown" season. It's pretty much a "given" that the topend will need looking into eventually, but you may be able to get a few seasons out of her first.
I'm helping a new local guy with his topend this winter. He's had the bike a few years and I told him the topends usually need a going through. He had a ticking we couldn't get rid of with valve and cam chain adjustments. I told him the cam chain and front guide were probably at fault. That diagnosis proved correct for when we popped the top, the front guide rubber strip was found sitting down on the crank, fallen right off the guide. Other than that, everything looked good. Hardly any cylinder, ring, or valve guide wear. A new cam chain, front guide, and rings should fix this right up for him. This bike is pretty cosmetically challenged, but the motor is in great shape.
I'm helping a new local guy with his topend this winter. He's had the bike a few years and I told him the topends usually need a going through. He had a ticking we couldn't get rid of with valve and cam chain adjustments. I told him the cam chain and front guide were probably at fault. That diagnosis proved correct for when we popped the top, the front guide rubber strip was found sitting down on the crank, fallen right off the guide. Other than that, everything looked good. Hardly any cylinder, ring, or valve guide wear. A new cam chain, front guide, and rings should fix this right up for him. This bike is pretty cosmetically challenged, but the motor is in great shape.
