I seem to be getting valve noise from the top of the engine ?

What is the probably problem ?

Cost ?

Can you do it yourself or better left to the dealer ?

Bike has 19,000 miles, service history unknown.

 

need more info: Try and check the valve clearance, loose valves make a lot of noise. Good news is its always better to hear them than smell them. Shouldn't have any damage with only 19000 miles you should be able to ajust the valves yourself if you are new at this I would suggest having someone who has ajusted valves help you. dealer should not charge to much just remove all the plastics and anything else to help save labor- time.

 

I think F3 has shim under bucket adjustment. Make sure you get the price in writing before they touch it. Dealers tend to charge out the wazzoo for adjusting valves. It is a pain in the **** to do but the local dealer wanted $180 to check clearances and if out of tolerance they wanted another $120 to install shims.

 

i have the same problem
the click noise goes off once in a while and its all ok. would that be the same thing?
17K miles

 

Here's the deal: as part of regular maintenance the valves should be checked for tolerance. Pretty much anybody that can follow directions can do this. If it is out of spec then you might consider having a shop do it if you have any doubt about your own ability. A brand new bike engine is gonna make some "clicking" noise.

 

I have 15000 mile and just checked the valves and they were all good. I have a little noise that sounded like it was coming from a valve but it must be the CCT like I figured. At 19000 miles there shouldn't be a problem. Checking the valves are pretty easy to do. Taking the cams out and shimming can take a little more skill. Good luck

 

2 questions:
What viscosity oil are you running?
Does the noise go away when the bike reaches normal operating temperature?

 

dont mean to hijack the thread but mine does go away when it reaches normal running temperature, it comes back once in a while for a short while.

 

What temperature are you operating the bike in? What kind of oil are you using? I use 20/50 in my f3, get valvetrain noise until it warms up. Then it's fine.

 

Its probably just your CCT. If you think its a valve problem check your clearances. I use 10w-40.