Hey moto-fam. Looking for advice from the guys with experience.

02' F4i with 24k miles. Noticed she was ticking, decided to check the valves.
Here's my clearances,

Intake:
Cyl 1: .127 mm, .127 mm
Cyl 2: .127 mm, .127 mm
Cyl 3: .102mm, .102 mm
Cyl 4: .127mm, .102 mm

Exhaust:
Cyl 1: .152 mm, .152 mm
Cyl 2: .127 mm, .127 mm
Cyl 3: .127 mm, .127 mm
Cyl 4: .127 mm, .127 mm

Specs are supposed to be
Intake: .20mm +/- .03mm
Exhaust: .28mm +/- .03mm

A mechanic told me those clearances will increase over time, and I should just leave them be. I was under the impression they "tighten", reducing clearance.
Assuming my measurements are correct, should I put in shims to bring them in spec, or put em back as is?

Appreciate it guys. Bike has been in my garage for months, itching to put it back together and ride.

 

They are all too tight. I would bring them into spec.

 

That is my understanding as well. They are waaay tight already so, yeah, you want to get them back into spec. Interested to hear if you notice a difference after doing so!

 

Yes they get tighter not looser even though it doesn't seem to make sense. If those measurements are correct [which is weird for such low miles honestly] then yes adjust.

 

They get tighter as the face of the valve and the valve seat pound into each other, causing the valve to "sink" into the head resulting in less clearance at the other end of the stem.