According to the odometer 30 000 km so 18.6k miles. Does not seem too much.
Is this "valve looseness" easy to fix (is it the process called "valve adjustment")? Or at least to check that it is the issue?

 

Out of curiosity..does this bike sound OK to you guys?
I can hear the same "ticking" sound i hear on mine but a lot louder :

 

At that mileage it is due at the very least a valve check.
It is relatively easy if a little tricky due to limited space to do the checks. If any adjustments are need that is more tricky but still within the scope of a competent home mechanic.
The valves on this machine are of the 'bucket and shim type' not the more common lock nut and adjuster type. It involves removing the cams to get at the appropriate valve and replacing the shim.
There is a guide on the stickie
https://cbrforum.com/forum/stickies-...-101969/page2/

 

Yes, that sound clip "sounds" normal. I will say that if I've done a major job on the bike, I always think it sounds raspy and clattery the first couple of times I start it back up and worry I messed something up. Wife and kids are always like "No, it's always sounded like that!" lol...

Valve clearances should be checked around 16,000 miles. I checked mine at 20 and all but two or three were tight, so the chances of the clearances being too loose and causing the ticking are... very slim (see what I did there?)

When I decided to tackle the job I watched this - - and then moved on to this - . Watched both about 18 times before actually doing it and cross referenced with as many pictorial write-ups as I could find. I was nervous as hell and there were a few times I thought I'd bitten off way more than I could chew BUT, ultimately, I'm glad I did it! It was a good learning experience and I know I did the job right (with some critical help from the wife), as opposed to trusting some random shop dude. Plus, with the mileage I rack up, I'll be due for another one within the next year or so...

 

To be fair i think i have a similar issue. I did have to tear it open before as my first problem with the bike was that it was idling at 1500RPM after being started (the warming up took a lot longer as well, like 5+ minutes during which time it was also idling at 3k) but after driving for about 20 minutes then it would start idling at 3000 RPM all the time and not come down from there unless i let it fully cool. I thought it was the "idle screw" but that did not change it..so after a few weeks of reading / testing i decided to take a look at the wax unit, and sure enough one of the coolant hoses housing on the unit was clogged. After cleaning that it was great again..until now. So maybe it is some "phantom noise" i am just imagining to myself.

Okay, thanks - i will try and at least take a look at it and see if i can manage it.

 

Sound is most likely the Cam chain tensioner lifter [cctl] at that mileage.

 

It's coming from the left side tho..the right side seems quiet.
Anyways, the plan of action for now is:
1)Change the exhaust gaskets (already ordered)
2)Change the valve cover rubber gasket (the black stuff under the exhaust seems to have been oil..i cleaned it up real good and after a long drive i saw a drip of oil) - maybe also take a look at the valves then a bit..
3)Change the spark plugs

Hopefully anyone of these will help.

I already found myself struggling with another issue, namely it seems that my front brake loses pressure over time.
If i have not used the front brake for like an hour it will almost "bottom out" when i pull the lever and will not "spring" back after i release it, even if i push it back up it remains "limp" (as in it will not stay up but drop straight back down). I need to pump the brake then for a while and the pressure is re-built after that. If i then press the brakes the lever will go back up but it will stop like a few cm before being in the fully "closed" position and then after a few seconds it smoothly goes into the fully closed position.
Not sure if this is a symptom of having air in the system or something else but i ordered a vacuum pump to try and properly bleed the brakes..maybe i should even check the master cylinder out as i just a few months ago changed all the fluids..

 

Always seems like when it rains, it POURS! Hopefully, it's just air or, at worst, a MC rebuild...

 

I would certainly do a rebuild on the master cylinder. Not having a front brake would really suck if you needed it in a hurry. The back brakes just don't cut it.

 

Doesn't sound like air in system, sounds like a failing master. Considering the fronts do all the work braking, fix that before anything else!