Kinky adventures with Madame Valve Lash - Milding your cam

[Soliton]

Normally my valve train sounds like the rustling wings of a thousand titanium butterflies. It rustles rather than rattles. (Thank you to the authors for Oilhead Valve adjustment for Dummies - OVAD.)

I decided to have a crack at loosening the valve lash to mild the cams, a procedure touted to improve idle and throttle response by "milding" the cam. I will admit I didn't mind the change to the way the bike responded, however...

If you ride an R1150r, and it is anything like mine be prepared for it to sound like Ringo Starr going berserk on the engine casing with a set of stainless steel drumsticks. It wasn't just rattly; it clattered like a Parkinson's sufferer holding a tin full of bolts.

Yowsers!

The noise was so loud and offensive that it was embarrassing to pull up next to other riders at the lights.

If you are thinking of doing it...I'm not sure the benefits outweigh the costs. It was marked as being done on an R1100s and perhaps the more aggressive cam profile on that machine provides a bigger payoff. Despite it being 40 degrees celsius (104F) I spent the last hour putting it all back to normal.

Ahhhh sweet silence.

Sol