V7 850 needs valve adjustment

[MikeP996]

Or, at least it seems so to me.  A few days ago I noticed the right-side cylinder was a bit more "clattery" than the left side.

The bike was serviced by a shop last year (previous owner) but I don't know what they actually did and I've run it pretty hard since I bought it a couple of months ago - regularly running it to the red line to see what the bike can really do as opposed to riding in a "gentlemanly" manner as many internet sites seem to catagorize the bike (incorrectly, IMO).  I like to let my internal hooligan out occasionally and I find the bike can do that quite well!  OR, it can trundle along very comfortably as an "old guy's motorcycle. ;)

Anyway, I'll check/adjust the valves and hope I don't find a broken rocker arm bridge like one of the influencer sites did on their V7 850 some months ago!!!

[guzzisteve]

Pop the covers and have at it.

[MikeP996]

Walked to the garage to do the valve adjustment.  Our garage (actually a parking slot in an apartment building underground garage is about 3/4 mile from our house.  So I have to carry whatever I need to do maintenance back/forth.  SO...I arrived at the garage, set my (HEAVY) tool backpack down and my folding stool and started work.  Pulled the right side valve cover and then discovered that I did not have the correct spark plug socket!!!  So put the valve cover back on, loaded up my stuff and walked home!  :(  Oh well, at least I found that the right side rocker arm bridge was perfectly OK!  So the valve adjustment is delayed until I get the correct socket!!  :(

The Guzzi is the only bike I own that takes the smaller hex sparkplugs.  It didn't occur to me that it might be different than the others.  Well, you know what they say about "ASSumptions!"  ;)

[MikeP996]

Valves all had excessive clearance with the right side more than the left.  Since, per receipt, a service was done by a shop at 6200 miles (it had 6800 when I bought it from the previous owner), it makes me wonder about the shop!  Oh well, just verifies the old saying - "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

Much quieter now with valves at spec clearance!  :)

[guzzisteve]

Service to many is change oil, nothing done on what you can't see.

[guzziart]

Pulled the right side valve cover and then discovered that I did not have the correct spark plug socket!!!  So put the valve cover back on, loaded up my stuff and walked home!  The Guzzi is the only bike I own that takes the smaller hex sparkplugs.

These days I don't even walk the trash dumpster down to the street on collection day, I hook the can to to an old atv to do the 700' round trip twice.  Also, my Travel is my only ice with small spark plugs too.  And, I plan on doing the valve clearance check on that in the next month or so, it will be my first experience with popping off the valve covers on that bike.  I don't anticipate any surprises.  Good luck with yours!

10/24/25 Update: I did my Travel today, no surprises, left intake valve was tight, the others were to spec.

[Moparnut72]

I adjusted the valves a few days ago on my new '26 V7. I checked the manual to see what was recommended. .04 and .06. MY older V73 was .06 and .08. Guys here always said do 4 & 6, did the factory listen to them?  The right side exhaust was a tickle tight, 500 miles.
kk