2008 FE550 Top End Question......

Hawaii-Rider · May 14, 2014

From the all knowing Berg-meisters.........

2008 FE550
How many hours do you all recommend before I worry about piston etc (short of a leak down/compression test)??

I dont race it, I run her, good fuel, change oil RELIGIOUSLY, etc etc, normal anal retentive preventive maintenance procedures after being in the Army for 2 and 1/2 decades...

Trail riding, low RPMs, im a "use the torque" rider, short shift etc.

Ive looked around, have the manual and the hours seem low in the owners manual...but wanted to check with the experts here !!

Scott

AwesomeFE550 · May 14, 2014

I am also interested in this... I never raced and never will race my bike... Same trail riding as you. Low RPMs etc...

If there is anyone who can suggest I am all ears...

For now I am just taking her easy and trying to treat this bike as a regular bike. - oil changes and all that ....

It be nice to hear some insight

Taffy · May 14, 2014

there's no real hours guide but I can tell you that the thing to look out for id

tuliped inlets
exhaust seats tilted
new VGOS
weak decomp spring
grease having vacated the cam bearings
check the cam runs 100% on the rocker arm by laying the cam in the rocker cover
always shim the cam to the back if you have a gap behind the cam blanking plug (on the end)

regards

Taffy

Idle · May 14, 2014

Frequently putting along in too high of gear i.e. "lugging it" is far worse for your lower end than riding it between 4-7k rpms where it makes good power. Occasionally at trail speeds it's not that big a deal, but you really should click it down a gear to keep it at 2500-3,000 in the slower corners. So what if it revs to 6k between them. It's still got 2-3k of revs left.. It's what it does, and likes to do. A 550 that is..

Also, the oil flow and pressure is pretty slow and low at 1,400 to 2,400 rpms.

Anyway, that's what I've done on a 550, and a 650. Both have well over 300 hours on the engine.

Only work was a timing chain, valve springs, and cam follower bearings (x2)

HeimirBardason · May 19, 2014

I still have the standard piston and rings in my FC 550 2001 model !
It´s ridden hard but also well maintained. Imagine, the owners manual from 2001 says; Change piston rings every 50hours............

A lot of maintenance comes from how your riding style is. Warm it up before you really take off and do´nt rev it endlessly.
For a 2008 model I would not have any worries.

Best,
Heimir Bardason

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2008 FE550 Top End Question......

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