KEL895 Valve Clearance - Inspection & Adjustment (DS900X)

The KEL895 is a DOHC 8-valve parallel twin (the same Loncin LX286MX engine BMW uses in the F900 GS / R / XR). It uses shim-over-bucket valve adjustment with shims available in 0.01 mm increments. The procedure is straightforward to inspect but requires partial top-end disassembly to adjust - budget half a day if a shim swap is needed.

Per the official service schedule, valve clearance is inspected at 19,000 km and 37,000 km (every 18,000 km), making this an infrequent but high-stakes job. Get it wrong and the symptoms range from rough running and lost power to dropped valves.

Specifications

Item	Value
Inlet valve clearance (cold)	0.11 - 0.20 mm
Exhaust valve clearance (cold)	0.26 - 0.35 mm
Engine temperature for measurement	Below 35 °C (cold)
Inlet midpoint (target after adjustment)	0.155 mm
Exhaust midpoint (target after adjustment)	0.305 mm
Shim thickness range available	1.72 - 2.60 mm
Shim thickness increments	0.01 mm (89 different shims)
Cylinder count	2 (parallel twin, 270° crank)
Total valves to check	8 (4 per cylinder: 2 inlet + 2 exhaust)

The engine must be cold - under 35 °C. If you ride to the workshop, leave the bike overnight before measuring. Hot-engine measurements give false-tight readings because aluminium expands more than the steel valve train.

Tools needed

• T60 spline socket for the crankshaft turning
• Feeler gauge set (0.05 - 0.50 mm range)
• Crankshaft positioning pin for TDC locking (Voge dealer tool - fits the lowest bolt hole on the water-pump cover)
• Magnetic pickup tool / tweezers for extracting shims
• Micrometer for verifying shim thickness
• Torque wrench in 5-25 N·m range
• New cylinder head cover gasket (always replace) and view hole cap o-ring
• New copper / aluminium washers for the water-pump cover bolt
• Engine oil (for re-assembly lubrication)

Procedure - Inspection only

1. Prep

Park the bike on the centre stand. Confirm engine temperature is below 35 °C. Remove:

• Fuel tank (refer to chassis service manual)
• Cylinder head cover and gasket
• View hole cap and o-ring (on the alternator / left crankcase cover)

2. Set timing - Left cylinder TDC

Using a T60 spline socket on the crankshaft, turn the crankshaft clockwise until the basic circle (heel) of both intake and exhaust camshafts on the left cylinder is aligned with the swinging arm of the valves. This places left cylinder valves on their fully-closed position.

You can verify left-cylinder TDC by looking at the timing-chain side: when correct, the left cylinder cam lobes both point away from the valves.

3. Measure left cylinder

With the feeler gauge, measure the clearance between the camshaft basic circle and the tappet (or between the cam journal and the tappet, depending on the access angle) for all four valves on the left cylinder - 2 intake + 2 exhaust.

Important: when measuring exhaust valves, lift the pressure-relief (auto-decompression) lever so the exhaust cam isn’t applying its decompression bump.

Record each value. Acceptable ranges:

• Inlet: 0.11 - 0.20 mm
• Exhaust: 0.26 - 0.35 mm

4. Set timing - Right cylinder TDC

Continue turning the crankshaft clockwise until the basic circles of both intake and exhaust camshafts for the right cylinder are aligned with the valve swinging arms.

5. Measure right cylinder

Repeat the measurement procedure for all four right-cylinder valves. Same specs, same lift-the-decompressor caveat for exhaust valves.

6. Decide

If all 8 valves are within spec, you’re done - re-assemble per the assembly section below.

If any are out of spec, proceed to adjustment.

Procedure - Adjustment (if needed)

1. Lock crankshaft at the timing reference

This is the critical setup step. Turn the crankshaft clockwise until the timing-gear hole on the crankshaft aligns with the lowest hole of the water-pump cover bolt. Simultaneously, the scale marks on the end surface of the driven sprockets of both intake and exhaust camshafts must be parallel to the cylinder head cover installation surface, with the laser-marked numbers upside down.

When all three conditions are met, insert the positioning pin into the lowest hole of the water-pump cover. This locks the crankshaft at the “Condition for Installation” reference position - the only safe position to remove camshafts.

If you cannot get all three alignments to coincide, stop and re-verify - removing camshafts at the wrong timing risks bending valves on re-installation.

2. Release tensioner

Remove the covering plate of the cam-chain tensioner, then remove the hydraulic tensioner itself. This relieves chain tension so the cam can be lifted out.

3. Remove upper chain guide

Unbolt and remove the upper chain guiding plate between the camshaft sprockets.

4. Remove camshaft bracket and camshafts

Loosen and remove the camshaft bracket bolts in a cross pattern. Lift out the camshaft bracket, then carefully lift each camshaft out of its journal seat. Note that this also frees the rocker assemblies.

5. Extract shims

Open the relevant valve swinging arm to access the shim. Use a magnetic pickup tool to lift the adjustment shim out of its seat in the bucket / tappet.

Shop discipline matters here:

• Don’t drop shims into the crankcase or spark plug hole - Voge’s procedure explicitly warns about this. Cover the spark plug holes with rags before opening swinging arms.
• Mark each removed shim with its valve location (e.g., “L-IN-1”, “L-IN-2”, “L-EX-1”, “L-EX-2”, and same for R). You need to know which shim came from which valve to do the calculation.
• Measure each removed shim with a micrometer to get its actual thickness. Don’t trust the printed value - wear and carbon buildup can change effective thickness.

6. Calculate new shim thickness

Use the formula:

A = (B − C) + D

where:

• A = thickness of new shim (what you need to install)
• B = measured valve clearance (the value you wrote down in step 3 / 5 of inspection)
• C = midpoint of clearance spec (0.155 mm for inlet, 0.305 mm for exhaust)
• D = measured thickness of the removed shim (from your micrometer reading)

Worked examples:

Inlet valve, measured clearance 0.30 mm (too large), removed shim 1.80 mm: A = (0.30 − 0.155) + 1.80 = 1.945 mm → install nearest available shim, 1.94 or 1.95 mm.

Exhaust valve, measured clearance 0.20 mm (too small), removed shim 2.10 mm: A = (0.20 − 0.305) + 2.10 = 1.995 mm → install nearest available, 2.00 mm.

The shim selection range is 1.72-2.60 mm in 0.01 mm increments (89 distinct thicknesses), so you should always be able to find a match within ±0.005 mm of the calculated value.

7. Special case - calculated thickness exceeds 2.60 mm

If the formula yields a value above 2.60 mm, carbon buildup on the valve seat is the likely cause. In that case, the procedure calls for trimming (refacing) the valve seat - which is a machine-shop job, not field-serviceable. If you hit this situation, consult your Voge dealer.

8. Install new shim

Drop the new shim into its seat, ensuring it’s flat and not cocked. Verify thickness one more time before proceeding.

9. Re-assemble camshafts

Coat the camshaft journals with clean engine oil (5W-40, API SL+, JASO MA2 - same spec as engine oil) before installation. Set the camshafts back in their seats with timing alignment preserved (sprocket marks still parallel to head cover surface, laser numbers still upside down).

Install the camshaft bracket. Tighten the bracket bolts in two stages per the workshop spec:

• First pass: 5 N·m (in cross pattern)
• Final pass: 15 N·m (in cross pattern)

12 bolts total (6 per camshaft bracket).

10. Restore chain tension

Re-fit the upper chain guiding plate. Torque: 10 N·m.

Re-fit the hydraulic chain tensioner and its covering plate. Torque: 15 N·m.

11. Verify

Remove the crankshaft positioning pin. Slowly turn the crankshaft clockwise by hand for two full rotations. Listen and feel for any binding. If the engine binds at any point, stop immediately and re-check timing - a bent valve from incorrect re-installation will fight you here.

Re-set timing to left-cylinder TDC and measure all valve clearances again. If still out of spec, the calculation was off - re-check shim thicknesses and recalculate.

12. Final assembly

• Re-fit the cylinder head cover with new gasket. Bolt torque: 10 N·m × 4. Lightly oil the contact surface of the gasket plate.
• Re-fit the view hole cap with new o-ring, coating with MP3 grease. Torque: 10 N·m.
• Re-fit the water-pump cover bolt with new washer. Refer to chassis service manual for that torque.
• Re-fit the fuel tank.

Run the engine briefly and check for oil leaks at the cylinder head cover gasket and view hole cap.

Common pitfalls

• Measuring on a hot engine - gives false-tight clearances. The 35 °C cap is real; ignore it and you’ll over-shim and end up with too-tight valves on the next cold start.
• Skipping the decompression-lever lift on exhaust valves - gives false-tight readings on exhaust because the auto-decomp is holding the exhaust valve slightly open.
• Mixing up shim positions - always mark shims by valve location. Two shims that look identical may be 0.05 mm different and rotating them between positions just shifts the problem around.
• Re-using the cylinder-head-cover gasket - Voge specifies replacement. The gasket compresses on first use; reusing means oil leaks at the next ride.
• Wrong oil grade for journal coating - must be 5W-40 with JASO MA2 spec, not energy-saving / API “Resource Conserving” oil. Wrong oil causes clutch slip, even on a wet clutch.

Cross-reference

The KEL895 / LX286MX engine is mechanically near-identical to the engine in BMW’s F900 GS / R / XR. The valve clearance specifications, shim sizes, and torque values are believed to be identical or near-identical, since Loncin manufactures both engines on the same line. If you have access to the BMW F900 service manual, the shim chart and procedure cross-reference well.

Sources

• Voge DS900X Engine Service Manual (English) - pages 16-20 cover the valve clearance procedure and pages 10 cover the torque tables. This guide is condensed and reorganised from those pages.
• Voge DS900X Owner’s Manual (English) - service intervals (page 84+) confirm the 19,000 / 37,000 km check schedule.
• DS900X torque specifications - full torque table for cross-reference, including the multi-stage values for camshaft brackets and head bolts.

If you’ve performed this procedure on your own DS900X - particularly any field notes about how the BMW F900 service kit shims fit, how long it took, or any tooling tips for the crankshaft positioning pin - send us your notes and we’ll fold them into the guide.

Disclaimer: Valve clearance is engine-critical work. The values and procedure here are sourced from the official Voge engine service manual, but motorcycle work involves judgment that documentation alone cannot fully convey. If you are not confident in your ability to track timing alignment, manage shim selection, and torque-sequence camshaft brackets correctly, this is a job worth handing to a Voge dealer or experienced motorcycle technician.