Originally posted by cnl83
I dont think it should be in the regular maintenance category. If they are not rattling, then you are still good. If they were out of tune, then you would hear them.
Not necessarily. Out of adjustment valves aren't always noisy. As a valve recedes into its valve seat the clearance between the stem and the rocker can disappear. That can actually make them quieter than a correctly adjusted valve.
You cannot rely on the sound of a valvetrain to determine if it is within specs or not. Noise (both the presence AND absence) can be a clue--but only an actual measurement of the clearances can provide absolute answers.
Personally, I would run away from the seller of a quad that believed valve clearance checks are not part of regular maintenance.
There is little reason to not follow the recommended maintenance schedule for a stock engine, which is: inspect and adjust as necessary after the first 20 hrs (or 100 miles) and then every 100hrs (or 600 miles) thereafter.
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. "
--Mark Twain