Well its been 42 THOUSAND miles

[Chrisj CMA]

Since I did a valve job.  Bike running perfectly but I have been noticing a slight bit of oil at the bottom of the valve covers........more on on right than on the left.  Not enough to drip or to even spray off on any part of the bike but it was bugging me.  Sooooo I removed the valve covers cleaned the gaskets and the mating surfaces, cleaned off the old RTV on the "corners" but before re-assembly
I decided to go ahead and check the valves. 

NONE needed adjustment.  they were as I left them the last time I adjusted them 42K miles ago.

The covers went on smoothly and so far all is dry......if it doesnt stay that way I guess Ill have to order new gaskets

[Chrisj CMA]

I FREAKED...after I got the engine all back together I headed out for bike nite.  I get there and take a look at my right valve cover and its COVERED in fresh oil.  

Now, in the past I have not been really careful getting every drop of oil off the bolts and seals and on the first ride after a valve job there may be a couple drops of oil seeping out from behind a bolt or two....wipe it off and forget about it.  This was WAY more than that.................

Wiped it off rode home and of course there was more to wipe off again.  Two bolts were leaking.  Could I have forgotten to finish tightening them?  Check, nope, they tight.

So I remove the two offending bolts, clean them again, check for damage.....everything looks great........so I switch them just for fun, and because I didnt make sure they went back in the same holes they came out of like I usually do......they got mixed up during the cleaning process.  I didnt think it should matter.  Another reason I switched them....I could hear a small voice whispering this phrase:

"The deffinition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"  But I know its not going to work, how stupid is that  SWITCHING  the bolts.  No time to check it out, early AM is a patriot guard mission and I have to blast 50 miles on the superslab to get there........if those babies leak like they did the night before, my leg will be wet in 2 miles.

Happy to report....all is well back in HONDA Valkyrie land....no oil leaks.....clean dry and shiney....got a 130 miles or so and beautiful riding.  So remember as these bikes get older I suppose things like seals on head cover bolts like where they are and dont like moving around