replace them now.From where they are now to breaking up is unpredictable. I just replaced mine at 47k and they were near breaking up status. Its not worth waiting for them to come apart and ruin a good motor.

 

Got it, I misunderstood!

 

So what did they look like when you inspected them at 25-30 k?

 

Well, if you bought it 2K miles ago, I would make sure that I got some use out of it before the upgrade.

 

Those shoes look damn good - you need to ride faster!

 

The front one is easy, the rear (for me) was a bitch.

 

For the inner you need to pull the cam plate/cams.
To do this you need to pull the gas tank, pull the rocker box, rocker arms, pull the push rods, pull the lifter covers, pull the lifters, then you can pull the cam plate.
You can cut the push rods, and go with adjustable this saves about a couple of hours, but adds two hundred bucks to the cost.
Then press out the cams, replace the tensioner then press the cams back in. I have seen a tool to remove the tensioner without removing the cams but have never used it.
You need to replace the inner cam bearings, this takes a special tool, check your oil pump, center the oil pump, this take a special tool.
Then re install the cam plate, install the lifters, at thirty k I would replace them also.
So time wise, to just replace them while you are in there, I would estimate about eight hours for the novice, six if you have done it before, if you use the stock push rods, but then you need to adjust them when you are done so this takes time.
Even with the adjustable push rods, I would expect 6-8 hours.
Cost wise.
Tentioners, last set was ninty buck if my memory serves me, cam gaskets one hundred, this does not include the torkigton inner cam bearings, so and extra twenty for the SE’s
New lifters, one hundred-three.
Buck fifty if you go with the adjustable push rods.
Guess that about does it. what does that add up to.
And this is just to replace the stock tensioners.
While we are doing it lets go with the hybrid kit, that is an extra four hundred for the hydraulic, and better oil pump.
And in all honesty I don’t recommend this kit, because it only replaces the front chain.
Personally I would go with the 07+ cam plate and the b series cams so that you have both new chains.
That is only eight hundred bucks.
Oh wait, better yet let go with the gears, only add a couple of hundred, while we are in there.
But don’t forget to check your run out, cant use this set if your run out is out of specs.
To get those into specs you need to split the cases, have the crank welded, put back together.
So anyone adding this up for me.
So 6-8 hours, minimum two hundred bucks if you do it yourself, grand if you have it done.
Maximum fifteen hundred, if you do it right, two grand if you have it done.
Or like the OP said, he only rides five thousand miles a year and will probably sell the bike before they really need to be changed.
Hummm what would I do.

 

I've done lots of these replacements. Some shoes show chunking, some don't. Some show wear in the form of grooves, some don't.
Those that show chunking or grooves should be replaced. Doing less invites trouble in the form of being left stranded saying to oneself "Why the hell didn't I change those shoes when I had the chance?" Of course you'll always have that colorful experience to tell your buds about.
Real peace of mind comes with gear drive cams. You'll never ever think about cam chain tensioners again. That kind of peace of mind is worth every penny spent.
It should also be option number 5.

 

Yep that about sums it up from someone who has actually done this.
Its a bitch:-)

 

Yes , you can go gear drive and get that blower whine sound instead. Acually when I either need to replace tensioners or change cams I'm going gear drive cams and be done with it .