1982 Maxim DOHC valve clearance question

Just bought this bike a few weeks ago, and I'm doing the usual things. Today checking valve clearance.

As near as I can tell, no one has ever touched the valves. All bolts -- on the engine hangers, wire hanger and the valve cover -- showed no signs of ever being touched by a wrench or screw driver. Odometer is ~ 15,800.

The intake valves are just right at .004" (spec is .004-.006).

But both exhaust valves are .003" (spec is .006-.008). I tried a .004 feeler while slowly rotating the engine, but at no point will the gauge slip in. 003 is awfully tight, but it seems to have come from the factory this way.

Anyone else ever run into this?

I doubt they came from the factory that tight.

I had the engine out of my Subaru, in September, to do head gaskets, and sure enough, my exhaust valves were too tight and I know for a fact no one has touched em in the past.

Exhaust valves tend to tighten up over time because they wear faster. They open to let out the combustion.

Just set em to proper spec.

Valves eventually recede into the head, causing the gap at the other end to get smaller. If you let the exhaust get too tight, it eventually will not close 100% and thats whats known as burning a valve.

Without really thinking about it, I had just assumed the gap would widen over time -- cam wear or valve wear or both. Now my tight clearance makes sense. Thanks for the help.