At least when it comes to valve adjustments, I still think in inches too. Just did my '95 and an exh valve on #3 was at .008" (a thou under min.) with a #208 shim which measured .081" thick. Simply used my caliper and found a shim that was ~.079 to give me another 2 thou of clearance and voila! Clearance at 0.010" (right in the middle of the 9 to 11 thou spec).
Brendan,
Honda marks/stamps their shims with a three digit number (see the list below). Note that all the n.n75mm shims' markings are rounded up to nn8 and all the n.n25mm shims are rounded down to nn2
In the example of the 208 shim, it's 2.075mm (.08169") thick. To increase the valve clearance two thousandths to the desired .010", simply select a shim two increments (2 x .0.025mm = 0.050mm) thinner = a shim 2.025mm (.07972") thick (marked '202'). You don't even have to do the math, just look at the shim list.
edit: remember - each shim increment of .025mm equates to a valve clearance change of one thousandth of an inch (.001").
Here's the list of Honda shims (also attached below) which can also be seen in the ST1100 Archive Of Wisdom -
Valve Adjustment Tips ( ST1100 ) :
~~~~~ ST1100_Valve_Shim_PNs.txt ~~~~~
Compiled by John OoSTerhuis, STOC 1058
HONDA ST1100 VALVE SHIM LIST
......Honda...... ..Noun-Nomenclature..
..Part Number.. ...(thickness in mm)... Stamped
-------------- --------------------- -----
14901-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.200) 120
14902-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.225) 122
14903-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.250) 125
14904-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.275) 128
14905-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.300) 130
14906-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.325) 132
14907-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.350) 135
14908-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.375) 138
14909-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.400) 140
14910-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.425) 142
14911-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.450) 145
14912-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.475) 148
14913-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.500) 150
14914-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.525) 152
14915-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.550) 155
14916-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.575) 158
14917-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.600) 160
14918-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.625) 162
14919-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.650) 165
14920-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.675) 168
14921-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.700) 170
14922-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.725) 172
14923-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.750) 175
14924-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.775) 178
14925-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.800) 180
14926-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.825) 182
14927-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.850) 185
14928-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.875) 188
14929-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.900) 190
14930-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.925) 192
14931-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.950) 195
14932-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (1.975) 198
14933-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.000) 200
14934-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.025) 202
14935-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.050) 205
14936-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.075) 208
14937-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.100) 210
14938-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.125) 212
14939-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.150) 215
14940-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.175) 218
14941-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.200) 220
14942-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.225) 222
14943-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.250) 225
14944-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.275) 228
14945-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.300) 230
14946-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.325) 232
14947-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.350) 235
14948-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.375) 238
14949-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.400) 240
14950-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.425) 242
14951-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.450) 245
14952-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.475) 248
14953-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.500) 250
14954-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.525) 252
14955-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.550) 255
14956-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.575) 258
14957-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.600) 260
14958-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.625) 262
14959-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.650) 265
14960-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.675) 268
14961-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.700) 270
14962-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.725) 272
14963-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.750) 275
14964-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.775) 278
14965-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.800) 280
14966-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.825) 282
14967-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.850) 285
14968-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.875) 288
14969-KT7-013 SHIM, TAPPET (2.900) 290
[total shims available : 69]
~~~~~~~~~~ end of file ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HTH
Regards, John
View attachment ST1100 Valve Shim PNs.txt