dial gauge not needed, feeler guages will go in, albeit a little contorted, there is even a picture of it in the factory handbook (can someone please post that picture ,I cannot) but (of course) as you know the two surfaces either side of the feeler gauges must be good, a dished valve tip will give innacuarate results, but you knew all of that, what I have in my box of "special" tools is a feeler gauge that I deriveted, and took out all the blades except, points gap, inlet, gap and exhaust gap, it is a long fingered series gauge and this makes them far easier to use, a bit fiddly, but you at least dont have to rummage the shim box, or get the grinder/oil stone out etc, just screw and locknut.
A very long time ago when away on my nearly new SF1, maybe in 74, or 5, in a town at slow speed, I was instantly aware of a change of engine noise at tickover, like a switch, me thinking, "what a great bike" and then three seconds later it sounds like a small end is hanging out, a stop, a mile or two later in a petrol station, and I took to checking the exhaust valves, being the easiest to get at with the tank off, one of them had a MASSIVE clearance of about 300 thou (guess) , I was able to re-adjust the tappet with the threaded bolt still within range, and carry on, it wasnt until '79 when I stripped the motor as it aproached the EGLi frame, and found that one exhaust vave wouldnt come out, the head went to Toddy, then at (memory here) 235 green lanes Mitchum? was that correct Phil? and he noted that the hardened tip of the valve was missing and that the stem had flared over the 30,000 miles or so done since, one new valve and a gas flow/polish job while we are at it, later that month I stripped the bottom end and found the little blighter in the sump, amasing that it lasted without it, but it did, they are made in one piece these days instead of three (had a mushroom head come off on a triple as well!)
CLEM