Tappety Engine - should I be worried

[Toast]

Sorry about the thread title as you may gather i'm not very mechanically minded. Anyway, me and the wife took the bike out for a ride on sunday in the welsh mountains. did all the usual checks befor leaving, oil, brake fluid, chain, tyre pressures. And after about 180 miles the engine started getting very tappety. Pulled over and topped up the oil thinking that may be the problem but it has not helped.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks
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Live long, die old but fulfilled

[Barry_M2]

It the 'taps' speed up when you rev the engine, it'll be the valve clearances more than likely. Or, cam chain.

Those are the most likely things anyway. Without hearing it you cant really say.
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ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
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[Toast]

Should have said, the taps do speed up when i rev the engine. also they seem to go quiet when i go round a left hand bend for some reason.

Thanks
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Live long, die old but fulfilled

[Barry_M2]

If it is a sort of 'ticking' tappy noise, I'd say the valve clearances.

But as you mention that it goes quiet when you lean it, it may be the cam chain!?

To be cartain you'll need to pull the rocker cover of and check the clearances.


____________________
ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4332

[andi]

Sometimes the cam chain tensioner can be just be at the point of needing to click on the ratchet. Try putting the bike in gear with the engine off and pulling the bike backwards. This can sometimes be enough to persuade the ratchet to click over.
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Before: Suzuki GT 185. Honda Superdream 250. Yamaha RD350LC. Suziki RG250. Yamaha FZS600. Honda CBR600F3
Now: Honda Fireblade 929

[Kickstart]

Hi

Does the noise speed up with road speed or engine speed?

While tappets can make a noise I would not expect them to suddenly start making a noise over a fairly short period of time. Similarly the cam chain (although more likely if the tensioner has managed to back off).

If it gets noiser when leant one way, and quieter the other then that could just be the noise being reflected or it could be something moving.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Bezzer]

Check the exhaust header bolts, if you've got a loose collar that makes a tapping sound.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[Pete.]

Sounds like a cracked header pipe. Leaning the bike might be the weight of the silencers pulling the gap shut.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Toast]

Hi all, and thanks for the response so far. Right so far I have tried putting the bike in gear and pulling it backwards but it did not seem to do the trick.

The noise only seems to happen once the engine has been running for 10 mins or so, don't know if this is relevant. The noise definatly gets worse with engine speed and not road speed.

Will check the exhaust tomorrow and let you know on that one later.

Thanks Again
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Live long, die old but fulfilled

[Pete.]

My diversion blows from an exhaust port when it gets hot, not otherwise. Try tapping the exhaust headers and listen for differences in the sound they make.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good