What does a "going" cam chain sound like?

[c_dug]

Will I be able to hear it's on its way out? Been told that kawasaki's are quite rattly anyway so im not sure whether im just being paranoid (probably am), bikes done nearly 33k miles so is that the right sort of time?

Thanks

c_dug
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Polarbear]

I'm sure people will say I'm talking crap, but the only bikes I have ever replced cam chains have been Hondas when they had the bad times with the tensioners. Had a ZZR 1100 with 65000 on the clock and it had never had a new cam chain.

I bet the manufacturers do not expect a cam chain to be changed during the life of an engine.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Ditto]

Cam chains should never have to be replaced for the life of the bike. Cam chain tensioners maybe, but could just be valves rattling.

Have they been adjusted recently? Although having quiet valves is worse than loud ones!
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CG 125 > Bandit 600 > CBR 600 FY > Street Triple R

[stinkwheel]

Usually referred to as a "death rattle".

As you say though, they cam be pretty rattly anyway. Not sure if it has a balancer in there or a chain driven primary, both of which can give a pretty rattly noise too. I know my GPZ used to clatter and rattle like a bag of spanners at tickover but this was all primary chain noise which lessened a lot if you balanced the carbs.

It's perhaps better to listen for a well adjusted camchain. You have to listen carefully but they make a quiet whirring noise. Press a screwdriver handle to your ear and press the other end against the clyinder head on the left side. You should be able to clearly hear the camchain whirring.

Another thing you can do on many bikes is physically measure the camchain with the rocker cover off. You'll need a good set of vernier callipers to do it accurately. You measure the distance between a certain number of pins on the chain. There will be a maximum tolerance for this measurement in the workshop manual. If it's longer than this, it needs replacing.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[c_dug]

Not sure about when the valves were last adjusted, only got it 3 or so weeks ago, I guess I will just ignore the noise for now and see if it gets any worse, I think i'm just being paranoid to be honest

I'll check with the screwdriver next time I do an oil change and have the fairing off.

Thanks

c_dug
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[MonkeyKnuckle]

On my CBR600F it was a rattle at about 5-6k revs.
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MKGaming.com
2000 Honda CBR600F - Sold! 2003 Honda CBR600RR - Current!

[SlimRick]

My ZZR600 has 62k miles on the clock - still on the original cam chain, makes a slight high pitched rattle, but has done for about 20k miles. Bought a new adjuster for it but can't be arsed to fit it.

[Noxious89123]

[MonkeyKnuckle]

[Grimnir]

Never needed to change the cam chain on my 176,000 mile ZZR600... Spent all but 6k of its life as a courier hack

[evoboy]

Kwakers do seem to have more noisy engines than others.

My ZX6 has done some 50k+ and the tensioner and cam chain are just fine.

Tis when that rattle stops that you know theres issues!
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[Noxious89123]

[MonkeyKnuckle]

[TUG]

Like someones emptied a bag of nuts in your motor mate.
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Haz ER-5, innit!

[Grimnir]

[Louise]

My Kwak is rattly... always has been.. mine is on 58k miles now and still going... *touch wood*

[Oliver_FF]

On my '04 zx-6r you can hear the CCT making a light ticking noise between 2 and 5k rpm. I've heard it referred to as the "Kawasaki Tick" before.

I've gotten through 2x camchain tensioners on my '01 CBR600f, they seem to go every ~10k miles. When they start to go, if you fire the bike up and start to ride down the road taking it easy after like 2minutes you'll hear this metallic chinking/grinding noise which suddenly comes during acceleration and goes as you panic and ease off the throttle. It'll stop doing it after about 10minutes as the engine warms up. If you take it to a garage at this stage, they'll probably tell you to fook off and come back when it gets worse - I had a good 1500miles extra out of my CBR between noticing the noise with a cold engine and it needing replacing.

As it gets worse it'll start to make the noise all the time when you're working your way up the rev range. When it was really bad on the CBR if I was in first gear and accelerating slowly away from a roundabout it would sound normal up to 20mph then it'd start making horrid noises up until I eased off the throttle.

When you hear a camchain rattle whilst you're riding it you'll cry a little on the inside - it really does sound nasty...

Also, try not to get it confused with the noise a lose exhaust gasket might make. CCT's sound brutal (REALLY brutal) and won't make noise all the time.
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Current bikes - 2001 CBR600F, 2007 CBR1000RR Fireblade
Previous bikes - '05 CG125, '97 CB500, '06 CBF600S, '04 ZX-6R, '07 Ducati 749