Clicking Noise, Help!! - UPDATE - ALL THAT WORRY OVER NOTHIN

[ash t]

Anybody want to help me with this one?
I have got a funny never-before noticed noise coming from the engine of my NC29. Its a ticking sound, which increases as the RPM increases. Im worried it may be a ring, but im no mechanic. There is no increase in temperature, and i think that the speed/acceleration is normal (the paranoia has made me forget what is normal )

Can anybody give me any ideas?

Ash

Edit: On first impressions, it sounds like the ticking is coming from the top end and not the bottom end
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When You're Starting To Choke, Take Some Pills With Your Coke, Its Hyserical

[Dom_]

Nein wont be a ring,,somehting todo with the valves, not sure what though..

[TOM M]

could be the valve clearences???
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Now owner of a 1200 Bandit

[Kickstart]

Hi

Could be valve clearances, but the CBR400 has shimmed valves and with these the clearances normally open up with age and the engine gets quieter.

Cams are gear driven so unlikely to be anything there.

The first thing to check would be the spark plugs, and ensure they are in place correctly (same for the plug leads). Also check the exhaust manifolds are correctly in place (depending on how they are located, sometimes there is a coller that rattles around).

These would all be fairly rapid ticking noises. If it is a fairly slow ticking the check for things like cables rattling round.

All the best

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

[ash t]

At first I thought it was the rev counter thing, but it sounds like its coming from the top end.
There is a bolt missing from where one of the downpipes is connected to the head, but surely I would have noticed the ticking before.

EDIT All that worry over nothing. Its one of the downpipes rattling as there is a bolt missing. I used the handle of a screwdriver to hold it steady and the noise went away.

Thanks for your help!
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When You're Starting To Choke, Take Some Pills With Your Coke, Its Hyserical

[DynaMight]

Same thing happened on my gf's CBR400, It sounded REALLY bad but ran fine. So she rode it 10miles back home (May aswell try to get home) where I checked the downpipes and almost everyone of the 8 bolts were loose. Luckily they were all there, tightened them up properly and all is good.
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[Gazdaman]

I had the same problem, then the ticking became a harley est-ce growling.

Turned out I snapped an exhaust stud. Hopefully yours is just loose or has fallen out.

Gaz