Real things you ignored but really was a fault?

[Old Git Racing]

I got a 350 YPVS from someone. There was always a strange 'clacking' sound when I started it, ignored it and rode it, rode ok. Started to get a misfire, but if you put the fuel tap on prime instead of normal or reserve it got rid of it. Over time it got worse, I knew it had to do with the 'clacking', but didn't want to admit to myself. Got to a point where I rigged up a dummy fuel tank without all the vacuum tap shit and it ran fine. Turned out to be the base gasket on the right cylinder leaking and stopping the vacuum tap working correctly cos it takes it from the right hand carb. Thing is I sort of knew that replacing the tap, having the carbs off loads of times and finding nothing wasn't the problem. Top end off, new gaskets all ok.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[stinkwheel]

RE bullet 350 popping and banging on the overrun. Tried sealing the exhaust to no avail so ignored it for a good 6 months until it eventually sounded like a machine gun when you were going downhill and seemed a bit down on power.

Turned out the exhaust valve seat was in finger-tight and was flapping in and out of the head as the valve opened and closed.
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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.

[Shaft]

Not a bike, but my first 3ltr Capri.

Always had a tick that didn't sound right, had to strobe the timing most weeks (distributor bearing was fooked - well known fault) and became an expert at setting the tappets - still the tick wouldn't go away.

One day, I race a guy in an RS2000 round the South Circ, hand him his arse and cruise off in a different direction - all of a sudden, the tick gets much louder, I glance at the oil pressure gauge, it drops to nothing and the engine seizes.

My engine builder reckoned it was the worst case of oil pump drive failure (another well known Essex V6 fault) he had ever seen, seized on every cylinder
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[chickenstrip]

I found my 400 Superdream to have crap performance and poor handling. I ignored it when I realised the problems were design faults.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[G]

"I must have something caught in/hanging off the fairing."
"One more lap and I'll pull in and check it out."

Nope - that was the sound a 675 engine makes when it hasn't got any oil in it.

And I hadn't clicked that I didn't get that much oil out the previous oil change. (And wasn't aware that you should really use the max line on the dipstick as a minimum.)
Or that I was losing out on the straights on a previous trackday to a friend on an R6 who I was normally evenly matched with.

[MarJay]

[MarJay]

Years ago I bought a damaged repairable TT600. It was dirt cheap, and I had it delivered to my parents house where I lived at the time. I spent an age fitting new lights, indicators etc. and got it all working. It was only a couple of years old so it didn't need an MOT.

So on the fateful day I started riding it to work, and heard a nasty grinding noise. I thought it was a loose exhaust header nut or something so I kept riding. The noise got worse. The bike started to sound like a Ducati. The noise got yet worse... And then... The engine seized completely.

Turns out, it had dropped a valve, turned the valve head upside down and rammed it back into the head. Dead bike.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[WD Forte]

While it were still all fields round here and goal posts were made from jerseys, my first proper, on the road bike was an old Tiger cub.
I rode it happily for a week or two until the petrol tank got all rattly and knocky when it was pointed out to me I had run it dry and the 'noisy tank' was actually the big end knocking.
No more cub.
A good but painful first lesson in maintenance
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bikers smell of wee

[Loui5D]

thought the knocking i was getting at the front was due to a dodgy fork seal, was actually a collapsed bearing.

[STONEY!]

on my first bike at 16 I ignored everything unless it made it faster, ended up running about with nothing but a sidelight, bald tyres, a chain so loose it fell off regularly and only a back brake for about 3 months on the plus side it had a shiny new big bore kit, race pipe, carb and air filter, I fell of it a lot.

[stinkwheel]

Thought the road was pretty greasy on the way to an MOT. Tester shouts across "What the f- do you call this?" as he's wobbling the rear wheel side to side a good half inch. Total wheel bearing failure.
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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.

[Rogerborg]

The chain's only a little noisier than it was yesterday.

It's always made that rhythmic clicking, hasn't it?

Clunk-[jerk]-graaaaunch is characteristic, right?

https://i.imgur.com/EaWB09B.jpg
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Vracktal]

[mentalboy]

[Rogerborg]