| Author | Message | ||
     Wademan |
Name this engine noise that has recently developed and gotten slowly worse during the last 400 miles.... it is worrying me. I can hear a high speed tapping only while at speed (>~20 mph). The only way to describe the noise is that it sounds like if you were to pick a bicycles rear wheel up off the ground and spin the pegs fast... the noise that is created by the bicycle chains rollers engaging the teeth of the sprokets. Sort of a "chiiiiiiiiii". It is intermittent... (chiii chiiiiiiii chiii chii) and I can only hear it while cruising (e.g. not accelerating. ~3000 rpm). My guess is a new valve noise (or valve problem) or something involving the primary chain. I noticed my oil was low recently (2-3 oz below the normal level) and some accumulations of soot on the left side of swingarm (neither of these have ever been noticed before)... Any one experience this noise or something simillar??? Some one tell me I am just being paranoid... Please...  | ||
| Wademan |
oh bike has ~6000 miles | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Air-cooled engines have an inordinate amount of valvetrain noise. I hear it most when, as you describe, you hold it "at speed", not accelerating or decelerating. Allow the engine to supply engine braking, the noise goes away. Twist the throttle, the noise goes away. Yours sounds like typical valvetrain noise. If it begins to sound brutal verses gentle, you may have a problem. If it sounds like angry gerbils with tiny hammers, you probably have some of the dreaded ping. I would continue to listen to is, but it doesn't sound like anything to worry about. | ||
| Snowscum |
I hear the same thing. I had a thread on it last week. Lots of ideas on how to maybe quiet the racket. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/276642.html?1178952442 | ||
| Slowride |
Just my 2cents... My old man rides a 97 sportster and he had never heard any valvetrain noise the whole time he's had it. He has always used the 60wt oil in the summer and 40wt in the winter. He just recently had it serviced due to not having time to do it as usual. The HD shop put the HD multigrade 40 wt stuff in it. He complained to me for days about hearing valvetrain noise. Then one day he called me back and said I got it whipped! I added about a half a quart of 60wt to the oil bag and it has gone away. Keep in mind he has been riding Sportsters since the early 60's and has aways used the heavy oil and swears by it. I have a Uly and use the Syn3 with no issues, but I do have valvetrain noise that his sporty doesn't. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
If the valvetrain noise isn't damaging to the engine, which the typical noise isn't, I don't worry about making it go away. I like watches. Ticking is soothing. It reminds me of the mechanical nature of my obsessions. | ||
| Chris_in_tn |
Have you checked the primary chain tension? When I did my 5K service mine was out of spec. I do not remember it making any noise, however my brother-in-law's did on his Superglide. See if you can get the rear up and the bike stable so you run it and get down close to it and at least isolate the area the noise is coming from. It is not likely the valve train but not impossible. | ||
| Chadhargis |
I wear earplugs, so I don't hear much of anything when I ride.  | ||
| Snowscum |
I can hear it over ear plugs....... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I can hear it over ear plugs....... (See Angry Gerbils) | ||
| Snowscum |
Hahaha! I'll try that heavier oil. Do you guys think maybe just put like a half a quart in instead of filling the whole thing with 60w? | ||
| Wademan |
I was not too worried until I saw the oil consumption and soot on the swingarm... I had never noticed either of these before. Worries me that it is burning oil now for some reason. I am not going to mess with oils or anything. Just ride it till it exhibits some real symptoms and let the warranty take care of the rest. | ||
| Wademan |
And to clarify guys this is not typical valve noise, I have never heard this noise until 400 miles ago. It sounds like me and snowscum have the same thing going on whatever it is. | ||
| Snowscum |
Pictures of where its leaking on the swing arm Wade? (Message edited by snowscum on May 14, 2007) (Message edited by snowscum on May 14, 2007) | ||
| Snowscum |
Another question for you Wade. Do you have the race kit and or just the ecm and pipe? | ||
| Sparky |
One thing you gotta keep in mind when comparing the noise of the XB Buells to Harleys and even to the tube frame Buells is that the other bikes have a substantial amount of sound absorbing mass in the form of (steel - Harley, plastic - Buell) gas tanks filled with liquid fuel. The XB's, on the other hand, only have a thin plastic airbox floor, air space, a filter and an outer airbox cover; there's hardly anything substantial to dampen the valve train noise emanating from the rocker covers and heads. Unless you install an aftermarket sound-absorbing thermal blanket under the airbox floor. It's like a 55 gallon drum. Bang on it when empty and it makes a lot of noise; bang on it when full and all you hear is... thud thud thud. | ||
| Chrisb |
I would try a known good oil before proceeding to a straight weight oil. http://www.redlineoil.com/products_motoroil.asp?pr oductID=111&subCategoryID=25&categoryID=11 I've "chewed the fat" with more than one big name engine builder that expressed a dislike for multi grade oils. If you go ahead and run straight weight. You'll need pay atttention to the outside temps and getting the bike started and warmed up throughly before taking off on cold mornings. | ||
| Snowscum |
Thanks for the info Chris. Need to try some different brands first. | ||
| Etennuly |
Snow, I'll be ramping up to the 60W HD stuff as soon as overnight and am temps are at 65F +. I've been running 50W as of daytime temps reaching 70F +. I do let the bike idle for a slow warm up for about 3 to 4 minutes. | ||
| Wademan |
My Uly is totally stock. I dont have pics because I wiped it clean with a rag after I noticed it. |
