engine "rattling" at idle

[kardusen]

Hej guys

My 1100gs was running smoothly until two weeks ago when I noticed a noise from the engine I can't quite classify..
Its a kind of rattling/clonking noise, periodically which goes away as soon as I give some throttle..

But take a hear yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KkAZneGEDAI

Sounds the loudest here (front cam chain guidance):



I checked cam chain and tensioner both fine, valve clearance is okay aswell.. Do you guys have an idea where this might come from?

I did some searching in the forum but may it be the lack of vocabulary or my limited mechanical knowledge - I couldn't find something that brought me any further.

Starting the engine is no problem and she's running smoothly at idle.

I'm more or less learning by doing with my clymer manual and the original manual (fixed everything on my own so far except tires and carb calibration) and can't get any further with my current state of knowledge


Thanks in advance

kardusen

[Rob S.]

I certainly can't help you (I let professionals do most of the work on my bike), but I listened to your clip, and as Clinton used to say, "I feel your pain."

I'm sure someone here will recognize that noise. Best of luck.

[jsandidge]

I recognize that

My guess is cam walk. Mine sounds exactly like that, sometimes.

[tkent02]

I have heard this before, kind of a double click every second or so.. Have herd this on a few GSes. One of them finally broke a cam chain. I believe it may be a bad link in the timing chain going around the two cam sprockets every few engine rotations. One bike we pulled the valve cover to inspect the chain, found nothing wrong.
Although those were more of a double click, where this one is more of a double clunk, so it may not be the same noise.

I guess I'm no help either.

[brownford]

That sound is somewhat similar to the sound mine makes periodically. Mine doesn't do it all the time, but when it does do it, it is in counts of 4. 1-2-3-4, then silence, 1-2-3-4, silence. After searching I chalked it up to "cam walk" which most consider harmless.

[loud et]

Yup, sounds 100% identical to my 650....it only does it sometimes.
I always just figured it was cam walk and try to ignore it.

[rustybronco]

Try leaning the bike over to one side or the other while its running and see if the noise changes or goes away.

[jsandidge]

what would that mean?

Try leaning the bike over to one side or the other while its running and see if the noise changes or goes away.

If the noise does change, what would that indicate?

[rustybronco]

I'm hoping it will indicate cam walk. That taping noise appears to be quite solid and even though I've never heard it before the only thing that makes sense to my ears is something top end'ish. Being the the cams are quite heavy I hope the weight of them will cause the cams to stay to one side and not have a tendency to do any sort of side to side walk.

Can't hurt to try!

Keep an eye out for the oil light coming on...

[cougar]

I've had this sort of sound a couple of times once it was a bad link in the cam chain I released the cam etc and worked the tight link till free again the other time the cam sprocket had come loose on the cam, fitted new bolts and was good again

[lrgguy]

Thats the exact noise my 83 gs650 gl is making and why i stopped driving it !! EXACTLY !
Started a few weeks ago . Seemed to just happen over nite ...
Same I checked valves , chain , tappets , even removed the tach gear just to see if the sound would go away ...and it hasnt !!
If you figure it out please let me know , cuzz I gave up forthe time being and am now focusing on getting my gs1000e on the rd

[hampshirehog]

Take a look at this thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=216227&highlight=Lean

[cougar]

Take a look at this thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...highlight=Lean

Good call sounds like the same noise hampshirehog
http://classicmotorcycles.about.com/...ping-Noise.htm

[brownford]

Very interesting. Although I would prefer the sound to go away, as long as the consensus is that it's harmless I'll probably leave it be.

[loud et]

Very interesting. Although I would prefer the sound to go away, as long as the consensus is that it's harmless I'll probably leave it be.

Yup. If it still runs like a beast...just leave it.
On Bass cliffs site there is a how to , on repairing the can walk.
Involves milling a slot in the head, creating an metal insert to narrow the horizontal cam opening...etc.
Not gonna ever happen in my life. Lol

Mine made the noise the other day ...all day. Today, nothing. Lol
I can live with its random nature.