Hey guys, I just noticed today an odd little ticking noise when the bike is idleing and all warmed up.... it goes away when the rpms are gently raised and I don't notice it when I am riding... just at a stop both with clutch in and n neutral as well... its not a loud tick but it definately did not do it b4... I have roughly 11,000KM oil changed every 3000km, Amsoil full synthetic, stock oem oil filter, k+n air filter. Bike is stock mechanically other than the airfiler... I did just put the K+N filter in last week the old filter was black and full of bug parts!!! I just changed the oil like 3000km ago if that with an oil filter. The oil seem a tad high in the sight glass with the bike on the centre stand was over the full line....

Any guesses?? I was reading some posts on the other forums, and seemed to be nothing and was chalked up to being "normal" zx 14 engine and that it makes odd noises... I don't bag the bike at all and am very careful to let her get up to temp b4 riding away on her.... she rarely sees the redline.... Thanks fellas

Similar to this but not as knocky its more ticky...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOpWNfkfA0A

* Last updated by: Fuzz4141 on 7/21/2010 @ 2:48 AM *

If the ticking comes from your lower windscreen, behind insrument cluster, it is your tip over sensor. That's no big deal.

That bike video had 500 miles on it. Is that owner here and has that bike blown up since? Sounded like a piston, but they changed the piston design so you do not hear that too much of that noise anymore. When it shut down, not a peep out of that engine. No lower end noise, no ticking when revved. No tick on the stop. Tick is a tick and does not go away once the tolerance is wiped from the piston skirt.

As for your tick, Fuzz, that is a close tolerance/tight valve lash. A tick that is cold, warms up when metal expands and the tick goes away a little, as it widens the gap a little. You can also hear the same type ticks of tight valve lash with rocker type screw adjusters. Ticks are loose as well. Real loose rockers when a nut backs off on a rocker type you hear some ticking alright!

Narrow it down to either side now. Then you can measure or whoever does the work, check that lash area. If it was loose and within spec, but close to changing next time around? You are already open. Yank the cams and get them all within blueprint spec (in the middle) so the valve interval is extended a little. That is my guess at the tick.

could also be your timing chain. Not really a big deal either, if it is and you don't like the noise you can eliminate it with a manual cam chain tensioner.

Ever had valves adjusted?

If my engine sounded like that guy's...she'd be in the shop PRONTO.Probably valves Fuzz.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 7/21/2010 @ 12:18 PM *

I would check header pipe bolts(34NM)just to rule that out. All of them work loose and can cause a ticking sound. They have to be checked about every 6,000 miles. Causes ticking and buzzy sounding vibration. If not that I would say it is a lazy chain tensioner not pumping all the way up.

Negative on the valve adjustment... books sez 24k km for those so have done that service yet.... but today I rode her to work and no ticking when I got to work and none when I got her home... hopefully its gone but I am gonna check the header bolts and then move to the valves and the tensioner.... I also had the pipes off at the mid pipe to install the centre stand... so am gonna check those again too... it made the tick this morning when she was warm cudn't pin point wat side it was coming off of seemed more like the left... but can't say for sure...

The ticking sound will fade somewhat after engine warmup if it is the header nuts that are loose.

Whatever side you think you hear it, stand on that side near the front wheel. This is a cold engine in the morning before things warm up we are cold/contracted.

Hit the starter button, dump down on the knee to hear any exhaust tick? You hear a tick on the other side? Run!

Now, train your ear. Is it a lop-lop hiss-hiss exhaust hiss or a valve tick-tick with a flutter-tick in the erratic?

1. Hiss-Hiss: Says out of 4 cylinders, there might be a consistent come around of a cylinder in the hiss-hiss dept.
2. Tick-Tick: Says my oil found a splash is come around she quiets down on the spin around, comes back all in the quick is the tick-tick in the erratic all over again it's quiet for a second.
3. Like: The exhaust stops for a few seconds the other 3 cylinders don't mind.

The video isn't a tick, it's a knock. Thats exactly what mine sounded like when it spun the bearing. The knock was initialy very faint but could be heard and progressively got worse and eventually let go.

Sometimes with aftermarket exhaust you'll get a slight exhaust leak at the connection to the collector. On cold start up it'll sound a little like a tick and go away when she heats up and the metal expands, hard to isolate sometimes because it sounds like it's coming from bottom end. You can hold a heather up and mose it around the connections and watch for exhaust escape to try and isolate it.

* Last updated by: heathun on 7/22/2010 @ 10:00 AM *

Ya I know the vid was a solid knock, mine is a slight tick... it seems to have disappeared which cud be either good or bad if it was a valve needing adjustment!! No aftermarket exhaust for me its all stock, I did have to remove the cans to install the center stand... she goes in on friday for new tires and a checkup she's due for the 12k service for warranty...

Rook: If the ticking comes from your lower windscreen, behind insrument cluster, it is your tip over sensor. That's no big deal.

I never heard that sensor rattle at low speed/RPMs.
I fixed that annoying rattle so long ago that I forget exactly what the remedy entailed!

Fuzz4141: Ya I know the vid was a solid knock, mine is a slight tick... it seems to have disappeared which cud be either good or bad if it was a valve needing adjustment!! No aftermarket exhaust for me its all stock, I did have to remove the cans to install the center stand... she goes in on friday for new tires and a checkup she's due for the 12k service for warranty...

At very low speed I sometimes hear a muted, intermittent ticking noise.
I think it comes from play among the cam lobes, valve lifters, shims, and valve stems.

The ticking lessened when first I used fully synthetic oil.
Now I'm using full dino oil and the ticking is about the same.
I don't worry about this particular noise.

Ticking has gone away, the mechanic told me most likely it was the cam chain tensioner, and that it was probably just in between teeth or whatever and that now that the tick was gone it probably seated itself properly.... she seems to be running fine now ..