HELP! Whats the ticking noise....!!! (merged)

carpevita

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HELP! Whats the ticking noise....!!!

Help!

I have a 2004 St1300 ABS with 4500 miles...Ive noticed a tick tick ticking sound when the engine is warmed up and running at idle..Its not very loud. You cant hear it with a helmet on. It also appears to be louder on the left side. If I slowly increase the rpms, the ticking increases in speed and at about 2500 rpm begins to skip some ticks and then disappears altogether. I dropped by a local dealership in Ft Lauderdale. The mechanic didnt appear to know for sure what it was..He was guessing a leak in the exhaust or loose cam chain tensioner. The next day I dropped by the Big delaership down there to get a second opinion. Heres where it gets interesting. The service guy at the desk listens to it and tells me he had the same sound on his 2003 ST. He said its the water pump chain and not to worry its normal..I dont know ...I dont remember hearing this ticking when the bike was newer...Does anyone else have this ticking and have a guess as to what it is?????Thanks
 
Mellow

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I've had that type of ticking sound as well and, not being familiar with the v4, just blew it off as one of the engine sounds.

I checked my exhaust bolts when I had my plastic off this weekend and they were fine. I had exhaust bolts loose on a valkyrie and it does sound similar.

It might be the valves but, as I understand it, it's when you can't here them that you should worry.

Since it's been a while since I've even turned the bike over I'll do that when I get home today and see if the ticking is still there, I think I may have just gotten used to it.
 
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carpevita

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As far as the counterbalancers go, Ive adjusted them before but as I remember, too much one way leads to a squeeling sound and too much the other a knocking..I dont think thats it but thanks anyway...Dan
 
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carpevita said:
As far as the counterbalancers go, Ive adjusted them before but as I remember, too much one way leads to a squeeling sound and too much the other a knocking..I dont think thats it but thanks anyway...Dan
Click to expand...
I did my counter balancers not that long ago and the bike was much smoother but, to my knowledge, didn't change the sound of the bike at all.
 
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carpevita

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Fireball18 said:
I also have a similar sound on mine ('03). Haven't heard it on my wife's '04 yet. A friend's '03 has it, also. Adjusting counterbalancers didn't help any. Still there. Dealer suspects it is the clutch basket. I agree that that is what it MIGHT be, since it goes away when I pull in the clutch lever on the handle bar. Performance isn't impaired any, so I suspect that this sound develops as the engine and associated parts begin breaking in well. I have 15K on mine and noticed it a couple thousand miles ago. At first I thought it was loose exhaust headers, but it wasn't, and it didn't sound like valves, so the only logical conclusion was that it's the clutch basket. Maybe the ST1300 just has a noisy clutch basket after it breaks in. It would be interesting to see if Honda would replace the clutch basket and then wait to see if the sound reappears after several thousand miles.
Click to expand...

Very interesting....I do remember the dealer asking me to squeeze in the clutch to see if the noise went away(it didnt). Do you remember if the ticking occurs when you first start the engine (cold)? Mine doesnt. Also, since the bike is still under warranty wouldnt the dealer be required to attack this problem? I figure when I bring the bike in for the current recall..
 
dond

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Greg...If your clutch basket is making noise a good TBSync will (should) help. The old CBX's would rattle like crazy and many owners replaced cam chain guides/tensioners $$ with no help, then after doing a no-cost sync their noise went away.
The ST and moST will have a peculiar vibe/very light knock at warm idle when the clutch is engaged..(the tranny growls a bit) Normal.

*Valve clr
*TB sync
*Inj tick
*Ex leak
*Pair valve tick
*Crocodile
from Peter
Pan :croc:

???????????????
 
Last edited:

cool69

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Hello All
I'm new to the forum but i've been an observer for a while. My bike also has the ticking noise and it is not the clutch basket, I can hear that and distinguish the difference and it does not tick when it's cold. I have thought maybe exhaust leak, I also just changed my oil 15-40 to the exact level, wondered if this maybe was to heavy of an oil. Hopefully it's nothing major i'll keep looking for the cause, if I can track it down i'll let everyone know. I was looking to see if maybe someone had found the problem. Oh well. I love this forum you guys are great and there is a lot of info. By the way my bike is an 03 with 22k.
Thanks
 
tdeboeser

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The tick is likely the "auto chain tensioner". Balancing the counter balancers may help, 'cause it calms the motor.

The auto chain tensioner has a spring that pushes against the cam chain to keep it tight. At idle, with the pulse of the motor the chain can "bounce", making the spring actuate and "tick". This isn't bad, and V-motors seem to be louder than others.

I will say, SuperHawks (V-twin) "tick" loud enough to make you concerned (the spring may have given in - not broken, just not strong enough anymore). Enough for me to find some "manual" tensioners. In the end the ST makes noise.

Tom de
 
Blrfl

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Saturns used to have this problem with the chain tensioners slacking up a bit and the chain making noise when the oil got low. I used to use that as a reminder that it was time to go around to the trunk and pull out another quart.

--Mark
 
wjbertrand

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tdeboeser said:
The tick is likely the "auto chain tensioner". Balancing the counter balancers may help, 'cause it calms the motor.

The auto chain tensioner has a spring that pushes against the cam chain to keep it tight. At idle, with the pulse of the motor the chain can "bounce", making the spring actuate and "tick". This isn't bad, and V-motors seem to be louder than others.

I will say, SuperHawks (V-twin) "tick" loud enough to make you concerned (the spring may have given in - not broken, just not strong enough anymore). Enough for me to find some "manual" tensioners. In the end the ST makes noise.

Tom de
Click to expand...
The tensioner is advanced by the spring but the spring doesn't hold the cam chain. Rather, the tensioner has some kind of a locking mechanism that prevents it from backing up once it has advanced. If the chain stretches the tensioner advances to take the slack but is then mechanically locked in place. You could remove the spring altogether at this point and the chain would remain properly tensioned, at least for a while.
 

cool69

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I adjusted my counterbalancers last night and on the ride home and back to work I noticed my ticking is not there all the time now. My ticking is not always there at idol it seems I have to give it just a little throttle to get it to do it and like stated earlier it goes away around 2500 and can't be heard again all the way to the top. I can also hear it on deceleration very clearly while riding, anyway the counterbalancer adjustment did seem to help a little.
 

Fred

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My 04 had from the day I picked it up. Finally gave up trying to figure it out and it finally went away after 20k.
 
John H2

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Hi. I'm kind of new to the forum here and I posted a new thread today, but now I see this one and I'll ask the question here as well. Yesterday I bought an '06 1300 with 3600 miles after riding a '91 1100 for over 9 years. There is a very noticeable whine coming from the front. A "reedy type whistle" that rises and falls with the rpms. Is this normal? It is not a ticking noise, so it may be something entirely different than what has been discussed here before. Any insight would be helpful
John H2
 
alan

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John H2 said:
Hi. I'm kind of new to the forum here and I posted a new thread today, but now I see this one and I'll ask the question here as well. Yesterday I bought an '06 1300 with 3600 miles after riding a '91 1100 for over 9 years. There is a very noticeable whine coming from the front. A "reedy type whistle" that rises and falls with the rpms. Is this normal? It is not a ticking noise, so it may be something entirely different than what has been discussed here before. Any insight would be helpful
John H2
Click to expand...
The whistle noise is a standard feature of the 1300s. Either the straight cut gears driving the cams and balance shafts or the cam chains singing. Just tell people that the supercharger is making the noise!:cool:
 
John H2

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yeah, I found out. Oh well, otherwise, I'm really enjoying the bike. I wonder if different oil weights make a difference.
John
 
GodFather

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John H2 said:
Hi. I'm kind of new to the forum here and I posted a new thread today, but now I see this one and I'll ask the question here as well. Yesterday I bought an '06 1300 with 3600 miles after riding a '91 1100 for over 9 years. There is a very noticeable whine coming from the front. A "reedy type whistle" that rises and falls with the rpms. Is this normal? It is not a ticking noise, so it may be something entirely different than what has been discussed here before. Any insight would be helpful
John H2
Click to expand...

ahhhhhhh, that's poetry in motion :) Your ST is just singin to you.
 

Pelelaur

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Re: HELP! Whats the ticking noise....!!!

carpevita said:
Help!

I have a 2004 St1300 ABS with 4500 miles...Ive noticed a tick tick ticking sound when the engine is warmed up and running at idle..Its not very loud. You cant hear it with a helmet on. It also appears to be louder on the left side. If I slowly increase the rpms, the ticking increases in speed and at about 2500 rpm begins to skip some ticks and then disappears altogether. I dropped by a local dealership in Ft Lauderdale. The mechanic didnt appear to know for sure what it was..He was guessing a leak in the exhaust or loose cam chain tensioner. The next day I dropped by the Big delaership down there to get a second opinion. Heres where it gets interesting. The service guy at the desk listens to it and tells me he had the same sound on his 2003 ST. He said its the water pump chain and not to worry its normal..I dont know ...I dont remember hearing this ticking when the bike was newer...Does anyone else have this ticking and have a guess as to what it is?????Thanks
Click to expand...
Well mine has the exact same ticking noise. Did anybody already found what this could be? Dealer says nothing abnormal but at first it was not there. Appearing at about 28000 km. Now at 30000 km and still ticking....
 
GregoryA

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Re: HELP! Whats the ticking noise....!!!

Pelelaur said:
Well mine has the exact same ticking noise. Did anybody already found what this could be? Dealer says nothing abnormal but at first it was not there. Appearing at about 28000 km. Now at 30000 km and still ticking....
Click to expand...
............and only from the left side( sitting on the bike) , I have 24.000 kms and I noticed it a week ago!!!! I don't remember if the ticking noise was there before!!!!!!!!!!!After so many years..........any coclusion what's the ticking noise!!!!!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

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Mine's on just over 24,000 miles and has always ticked from the left hand side, only hear it when I'm in the garage with the bike running, once riding I can't hear it with helmet and earplugs in, never bothered me, and it's never bothered how the bike runs, bike's not yet had any valve adjustment or counterbalances adjusted (whatever these are??).
 
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