I've noticed this since I got the 1300 in Aug, 2025, with 39k miles on it. Sounds like it is coming from the bottom right front of the engine casing. I'm thinking it's transmission or clutch related. There is no clutch slippage; the clutch operates properly.
Slight Rattle in Neutral. Stops When Clutch Lever Pulled In.
- Thread starter st1100man
- Start date
I've owned dozens of different Hondas over the past 50 years, and they have all done that.
It's caused by the clutch basket and hub rattling. When you pull in the clutch it puts pressure on the hub and basket and the rattle stops. This is pretty normal for many bikes. Some do it more than others.
Entirely normal.
Most Honda riders have never listened for it.
ST Gui
240Robert
Less than a dozen but yeah. Same.
wjbertrand
Ventura Highway
Every motorcycle and manual transmission car I’ve ever owned does this. When you pull the clutch lever in the transmission shafts stop spinning. When you release the clutch lever in neutral the shafts start spinning. Your hearing the rattle of the various lash clearances in the tranmission. The clutch plates can’t rattle with the lever released because the pressure plate has them all squeezed tightly together.
Might need to Sync the throttle Bodies, just a guess I don't have a 1300 but that's what popped into to me brain when reading your post.
If you look at the power flow through the transmission gearing and through the shafts, you are going to get some noise, as stated above this is normal.
Most riders hear noises, I know riders that wear ear plugs so they don't hear them.
Now, if you are hearing voices, we will have to start another thread. What I do is ignore them, until they are shouting. That frequently means something I need to look at. The rest of the time they are busy ignoring me
Most riders hear noises, I know riders that wear ear plugs so they don't hear them.
Now, if you are hearing voices, we will have to start another thread. What I do is ignore them, until they are shouting. That frequently means something I need to look at. The rest of the time they are busy ignoring me
What is your oil level at. And does it have the right viscosity oil in it.
The oil is fresh and full. Honda oil.
Chances are what you are hearing in the crankcase is just the gear noise and is not going to cause you trouble, when it is in gear and the clutch is pulled it quiets down does it not. It is just the clearance of the gears you are hearing
JohnK
Site Supporter
Pretty normal at the mileage you state. Might have the cam tensioners checked or adjusted - it did make a slight difference when adjusting mine.
billo
17 years on a ST
Small things. Dirty air cleaner, old plugs, intake boots not tight. A good (bad) indicator is the idle is not rock solid and wavers or settles erratically. When everything is good, it will be silent with a very slight change in vibration when the clutch is pulled. Accept nothing less from this v-4.
I have a spare low-mileage clutch basket sitting on the shelf. I bought it cheap because I need to check the condition of my almost 150,000-km clutch — if it looked worse, I would replace it.
My old clutch needs a rebuild because it’s slipping and also makes a lot of the typical Honda clutch noises.
I tried to fix the slipping by replacing the springs, but it didn’t help much — it still slips under load. So I’m planning to order new plates and rebuild it soon. The last time I changed the plates was around 80k ago.
I don’t understand why Honda didn’t address these damping springs — for example, by filling them with some oil-resistant material like polyurethane, or by doing something else to stop them from rattling.
None of the springs on 20k miles basket are fixed; they all have slack ranging from about 0.5 to almost 2 mm. I think this is the main source of noise on idle?
Would bending the tabs above the springs inward help prevent them from rattling? And if do so, for how long will it help? I don’t know...
ps This is 1100 clutch but I suppose it's design the same as for ST1300?
My old clutch needs a rebuild because it’s slipping and also makes a lot of the typical Honda clutch noises.
I tried to fix the slipping by replacing the springs, but it didn’t help much — it still slips under load. So I’m planning to order new plates and rebuild it soon. The last time I changed the plates was around 80k ago.
I don’t understand why Honda didn’t address these damping springs — for example, by filling them with some oil-resistant material like polyurethane, or by doing something else to stop them from rattling.
None of the springs on 20k miles basket are fixed; they all have slack ranging from about 0.5 to almost 2 mm. I think this is the main source of noise on idle?
Would bending the tabs above the springs inward help prevent them from rattling? And if do so, for how long will it help? I don’t know...
ps This is 1100 clutch but I suppose it's design the same as for ST1300?
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I did do that on my 81 Silverwing 500 engine, it did stop the rattle, how long does it last can't say as I swapped in a 650 and sold the 500 .