Hey everyone.

I have a 95 F3 and it has developed a knocking or clicking sound..hard to describe sometimes just a click sometimes more like a knock. It's very inconsistent, I never hear it when it's cold, the only time I do hear it is after it's been warmed up and even then it doesn't happen all the time.

I just got the bike a few months ago and when I bought it, it sounded fine, never heard any noise at all. Well, I changed the oil and this is when the problem started. I was very careful to fill the oil, let it idle, check again and I used 10w-40 Valvoline motorcycle oil, so I know it's nothing that I did. The first ride after the oil change I noticed it after it warmed up and I immediately stopped to check the oil level and it was fine.

So after researching here and everywhere I could find, i decided the best case would be to replace the CCTL. Installed a new one and the problem didn't go away, but it did seem to lessen it. I also decided to drain the 10w-40 and put in 20w-50 which actually seems to have made it worse.

The other thing is that the bike seems to run fine, I haven't noticed a loss in power and the noise doesn't really increase with RPMS and also goes away at higher rpms.

Anyone have any suggestions? My big problem is that this is my commuter and if I lose it or have to take it to the shop for a week it's going to be tough.

Thanks for any help!

 

Do you mean CAM CHAIN TENTIONER? by saying CCTL?
Describe the nature of ticking. For example, when engine is cold? hot? low or high rpm? Does it increase or decrease at certain rpm? What happens when you are riding your bike for more than 30 minutes? does it go away or its still there.

Based on what you said, it sounds like it could be engine valve ticking/rattling if CCT didnt fix it. As long as its not too loud and happens once in a while, I do not think that there is a need to do a valve clearance.

 

Well first off he did describe it perfect in his post.... Maybe read it word for word....

Ok now that i have that out of my system, Let me ask you this dano.
I know on my bike when its warm i can hear it ticking ever so slightly if im standing next to the fairings or have my helmet off sitting on the bike. Doesnt do it when its cold only when its hot and i just did an oil change.

What i have noticed though on our hondas (atleast mine and my buddys 900rr) is that the clutch does make some chattering noise when its hot and in Neutral. I find if i pull in the clutch it goes away and the bike is puring. Also mine does go away if i rev it or am riding.

Its really really quiet ticking but i can hear it and it kinda annoys me lol.

My buddy and I have gone through 3 clutches just cleaning them spotless and reoiling them and they all 3 have done the same thing. We even changed clutch baskets and all the componits on his bike still does it. Its normal for our bikes i suppose.... atleast ive been told by several people.

Try letting it warm up and hold in the clutch lever and see if it stops. if it does than its that. Now for why it would start all of a sudden when it didnt do it before i dunno, maybe old owner put additives in it???

Thats just my guess on it maybe someone will chime in here with a better answer....

 

Thanks turbo, I was going to respond similarly, I thought I put everything in there pretty well lol.

Unfortunately it does not stop when pulling in the clutch, and when it does happen it's louder than I think you are describing. When I changed the oil the the old oil was very black, it makes me think that the previous owner did put some sort of engine glue in there. My thought is that it's probably the cam chain itself because the new cctl did change the sound some and it stands to reason that a chain slapping would be intermittent like that.

I've been listening very closely to it and it seems like the loudest it gets is when decelerating and downshifting. Like drop a gear and once the RPMS get down to about 3 or so that seems to the time that it is the worst. Then at idle it's really spotty, I can here it knock a few times then it won't, then it will a few more, then stop...its VERY strange.

~Dano

 

from what im reading what you can do is pull the head cover off and check to see if your cam chain is loose, you can do that by slowly spinning the motor over and watching the chain as it spins to see if at any point there is alot of slack if so than what you will have to do tighten up the chan but also remember that when you tighten up the cam chan with a loose or stretched chain that it causes your timing to be off and your bike to run like crap but if its not much than that shouldnt be to much of a problem. and BTW make sure you use motor oil without molly the molly screws up you clutches.