Wilsons Sandbox

Hello there, I have a KLR650, which until now has performed well with no problems. However, having returned from a biking holiday in Norway I promptly returned the bike to the garage where it stayed for about five weeks before I mustered up enough energy to change the oil and go out for a spin. On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I noticed a rattle that I'd not heard before. Strange, I bought the bike new and with just 4100 miles on the clock I was a little surprised. Oil changes have been regular and the bike only used on the road and driven carefully (seen too many results of road accidents). I wondered how I hadn't had a hint of anything whilst in Norway? Anyway it's there now and as the bike is four months out of warranty it's a problem that needs sorting. I've taken the rocker cover off to inspect and all looks like new, tappet clearances are within tolerance. I've had a look at the cam chain tensioner, perfect. I'm loathed to do anything else, as the bike is as good as new. I've recorded the noise on camera and uploaded it. It can be found at the following address. http://www.avonclub.org.uk/waccers/video/video.html I'd surely appreciate some help with this one. Although I have a reasonable amount of mechanical knowledge on all sorts of engines over the years I don't have any knowledge (yet) on the KLR's internals. The problem quietens down when the engine warms up but is really noticeable when cold. I've adjusted the balancer chain but that makes absolutely no difference. I'm suspecting cam or piston problems, but at 4100 miles I find it hard to believe. I've read the workshop manual over and over but nothing obvious. It's a KLR650-C8 2002. Thanks Laurence (UK)

\ flyingloz@... wrote:

>On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I noticed >a rattle that I'd not heard before. Strange, I bought the bike new >and with just 4100 miles on the clock I was a little surprised. Oil >changes have been regular and the bike only used on the road and >driven carefully (seen too many results of road accidents). > >

If I haven't run my 2001 KLR for a few days, it will make a nasty rattle from the top end for a few seconds. If I let it sit about 8 hours, but it starts on a really high idle it will sometimes make the same noise for a few seconds. I never hear it when warmed up.

>I wondered how I hadn't had a hint of anything whilst in Norway? >Anyway it's there now and as the bike is four months out of warranty >it's a problem that needs sorting. I've taken the rocker cover off to >inspect and all looks like new, tappet clearances are within >

Did you pop off the cam bearing tops and check the bearings? That's where the noise would come from if it's the top end. The balancer chain tensioner is a more likely candidate than the camchain tensioner, did you check that? Devon Brooklyn

> > >

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "laurence_sams" wrote:

> Hello there, > > I have a KLR650, which until now has performed well with no

problems.

> However, having returned from a biking holiday in Norway I promptly > returned the bike to the garage where it stayed for about five

weeks

> before I mustered up enough energy to change the oil and go out for

a

> spin. > > On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I

noticed

> a rattle that I'd not heard before. Strange, I bought the bike new > and with just 4100 miles on the clock I was a little surprised. Oil > changes have been regular and the bike only used on the road and > driven carefully (seen too many results of road accidents). > > > Thanks > > Laurence (UK)

its hard to diagnose a sound from 1000's of miles (km) away. It could have always been there but when you stopped riding for 5 weeks your hearing perception changed. I get this with my bike also. there is a slight knock in all KLR650's. thats because it's a thumper (single cylinder). if the idle is set too low the automatic compression release will start working and cause a knock sound. the dealer told me that. maybe you adjusted the idle different in norway because of temperature and altitude. your suroundings may also make a difference. sounds can bounce off walls and make the bike louder. could be a lose screw on the exhaust pipe or heat shield. maybe when your bike was shipped, they damaged something. I assume you didn't ride it from Norway to UK. if you did, check for fish or other sea animals in the airbox. could be something flopping around in their 8^) when I installed a new slid plate the KLR started to make more noise because the sound was beiong reflected up by the heavy aluminum plate

having returned from a biking holiday in Norway

> > On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I noticed > a rattle that I'd not heard before.

And here I thought it was you - not your bike - that got rattled/blew a gasket when you experienced Norway's alcohol prices. All the advice you received so far is good. I'll second what Devon said about the balancer chain. You need to adjust it anyway so...warm up the engine and give it a listen.( I keep a cheap Harbor Freight stethoscope just for such occasions ) Turn the engine off and turn the adjust screw out the recommended 3/4 turn, tap the case with a mallet ( some say this step is not necessary but what the hell ) tighten the screw start the engine and see if things are quieter. If they're not and if you haven't found another reason for the noise then it's doohickey time. The way those things are made they could break by ridding in a North Sea ferry. Bogdan

My A12 becomes louder when I take off my helmet. squasher_1 wrote:--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "laurence_sams" wrote:

> Hello there, > > I have a KLR650, which until now has performed well with no

problems.

> However, having returned from a biking holiday in Norway I promptly > returned the bike to the garage where it stayed for about five

weeks

> before I mustered up enough energy to change the oil and go out for

a

> spin. > > On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I

noticed

> a rattle that I'd not heard before. Strange, I bought the bike new > and with just 4100 miles on the clock I was a little surprised. Oil > changes have been regular and the bike only used on the road and > driven carefully (seen too many results of road accidents). > > > Thanks > > Laurence (UK)

its hard to diagnose a sound from 1000's of miles (km) away. It could have always been there but when you stopped riding for 5 weeks your hearing perception changed. I get this with my bike also. there is a slight knock in all KLR650's. thats because it's a thumper (single cylinder). if the idle is set too low the automatic compression release will start working and cause a knock sound. the dealer told me that. maybe you adjusted the idle different in norway because of temperature and altitude. your suroundings may also make a difference. sounds can bounce off walls and make the bike louder. could be a lose screw on the exhaust pipe or heat shield. maybe when your bike was shipped, they damaged something. I assume you didn't ride it from Norway to UK. if you did, check for fish or other sea animals in the airbox. could be something flopping around in their 8^) when I installed a new slid plate the KLR started to make more noise because the sound was beiong reflected up by the heavy aluminum plate List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

WILLAM GILMORE wrote:

>My A12 becomes louder when I take off my helmet. > >squasher_1 wrote:--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "laurence_sams" >wrote: > > >>Hello there, >> >>I have a KLR650, which until now has performed well with no >> >> >pro > >its hard to diagnose a sound from 1000's of miles (km) away. It could >have always been there but when you stopped riding for 5 weeks your >hearing perception changed. I get this with my bike also. there is a > >

Sounds like a resonance problem from here, try filling the helmet with beer-soaked brain cells and let us know if things improve. DC [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "laurence_sams" wrote:

> Hello there, > > I have a KLR650, which until now has performed well with no

problems.

> However, having returned from a biking holiday in Norway I promptly > returned the bike to the garage where it stayed for about five

weeks

> before I mustered up enough energy to change the oil and go out for

a

> spin. > > On starting the engine to warm it prior to changing the oil I

noticed

> a rattle that I'd not heard before. Strange, I bought the bike new > and with just 4100 miles on the clock I was a little surprised. Oil > changes have been regular and the bike only used on the road and > driven carefully (seen too many results of road accidents). > > I wondered how I hadn't had a hint of anything whilst in Norway? > Anyway it's there now and as the bike is four months out of

warranty

> it's a problem that needs sorting. I've taken the rocker cover off

to

> inspect and all looks like new, tappet clearances are within > tolerance. I've had a look at the cam chain tensioner, perfect. I'm > loathed to do anything else, as the bike is as good as new. I've > recorded the noise on camera and uploaded it. It can be found at

the

> following address. > > http://www.avonclub.org.uk/waccers/video/video.html > > I'd surely appreciate some help with this one. Although I have a > reasonable amount of mechanical knowledge on all sorts of engines > over the years I don't have any knowledge (yet) on the KLR's > internals. The problem quietens down when the engine warms up but

is

> really noticeable when cold. I've adjusted the balancer chain but > that makes absolutely no difference. I'm suspecting cam or piston > problems, but at 4100 miles I find it hard to believe. I've read

the

> workshop manual over and over but nothing obvious. It's a KLR650-C8 > 2002. > > Thanks > > Laurence (UK)

--------------------------------------- I had a similar noise in mine that I finally solved. I would have sworn it was engine knock (or at the very least coming from the front or top of the engine), so I switched to high-octane gas. It didn't help. Several folks mentioned the radiator screen... mine was loose but that wasn't it either (a couple zip ties keep it still now). It turned out that the exhaust clamp next to the carb was loose and jingling. The sound must have traveled up the pipe to the front because I was so sure it was coming from up there somewhere.

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Lujo Bauer wrote:

> I can't compare different models and have no opinion about which is > better, but I can say that I've been satisfied with the lift I got from > Sears in the spring. It's not built with the precision of a Swiss > watch, but it's not hard to use, does what it's supposed to, and doesn't > have any glaring problems that would cause me to lose confidence in it. >

That's about what I would say about my Sam's Club unit: went together fine, works fine, not necessarily an object of pride.