Click/Knock

[Ferrealls_imp]

Anyone have any clicking or knocking coming from the engine? Sounds like it might be the valves but I haven't looked to much into it yet. Just heard it at a stoplight on my way home last night.

850 miles on the bike. Changed oil at 600 with Royal Purple Max-Cycle and a K&N oil filter.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Yeah, pretty much every CB made. Injectors click open and closed and make noise that you can hear. Most likely that is what you are hearing. You can't really hear on a lot of bikes due to all the plastic cowling, etc.

Some have reported a knocking when using other than the Honda weight oil, others not. I am not starting an oil thread!

 

[Ferrealls_imp]

Yeah, pretty much every CB made. Injectors click open and closed and make noise that you can hear. Most likely that is what you are hearing. You can't really hear on a lot of bikes due to all the plastic cowling, etc.

Some have reported a knocking when using other than the Honda weight oil, others not. I am not starting an oil thread!

Yeah let's not open that can of worms.

Just noticed it a little louder last night, but then again maybe I was just paying attention more.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I think Ferret noted once that with our naked bike, and depending on what kind of helmet you wear, wind or fly screen, etc, you will hear engine noises that aren't normally heard.

The injector clicking has surprised a number of people, especially if they came from carb'd bikes.

 

[Wisedrum]

When I pull or release the clutch lever, I hear a very smooth click,
produced by the hydraulic clutch system. Quiet normal and only audible for a very schooled ear.

All other noises of my CB seems to be in range and do not shake my nerves anyway.
The engine of the Honda is a very calm running one in comparison to older
and even some newer motorbikes.

Wisedrum

 

[Inhouse Bob]

Okay, so that's that noise... now what's the high pitched whine I hear all the time? Sounds like the sound you get between turning the key on and hitting the starter button. Sometimes it is pretty loud at low enough speeds to hear it. I'm thinking that it's maybe the turbo winding up :banana:

 

[Lord Popgun]

Well that would be nice Bob, but it is the fuel pump pressurizing the fuel system.

I might have misunderstood. The fuel pump sound is when you turn on the key, then it stops. What other whine? Maybe you are not on your CB, but on an ST. Now that whines!

 

[Inhouse Bob]

Well that would be nice Bob, but it is the fuel pump pressurizing the fuel system.

I might have misunderstood. The fuel pump sound is when you turn on the key, then it stops. What other whine? Maybe you are not on your CB, but on an ST. Now that whines!

I hear it when I'm rolling to a stop or idling along slow, though I expect it is there always but hidden by other noise at higher speeds. It's a high whine. I'll have to take a ride and listen to whether it is effected by RPM and whatnot. It'll be a while as it's raining now.
Bob

 

[flynrider]

I think Ferret noted once that with our naked bike, and depending on what kind of helmet you wear, wind or fly screen, etc, you will hear engine noises that aren't normally heard.

The injector clicking has surprised a number of people, especially if they came from carb'd bikes.

I fell into that category. I noticed the pronounced clicking when I'd crank hard on the throttle accelerating in 2nd gear. Turned out that was because I was still at a relatively low speed, so the wind noise wasn't covering it up.

Never having owned a fuel injected bike, I initially thought it was pinging/knocking from detonation.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Well that would be nice Bob, but it is the fuel pump pressurizing the fuel system.

I might have misunderstood. The fuel pump sound is when you turn on the key, then it stops. What other whine? Maybe you are not on your CB, but on an ST. Now that whines!

I hear it when I'm rolling to a stop or idling along slow, though I expect it is there always but hidden by other noise at higher speeds. It's a high whine. I'll have to take a ride and listen to whether it is effected by RPM and whatnot. It'll be a while as it's raining now.
Bob

I hear it when I'm rolling to a stop or idling along slow, though I expect it is there always but hidden by other noise at higher speeds. It's a high whine. I'll have to take a ride and listen to whether it is effected by RPM and whatnot. It'll be a while as it's raining now.
Bob
Well, I'm no expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express over the 4th. So a guess. Alternator? counterbalancer? cam chain maybe? Or just transmission whine? Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[davidsargee_imp]

I have always experienced some whining noises since new, however, lately they seem more noticeable, and I'm hearing some sort of a clicking/vibration that sounds almost like something is loose.

I can hear the noises, particularly the vibration, only while the bike is warming up, yet I can't seem to locate them other than to say they sound like they are coming from the top/front of the engine, around the headers. I thought maybe the headers had somehow loosened but they don't feel that way.

I warm up the bike on the centerstand for a minute, until the cooling fins are warm, no more than a minute and a half, and I hear the noise as it is warming up. I leave my house and go down the road at an easy pace for a few blocks until the bike is thouroughly warmed up and the noise seems to go away. If I stop for more than a couple of minutes, (bike not running), and the engine cools down, the noise comes back. It is a sort of a knocking, rattling sound, accompanied by a vibration. It always goes away when the bike is good and warmed up.

Has anyone else encountered this? Or anything similar?

 

[xNE0x_imp]

I'm just going to say unless your bike stops functioning, running, or just becomes a complete failure....

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!

 

[Lord Popgun]

David,

There was a fair amount of discussion about noise similar to yours. It seemed to be oil related. Some used 40w oil and had noises like that and they went away when switched back to 30w oil. But a lot of members use 10w40 and have no problems.

If you search around enough on here, especially in the oil threads, you can probably find those thoughts. Keep in mind that no one can agree on anything in an oil thread!

But, what was the noise? Well, on a member's bike on the UK board in 2013, Honda said it was the balancer. Or not. They were kind of sketchy about it. I believe the cam chain tensioner was mentioned or changed as well. They took his engine apart and all, but no definitive answer was given to the owner which I though was strange.

I don't seem to have any unusual noises and just use the Honda 10w30 oil. But the Honda does say you can use 10W40.

 

[davidsargee_imp]

Yeah, I don't go near those threads, .

Last year I posted on the forum pretty frequently, however I have been busy with a lot of stuff and haven't been on much this year. I used 10/40 full synthetic during the summer while it was hot, and changed to 10/30 last oil change, which was right before the fall. Come to think of it, the noises may have started around then. The vibration might be the headlight, I saw another thread where some guys had problems with vibrating headlight rings. I'm going to try a couple of things and see what happens.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Lord Popgun]

David, what has been vibrating is the wire harness connectors in the headlight shell. Just wrap some thin foam sheeting or whatever you think best and most likely your noise will disappear. Mine did, and I think everyone else's has.

 

[dave]

Yes. I used the old "screwdriver to the ear" trick and it sounds like it is coming from the RH / fwd side of the crankcase, near the crankshaft. It got fairly loud at idle one time when I was doing some stop-and-go city riding on a hot day and the engine got really hot. Sometime my engine makes this noise when I first start it up, but it quiets down after about a minute or two. I have 7,300 miles on it and am running the Honda 10w30 full synthetic motor oil.

I have always experienced some whining noises since new, however, lately they seem more noticeable, and I'm hearing some sort of a clicking/vibration that sounds almost like something is loose.

I can hear the noises, particularly the vibration, only while the bike is warming up, yet I can't seem to locate them other than to say they sound like they are coming from the top/front of the engine, around the headers. I thought maybe the headers had somehow loosened but they don't feel that way.

I warm up the bike on the centerstand for a minute, until the cooling fins are warm, no more than a minute and a half, and I hear the noise as it is warming up. I leave my house and go down the road at an easy pace for a few blocks until the bike is thouroughly warmed up and the noise seems to go away. If I stop for more than a couple of minutes, (bike not running), and the engine cools down, the noise comes back. It is a sort of a knocking, rattling sound, accompanied by a vibration. It always goes away when the bike is good and warmed up.

Has anyone else encountered this? Or anything similar?

My bike does nearly the same thing. I believe the sound is lower, near the RH side of the crankshaft area. I put a screwdriver to my ear and touched the opposite side to various surfaces on the engine while it was running. My bike made this same noise once when it got very hot due to riding in city stop-and-go traffic on a hot day. I use Honda 10w30 full synthetic motor oil.

 

[xNE0x_imp]

It's a known issue, and one I would not worry yourself over.

Yes, it sounds bad but I've yet to see / read / hear of anyone having any sort of failure over it.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Dave that is where the balancer is. There is a procedure to adjust it, but like xNE0x says, I wouldn't worry yourself over it.

 

[Toddman_imp]

I think you are hearing the cam drive train. Since these bikes are not water cooled, you will hear noises that you've never heard. I think the "whining" that's talked about is that cool, old style whistle that is so endearing to these inline fours. My KZs all did it and personally, I like it.

 

[DGShannon_imp]

I think you are hearing the cam drive train. Since these bikes are not water cooled, you will hear noises that you've never heard. I think the "whining" that's talked about is that cool, old style whistle that is so endearing to these inline fours. My KZs all did it and personally, I like it.

Exactly, without the water jacket surrounding, and muffling, the mechanicals you will hear much more of the normal sounds going on inside the engine.