My TTR is rattling a lot more than I remember it doing at the end of last year.
When riding at a reasonable pace (about 40mph) on a road (tarmac) and neither accelerating (under-load) nor decelerating (coasting) the top end has a distinct quite loud rattle that I don't recall it used to do.
It's almost like chain slap, but it's not the drive chain.
Mechanically over the winter I've changed quite a lot of little bits and pieces, including fitting a new drive sprocket. When I did that I may have turned the engine over while undoing or doing up the front sprocket nut before locking the nut with a jam against the frame or swingarm (can't remember), so I might have forced the engine backwards or forwards in gear during the process.
I can only imagine I have a damaged bearing or cam chain issue.
Clearly I want to fix it before I get a breakage.
Any ideas what to check?... without striping down the whole top end.
Thanks, James.
Only thing I can think of is checking the cam chain tensioner. But that is generally a maintenance free part.
Sounds to me as if somethings maybe a tad worn, James.
I've never had the lid off my TTR so can't really advise with any surety, so before the Gurus reply, things for you to ponder over are :-
Badly adjusted valve clearances
Valves worn or not seating properly
Valve guides worn
Maybe needs a rebore
Timing chain worn or needing adjusting
Tightening a sprocket nut in the way you describe should not be a problem as such, BUT, if the engine was tired/worn then it's just probable that something inside may have been turned that shouldn't. E.G. Woodruff key? Timing chain?
A visit to a friendly local mechanic may be beneficial.
Nothing will be all that worn as the engine has only covered 5000 miles, and the noise wasn't there before Christmas, but appeared after. So I don't think it is a regular wear issue.
One other idea that I had was it could be the bash plate rattling against the frame/engine etc under those conditions. I could take it off and see if the noise disappears, which would be quite easy.
The engine runs fine under all conditions, just sounds very rattly in the specific conditions mentioned.
James.
My previous bike was a nice Tiger Cub, but I couldn't bear to take it off road and get it dirty, so changed for the TTR.
I changed the chain and sprockets on my old 2005 ttr, the original front sprocket had a rubber bush bonded to it but the new one didn't, I noticed some rattling noise from the drive chain under certain accelerating due to this.
Yes I noticed this and the new front sprocket was louder than the rubber cushioned original equipment one. That change was done about 3 years ago. But this time I was already running on a 13 tooth Renthal (without the cush) to the same replacement, so that's not it.
I once had a suzuki gs500 and i could hear a distict rattling and it was doing my head in. turns out it was a new key i put on the keyring that was vibrating on the bars which wasnt there before obviously.
I actually think you may be right. It might not be the engine at all. I noticed this morning that the bash plate is touching the engine casing on the left side so it has clearly been 'bashed'. I'm now very suspicious that may be it. So I'll whip it off and see what a difference that makes.
As far as keys are concerned I only have a single key on that keyring. There is a GPS, second GPS (yes, really), Double Take mirror and Acerbis hand guards all of which could be rattling. I did have the exhaust off the bike for the first time over the winter so I'll check that as well.
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