Knock knock

[Lord Stig]

That's the problem with this - I CAN hear it very well with ear plugs! Shame bikes don't have a radio you can turn up....

Yen, I'll have a look round for other causes as soon as I can. You never know, it might turn something up.

Stig

[Carport]

If the fix for the other bikes just makes the noise dissapear it would seem that there's no danger of the engines self-destructing so I'd go along with Yen and suggest ignoring it.

Whenever I ride for a mile of two without earplugs ('cos I forgot!) I think my bike's about to fall apart. As soon as I put them in everything's peachy!!

As someone much wiser than me once said, "Just ride it"!

Cheers
-Simon

P.S. If, heaven forbid, it does explode no guarantees have been expressed or should be inferred in the above, oh and YMMV!

Honda do say it isn't causing any damage but strange that they will do the work under warranty if you want!

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Stig, all very upsetting for you BUT have you any reason for suspecting a knackered topend????

Has this noise just started/reapeared since the carb balance?

How about rechecking balance?

Plugs have been mentioned, tappets etc...., pilot jets/screws not blocked/adjusted ok (do before carb balance!) as this can cause a topendy knock.

Start with the simple things first, with stuff like this it's easy to look for the most worrying/expensive scenario

Good luck mate

Phil

[Lord Stig]

Hey, thanks for all that advice - very useful. I say this in a whisper but I think I know what's been causing it, and it's not the cam. Yen, you were probably closest. Not a loose plug, but related and therefore explaining why the noise came from where it came. I went routing around last night. When I tried to pull the plug cap off the internal clamp stayed behind. Running the bike with the HT lead hanging in the air revealed there's otherwise nothing wrong with the coil though - wow, I've never seen such a long spark! Especially since the end of the lead appears to have no wires in it now. It looks like the arcing inside the plug well was loud enough, and the plug well itself somehow modified the sound. Well, I did say it was like a knuckle knocking on the valve cover. Even so, this was a loud noise. It also explains why it was so intermittent.

After I wedged the end of the lead the best I could into the plug clamp the sound has disappeared! Still, I don't think the cutting out problem is related to this one HT lead. A few days ago I disconnected the offside plug lead on the way to work after I'd had the problem, and it ran as normal. Anyway, with the power of the spark, I'd expect the plug to still spark even if it wasn't connected. Luckily I won a coil on eBay yesterday for a fiver. It's probably for an RD04 so might not be compatible with the ICU (mapped for the throttle position sensor not fitted to the RD04), but it 'should' work. I won't get it for a while but the bike runs fine as it is.

All in all a result. I'm still thinking of getting a lower mileage engine though. If I have to keep this on the road for the next few years it might be the cheapest option in the long run. Realistically there is no job I can't do on this bike (with the proviso of having the right tools etc.) which is one of the appeals of the AT - you really can get stuck in. But I don't enjoy 'having' to do it, especially without a workshop. Ah, after 23 years riding bikes and always having to do my own mechanics out of downright impercunity Id hoped Id be able to afford to pay someone else to do it by now. Or at least afford newer bikes. But would I trust anyone else?? Nah...

Stig

[Dilbert]

Ah, after 23 years riding bikes and always having to do my own mechanics out of downright impercunity Id hoped Id be able to afford to pay someone else to do it by now. Or at least afford newer bikes. But would I trust anyone else?? Nah...
Stig

Tell me about it Stig, it's now 31 years since I got my first bike and I still can't afford a newer bike, going to pick up a 125 for my youngest lad and trying to sort out a car for the oldest lad, daughter and wife have already fleeced me here, so that's why I ride an '88 RD03 off ebay (no money left for me).
Monkeys are alright for car servicing, but you wouldn't want one swinging off your AT now would you

[Lord Stig]

Amen to that! You've got to ask what we are/have been/will do wrongwhen all these other buggers get a new bike every year. That can't apply to people here 'cos AT's aren't made new any more....

Stig

[Maverick]

Ok I can't take it anymore - WHO's THERE?

































Il'l get my coat

[robelst]

There's an AT engine on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-XRV-750-...QQcmdZViewItem

44k-kms, so that's 28 k-miles. Came from a showroon fire so you may want to ask some more details...

BTW: Funny bronze casing colour, thought that was only used on the XRV 650 / RD03?

[YEN_POWELL]

There's an AT engine on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-XRV-750-...QQcmdZViewItem

44k-kms, so that's 28 k-miles. Came from a showroon fire so you may want to ask some more details...

BTW: Funny bronze casing colour, thought that was only used on the XRV 650 / RD03?

I don't spose the colour is smoke damage from the fire?

[robelst]

I don't spose the colour is smoke damage from the fire?

Well, looking at the picture the fire must have been really selective on hitting that part of the engine