Terminal rattle?

[iswoolley]

Oh dear, this week isn't really going very well! After the wheel bearing failure up north, I've now got a persistant rattle that I can't identify, and then this afternoon the bike cut out for reasons unknown.

Riding through the mountains my GPS started trying to switch to battery power (ironic as it didn't have any fitted), then the engine missed a couple of times, and finally as I coasted into Mam Cross it cut out completely. No response from the starter button, and really dim lights pointed the finger at a duff battery. I spent 20 minutes arsing around prodding and poking without much of a clue, then tried to bump start it, which surprisingly worked. I rode back to my digs, and strangely the bike now starts on the button. Explanation?

What's worrying me more is a rattle that's been increasing in volume for the last week. It sounds light and mettalic, which to my limited knowledge means either the camchains, clutch springs, or drive chain. It appears once the revs are over 3'000 rpm. The bike has done 20k miles from new. As I understand it the camchains should last 50k miles and don't need adjusting. Surely the clutch should last even longer. Which leaves the drive chain, but that's been well oiled and looks in fine shape, plenty of adjustment left as well.

Should I be seeking the nearest mechanic pronto? Or is it something else I don't know about? Can I just leave it be until I get back home and have some time to look at it? All ideas welcome.

Iain

[YEN_POWELL]

Check that your two deep sparkplugs have not worked loose, This makes an unfindable noise which always seems to come from somewhere else other than where you look. This was why I mistakenly had my camchains changed at 70,000 miles (so plenty of life in yours yet, mine were like new). Noise turned out to be my front plug half way out of its hole. I'd thought it was something terminal for a few weeks before I sussed it.

When you prodded at the bike did you check the battery leads. I have heard they also can loosen and cause intermittent power loss.

[DaveS]

When you prodded at the bike did you check the battery leads. I have heard they also can loosen and cause intermittent power loss.

Yep I've had that a few times. Causes it to kangaroo down the road and then miraculously be ok for a while.

[africatijn]

Hi,
Try a little drive without the belly pan... It could cause the rattle. My RD04 has all sorts of rattles, most of ém due to the belly pan, fairing etc.

Earplugs do seem to solve the rattling...

Cheers,
Tijn

[Dilbert]

I have to agree with Tijn about the rattle, if it were a car you would just turn the stereo up.
I had a problem with the starter soleniod coil, the battery kept going flat and the starter just wouldn't think about turning over, I thought it might be the rectifier, but Robelst suggested checking the connectors as did a sparky from work. Turned out to be the two copper posts on the coil were green with verde gris, cleaned them up and the terminals on the big short wire from the battery live, sprayed everything with WD40 and hey presto!

[iswoolley]

Check that your two deep sparkplugs have not worked loose...

Stripped the bike down last night and checked the plugs. All 4 are well seated and screwed in tight. So that's one thing I can rule out. I'm going to rig up a temporary fuel tank, so that I can go for a ride without the fairing and tank. Hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint the rattle then.

The saga continues...

[Maverick]

Check that your two deep sparkplugs have not worked loose...

Stripped the bike down last night and checked the plugs. All 4 are well seated and screwed in tight. So that's one thing I can rule out. I'm going to rig up a temporary fuel tank, so that I can go for a ride without the fairing and tank. Hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint the rattle then.

The saga continues...

There are four spark plugs on these bikes? Have I missed two somewhere

[iswoolley]

There are four spark plugs on these bikes? Have I missed two somewhere?

Most definately. There is one plug per cylinder that is almost completely hidden by the cylinder head covers. Spark plugs are item 27 in this fiche for the front cylinder:

[Maverick]

Well all I can do is laugh at my own stupidity of not checking the rear of the freakin cylinders. What I can't laugh about is the fact that the Honda Dealer only gave me two spark plugs when I asked him for all the spares to do a minor service

I wonder if they know about these additional plugs. Well the hidden one's just did another 7,5k without problems or maybe once I change them will realise how the bike is really supposed to pull

Another lesson learned.......stop laughing you lot at the back it was a honest mistake

[iswoolley]

Hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint the rattle then.

Well I finally found the rattle, it's the engine guard touching the mount for the engine bars. So a quick modification to the engine guard and I should be back on the road and rattle free!