So, just to verify... If when starting my bike cold, it makes a tapping or rattling sound, until it warms up, it is normal? When the bike stops making this noise is generally right after the needle on my temp gauge moves to in the normal range. There is no noise after this at any time. It runs smooth, with no noise.

 

Yup, sounds like your cam chain. My bike's an '88 and has the same quirk. And that's after replacing the cam chain and tensioner about 1000 kms. ago. Doesn't give me any other problems, though.

 

Yes, same here. After it reaches normal operating temp, it's nice n quiet. Now, my previous '87 Hurricane had a rattle that was present ALL the time that Honda diagnosed as a bad ac generator chain that could go at any time. Bad. I've since sold that one.

 

It seems like this is normal. I have heard that even if you replace that tensioner, eventually it starts rattling again.

 

I dont think it is you tensioner. It should keep rattling even when the bike is warm and especially at higher RPMs. If it is you tensionioner as long as you put a manual one in it should fix it for the life of the bike.

 

I too have had that noise that happens when you first start up cold, but then it goes away after it warms up. Recently, the noise has been getting worse and wouldn't go away. I decided it was time to replace the tensioner and adjust the valves while I was in there. Since this was my first time attempting this, I had a fairly steep learning curve. A couple of things that I learned that might help someone else. 1 is don't release the Capsthat hold down the cam shafts before you try to loosen the cam chain. The valve springs push up on the camshaft, which takes up a lot of slack in the chain. 2nd was you may have to take the sprocket off of the exhaust cam shaft. I couldn't get enough slack on the chain, so I took off the camchain sprocket, and was then able to continue with the removal. Adjusting the valves without the special tool from Honda was a challenge. I did get it done, but it took significantly more time than it should have.

Results,
All I can say is OMG. It is so quiet and smooth I can't believe it. There is no rattle or marbles sound. Not even when it's cold. I did find a tappet lock nut that had come loose, and that probably contributed to the noise. Here are a few photo's from the job. The slider was the only thing that I could actually see where on.



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[IMG]local://upfiles/10297/544D2EEA898C456F9C2E2CABC484DC86.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/10297/40281F71FF13494591A6B690CC0293DD.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/10297/508915C9EA4E420FB62719241DC4F8F1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/10297/A3C82F158DAB42E18D245007ED96D392.jpg[/IMG]

 

hmmm, I've got the same noise. How difficult is the job? I am above average in the mechanical department but like to know what I am getting in to before starting. Is it a simple remove and replace or do you have to re adjust the valves and stuff like that?

If you have any bullet tips, I would definitley read them!

 

New guy here but an original owner of a 1990. Mine has about 25k on the clock and I changed my tensioner at 18k.

The noise is gone and hasn't come back. I didn't take any pics but the new OE tensioner was different than the one that came out. I think is was the diameter of the little pistion or the hole in the piston that lets the oil out was larger (this was 5-6 yrs ago). I suspect it is a parts upgrade from Honda.

As far as a tough job or not it was not too bad. If you have never taken off a cam before you definitely want the factory manual and maybe somebody who has done a top end before to help.

Hope this helps,
Andy

 

I put a DiD heavy duty silent roller timing chain on mine with the stock tensioner and it took the noise away. I want to get the newer style tensioner too, just haven't got around to it. Another cause of this noise is the alternator/starter chain that runs off the crank. The tensioner is self adjusting, but can fail causing severe slap. I thought my timing chain had loosened up again but when I took the motor apart I found the alternator auto tensioner to be the cause. It eventually got so slack that the chain rode up on the teeth and snapped. Bike eventually died on me when the battery went dead from lack of charging.

 

Here's the thing. Since the weather has warmed up it doen't make any noise at all anymore. I am not particularly concerned right now because every article I read about this particular generation had complaints about engine noise during warm up.