I am DEPRESSED!
 

We just came back last week from our annual trip to west Texas... The CBR is running STRONG, still pulls like a freight train and still fast!! I was flipping it through corners like it was 150 pounds lighter with a shorter wheelbase and making the guys behind me struggle to keep up, it was great fun!! Just in case ya'll didn't know I switched to the Continental Motion tires, and they peformed WELL!!! I prefer the Continental Roads because of their profile, but for the price I got the motions for I was impressed.

The sad part is, through the whole trip I could hear my cam chain rattling... :( The tensioner is ONLY 1.5 yrs old, and the chain constantly made noise. Come on, someone give me some positive information here!! I know what that means! Sounds like the cam chain is finally toasted... The way I am, I would split the cases and rebuild that motor for fear of the chain breaking or skipping!! Do any of you guys hear the same noise while riding down the highway?? I could hear it winding up and slowing down. It use to get quiet when it got warm, now I can hear it, not as loud but I can hear it. Throw some good info my way please.. I have put my CBR in the garage and pulled out my Gixxer 2k5 and I fear of getting another 300 dollar ticket!!!!! The dang thing is tooooooooo fast! Hehehe.. I can't stop it from doing over a 100!! HEEEEELLLP!!!

Some good news
 

Foxfire, I sing real loud in my helmet and all the noises go away! I also ride with ear plugs so my singing is even dampened. Maybe the oil hole that pumps up the tensioner is plugged. I would check the tensioner for a malfunction before getting depressed. Kind of like looking for Janet Jackson's "wardrob malfunction." Could be a good thing!:D

May be your engine balance shaft, but if you can hear the chain on the highway........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK
Buy a DID chain and you can do the job with the motor in the bike.I did mine yesterday !

DID chain
 

Splane more Shadow. What is a "DID" chain? Does it have a master link in it? Break the old chain and hook the DID chain to it and pull it threw? Splane to me....:cool:

Yup, you just explained it Joe:D and pretty good too...

The job is pretty easy if you take your time..
I have done them like that on other 4 in lines, but am yet to do it on my CBR

I was speaking to Pete on the phone only 24 hrs ago about this job and the the re joining of the chain with the special tool (which I have used before) and he suggested to just to pean over the Master link pin with a few hand tools...
I will leave him to explain how he did his :D goooooo Pete ...!!!

Mine sounds like a bloody ball bearing factory at very low RPM , but once I get moving under load , it ain't too bad ...
and yup , I am going to do mine very soon :D the easy way by not splitting the cases... splitting the cases is NUTTS !! unless you have a few days labor to throw at it and want to buy a ton more parts ...( Gaskets ect ect)

BTW -Firefox how many miles has yours done in the year and a half with the new tensioner.?

Replacing the chain without splitting the cases huh?? Sounds like your speaking of replacing the chain like u would the chain and sprocket on your tires except inside the engine. So ur saying align the cam chains in TDC then break the old chain, tie the masterlink old chain to the new and then feed it through the engine until the new chain is all the way through right??? So why do you suggest a DID chain??? Isn't that a rear sprocket chain??? Or do they make a cam chain as well??? If that can be done, I would prefer to do that and replace the CCT.

CBR Classic - In te year and a half I have had that CCT on it, I have put a solid 17,000 miles on it.

DID make a chain with a master link - 150 links/pins is what you need. We get the DID412HD chain here which has 152 links so I grind away two pins and fit the new chain with 150 links.Any of the manufacturers like Takasago will be fine. As for the rest you are correct. I lay a cloth over the open engine space and grind away a link on the old chain (don't have a splitter) and tie off the ends so it can't fall into the engine.
If you need more let me know, as my engine is open at the moment.

Hi Shadow , have you bothered to change all the cam-chain guides as well , or is it not really worth doing them

I know i am new to the whole CBR thing, but i need to ask, is the cam chain the "weak link" of this bike?

Or am i just worrying over nothing?

Aussie Johnno

Johno...
all bikes have certain service related things about them that require that little bit of extra attention..
The CBR1000F would be without a doubt one of the strongest engined, long lived bikes that has ever existed...
The fact that we here on the CBRF have too many members to mention, that have has these CBRs for years and years attests to this.

The 20 year old engines on the earlier ones like mine , sure may have had a cam chain and tensioner replacement, but that would not be considered a weak link mate....... just a service issue to be dealt with when that time comes about..

The cam chain tensioners on these bikes were on the early models, an issue that required a little extra attention.. but now the newer model tensioners are available to replace them when needed and they improve this potential weakness in the earlier model engines with minimal cost or fuss....

Most 1000Fs will run 30,000 miles (50,000 klms+) on a cam chain and sometimes further depending on how hard they are ridden..
I have heard of only very few have ever actually failed ....and they were on bikes that were thrashed over long long periods of time and lots of miles...

So to answer your question in a few words..... no, it is not a weak link mate, just something that needs to be taken care of periodically...just like drive chains or any other regular maintenance issue that re occurs over time, with only the miles they are ridden being the determining factor 99% of the time..
:D