I have a 95 f3 that has been making an engine noise lately. I've owned the bike for about 6 months, and it has made a barely noticable ticking noise from the engine for most of the time I've had it. Lately, I've noticed a new noise. The new noise is a rattle that seems to come from the top of the right side of the engine. It is not extremely loud, but quite a bit louder than the ticking noise it has always made. The noise only happens when a few conditions are met:
1. the engine must be cold- after it warms up (maybe 5 or 10 minutes of riding), the rattle goes away entirely.
2. the engine is idling- the rattle goes away when I use the throttle at all, whether it is in gear or in neutral.
3. it must be below about 60 degrees outside. If it is warmer than this, I never hear the noise. I think the bike might have always made this noise, but I have never heard it until it started to get cold outside.
One thing I've also noticed is that the bike doesn't start making the noise usually until after I sit on the seat. I usually start the bike and let it warm up for a minute or two on cold days prior to getting on the bike. Usually, the noise doesn't start until after I sit on the bike and take it off the side stand. Although, sometimes I do hear the noise when the bike is on the side stand.
The bike runs excellent and doesn't have any other problems. I don't hear any noises when I'm riding the bike aside from that very light ticking noise. I've read a lot of posts about the cam chain tensioner making noises. Is my rattling noise consistent with a bad cam chain tensioner, or is it more like a different problem? Any help would be greatly appreaciated.
-D

 

Do a search on the CCT on the site, see if they match your symptoms, a lot of noises get transmitted up to the rider when your sitting on the bike. Often wot sounds like a mechanical noise can be a vibration from somewheres (like the screen). There a lots of things that cause them & you can mad trying to track them down, sit on your bike, and slowly raise the revs, see if you can track it down

 

Cam chain tensioners sound like nails in a coffee can rattling around when they go bad...Check out A.P.E. they sell an aftermarket one

 

Thank you for both of the responses. The nails in a coffee can description sounds similar to what I've been hearing when the sound does occur. The sound seems to be coming from the engine, though I will check again, just to make sure it isn't just vibrations from the fairings.

How much work is it to replace the cam chain tensioner, by the way? Also, is a bad cam chain tensioner something that needs to be fixed immediately? Thanks again for the help.
-D

 

I may be totally wrong, and am very noobish. But to me yes. Isn't the cam chain the thing that deals with the chain and sprockets and all that stuff thats kinda important to make the bike go? Seems like a big important "LINK IN THE CHAIN" (har har har) of parts and **** that makes the bike actually ride, safe and smooth. Again, im new, and may be totally wrong, but just how I feel.

 

Yeah, its something you should get fixed ASAP methinks, I would go crazy from just hearing the noise.

 

I think I will be fixing it before I ride it much more, since it's getting cold out anyway. How hard is it to replace the CCT? I don't see that in my repair manual. Also, where can i get a new one? I've seen other posts where people have used manual CCT's as a replacement for the stock CCT, but do those require extra work that the stock tensioners don't require? Thanks.
-D

 

you can ride it for a lil while the tensioner is just out of slack adjustment so as the chain stretches it will get louder...but the cam chain has a very important job so get it done...shoudl only take about an hour to to...when you put it in keep bumping the start button while tightening the tensioner bolt in the center...once you get it FINGER tight and it dosent move any tighter with YOUR FINGERS...lock down the jamnut and youll never hear the nose again...if you do make another adjustment...it wont be often you need to do this though...GOOD LUCK bro its not that bad really

 

I replaced my CCT with an APE manual cam chain tensioner and it fixed the same problem. although now I hear another ticking noise coming from the front part of the engine. bike seems to run fine, but now the noise is getting louder. doesnt sound good at all. could it be somethings misaligned within the piston case?>

 

I hate to Hijack the thread but my bike needs a new CCT too but I was reading somewhere else that said do the chain as well as the CCT. My bike has 22k miles on it any input?