I have a 96 and im hearing a noise that I would describe as a rattle, best way to describe, it sounds like a bolt is loose with a small washer is rattling. I have checked everything I can think of and everything feels tight. It sounds as if it is coming from the left side under the tank or fork area, it’s hard to tell with the helmet on.
It’s not from the right of the cct, which was replaced last year.
I can only hear it when accelerating, quick or slow, not while decelerating or when the clutch is pulled.
I know that f3’s have regular sounds is this one a normal one? I figure it’s best to ask anyway vs. having something grenade on me.

Thanks_

I wont be able to do video/sound clip till after the weekend.

 

dude, get an audio or video clip for sure. It could LITERALY be over 100 things. I have a clip of some trany noise, knowing the exact area (im pretty sure at lease lol) and that could easily be about 25 different things... audio clip for sure, video is better

 

Noises are always hard, due to the back-ground. What you are describing, kind of
sounds like a cct issue, only usually (from my understanding) the chain rattles at
low-speed/no-load and will disappear as the rpm goes up (at least in the early stages).

The lower-end of the engine is not an area I have dealt with much. The only thing to
the left of the cct is the transmission/starter. While some 'whirring' noise is to be expected,
I don't ever hear any rattles. Have you gone through, the bike, checking
for any loose mounting bolts/components? Perhaps, something is loose and vibrating,
causing your noise. Try going through and snugging anything you can reach, looking
for external fastenings that have play (and shouldn't).

That's my best guess, good luck, Ern

 

I just today solved a mystery rattle from the lower left of my bike. I was missing one of the two screws that holds on the plastic cover over the front sprocket. I knew this, always meant to fix it, but figured it was mostly a cosmetic issue. When I was cleaning today I discovered the metal C-shaped spacer that goes between the cover and the side of the engine. Down a screw, it was free to rotate, and had been rubbing on the chain, making a mysterious intermittent rattling that I had been trying to figure out for months. Moral of the story: every bolt is important. Check em all, make sure everything is tight.

 

I realized that I haven’t updated this thread in a while. I attempted to get a video but all I got was wind & exhaust sound.
As crazy as it may sound I think it might just be the drive chain that I’m hearing. I tightened it up two weeks prior to having to tighten it up again, & I noticed that it had significant amount of slack in it.
Does that sound correct, the drive chain would rattle louder with a load on it?
I think that if I change out the drive chain, I might regain some of my sanity & lose some of my paranoia of a major catastrophe (till the next mystery noise).

I have checked the sprockets that the PO placed on the bike they look almost new being steel sprockets but the setup is 0/+2 (15/45) with a 525 chain. Would that be a 150 link?

So does anyone have recommendation of a place to get a good price on a quality chain? I’d like to get a gold colored one.

Thanks