hey guys,
i just purchased a 99 cbr900rr with 17k miles a few weeks ago. first bike actually. anyways, i recently started noticing a tapping/ticking noise coming somewhere from the top of the motor i believe. i've read on here that its probably the cam chain tensioner. starts up around 3k rpm and goes til engine noise is louder than the tapping. does it hot or cold. street riding in a high gear i can't even hear it.

i'm basically wondering what it takes to replace the tensioner. i'm not going to lie, i will go with whatever is cheaper. be it the manual or stock tensioner. i'm a college student and money is tight. i know a thing or two about engines. (in school for an automotive technician) so i plan on doing this on my own.
just need someone to point me in the right direction for some instructions or how-to knowledge.

i've been on forums before looking for info, and i got a ton of backwoods bullsh!t. that is not what i'm looking for. i am not a professional by no means, but when i start something....i do it right the first time. so, don't be pissed if i ask tons of questions that you think may be stupid. its how i learn.
well, if you don't think i sounded like too much of a dick there....please assist me with this

 

1st thing, you have identify if it is actually the CCT. Could be a tappet noise or even a your chain needing adjustment/replacement (they can get pretty noisy if their loose or buggered). CCT can get really loud (think marbles in a can). On the F3, replacing the CCT is pretty straight forward & can't imagine it being any different with the 900 (although you need a "Special" little tool to unwind the spring) once the new one is in place. Ido made one up himself pretty easiy. You also have to consider OEM (automatic) over a manual one. You have to adjust these types yourself, not hard, but you have to remember to do it as part of your regular maintenance. Their are a few places on the net that have both types a lot cheaper than getting them through a bike shop.
Being a faired bike, a lot of normal noises, get transmitted up & audible at certain RPM.

 

also, it does get slightly louder with increase in rpm. but mostly just faster.

 

Or you could convert the one you have to a manual one.

 

I have the same ticking noise on my 02 954rr. Can some one tell me if it's the rubber tensioner by the crank or the metal tensioner-lifter by the cams that is causing problems? I'm also wondering if I should replace the cam chain as well or not? I know for my bike, it's a pretty big job and the service manual says to do a lot of unnecessary stuff. I'll try to put up pictures of the project to help.

 

Here's how I checked mine- (96 900rr)
I unscrewed the 8mm bolt in the end of the CCT, and took a small flat screwdriver, inserted it into the hole, and turned it- one way it doesn't turn, and the other it does, but it's spring loaded and will spin back to where it was. If it does, most likely it is working great.
I started the engine, and then twisted the CCT the direction that wound up the spring (for lack of a better description) SLOWLY! A minor turn, like an hour or less (like on a clock) will yield a sound like a coffee can full of rocks- OR it won't do anything. If it does nothing, turn it the other direction, and apply a slight amount of pressure. if the sound goes away, get a new CCT. If it doesn't, I would look elsewhere in the engine...

 

Without hearing your engine running it's a bit hard to diagnose, but it just might need the valve clearances checking/setting. Top end noises are usually to do with valves, clearances etc, but as you suspect it could be the CCT. Put the end of a large screwdriver against the head near the cam(s) area and the other end against your ear to see if you can detect where the noise is coming from and also do this directly on the CCT. Any noise in either area will be greatly amplified and you may be able to confirm better where the ticking noise is coming from. Normal cam sounds are more like a rustling noise whereas the CCT will be more metallic.