So they don't have to hear the valve clatter!!!!!
Took mine ('80) out for a short test ride yesterday, after having made a new tail light mount and getting carbs refurb'ed. Ran pretty nice, really! Clutch works great. Brakes, not so good - they are spongy, so I will re-re-re-bleed them yet again.
I just went up and down a few streets in my neighborhood and went without a helmet, and dang, the valves are more audible to me than the exhaust! I'm running long drags with baffles in them. They're still pretty loud, but being so far back from where my ears are, I just don't "hear" the exhaust much while riding, unless I rev it real high.
Thinking that short pipes, that end just past footpegs might supply a bit of cover-up for the clatter of the valves (which are set correctly).
This isn't the first bike I've had the issue with, either. On my Sportster, I was happy to get some slightly louder slip-on mufflers, which masked the valve train mechanical noise. And on an earlier Sporty I had, I removed the windshield, because it just reflected all the valve noise back into my ears.
Now I know on a normal ride (where I'd be wearing a helmet for sure) it wouldn't seem that loud. But this just sounded like nuts and bolts rattling in a can, (rhythmically, of course).
Going to try the cam chain tension adjustment again, see if I can get it a bit more quiet. Funny, I don't remember my old '79 (which was my main rider for awhile) having that noisy of valves.
Took mine ('80) out for a short test ride yesterday, after having made a new tail light mount and getting carbs refurb'ed. Ran pretty nice, really! Clutch works great. Brakes, not so good - they are spongy, so I will re-re-re-bleed them yet again.
I just went up and down a few streets in my neighborhood and went without a helmet, and dang, the valves are more audible to me than the exhaust! I'm running long drags with baffles in them. They're still pretty loud, but being so far back from where my ears are, I just don't "hear" the exhaust much while riding, unless I rev it real high.
Thinking that short pipes, that end just past footpegs might supply a bit of cover-up for the clatter of the valves (which are set correctly).
This isn't the first bike I've had the issue with, either. On my Sportster, I was happy to get some slightly louder slip-on mufflers, which masked the valve train mechanical noise. And on an earlier Sporty I had, I removed the windshield, because it just reflected all the valve noise back into my ears.
Now I know on a normal ride (where I'd be wearing a helmet for sure) it wouldn't seem that loud. But this just sounded like nuts and bolts rattling in a can, (rhythmically, of course).
Going to try the cam chain tension adjustment again, see if I can get it a bit more quiet. Funny, I don't remember my old '79 (which was my main rider for awhile) having that noisy of valves.
Ignored noise in my 75 XS to my dismay .Going up the Bombay summit went to down shift and missed the shift, red lined it then noticed a clatter coming from the valves kept on riding till I made it home. Took off valve covers and noticed left intake valve adjustment screw missing,found the nut though but no screw. Think it may have ended up in the sump down through the cam chain slot.I do not want to pull the engine but just enjoy the Kootnay mountain rds.Does anybody think this may prove to be a problem?
