rattle noise

[fatman61]

any ideas why my bike would have an intermittent rattle noise except when pulling grades or hills? Adjusted clutch and cam chain tensioner. would a heavier oil help? runs great otherwise.

 

[Mailman]

Couple guesses.....cam chain too loose.....valves too loose. Especially when there is no load on the motor, like when decelerating.

 

[gggGary]

Chain slapping the electrics box?
Very popular on hardtails.

 

[nhsteve]

Is the bike in question the one on your avatar? I don't see meters or headlight, etc.

I've got a similar (maybe??) occasional rattle that I have yet to diagnose myself, and like you have made sure the cam chain and valves are not loose. Mine is a '77 and pretty original with about 11,000 miles on it, that I know for a fact has never been apart.
The rattle sounds like there is a nut or something floating around the headlamp maybe, but I've been in there. Going to pop the meters out and look in the cups and shak the meters gently to see if there is something loose in them. Rattle just comes and goes (in the garage- can't hear it on the road).

 

[jetmechmarty]

My speedometer rattles on my stock bike. The noise goes away when I put my hand on it.

 

[fatman61]

sounds more like in the case. when it happens I release the throttle quickly and it goes away then throttle again. I have pulled grades at all rpm's and gears and no noise. Possibly in the clutch??? The sound is like the rear fender is loose hitting the frame, but it's not.

 

[PilotVince]

Hi! I have a similar rattle problem at specific RPM, it disappears as soon as I increase or decrease thrust even slightly. Adjusted everything I could, still the same. I am out of ideas. Did you find solution?

 

[gggGary]

5twins posits this is why Yama-mama added a rubber washer to the camchain adjuster plunger stack in what 79?
But hard to tell from here if that's your issue.
Are you using the adjust the cam plunger to about 1mm of in out motion at idle method?
If not, try it.

 

[PilotVince]

Hi gggGary, mine is from 1982. I have tried to do everything, adjusted cam, valves, point gaps, ignition, overhauled autoadvance. It goes like clockwork, starting with first both with kick and with electric starter. I t sounds really good, except for that rattle, it really feels like some lose part is rattling about at specific vibration frequency. I didn’t have that noise when I bought it a year ago, it appeared after I done som work on it...or am I just imagining things, seems like I have been fighting that rattle forever. It was dirty and oily, and sticky when I got it. I am starting to think that, I might have cleared out some dirt and oil that provided cushion between parts... Will investigate today.

 

[Boog]

As a not-so-helpful commentator here, I have observed the title of this thread on four other bike forums. Old bikes, new bikes, red bikes and blue bikes (sorry my inner Seuss is showing). I am wondering if motorcycle rattles are inherent to the machines. Vibrations will always cause parts to wear or come loose over time. Clutches are the cause at times, valves at others. Windscreens and loose headlight on others still. Cam chains or worn parts within the cam system will do it. Broken spoke pieces on one occasion was the culprit. Exhaust parts are the reason at other times.

I am convinced that this is a common thread in the life of a bike owner.