Engine rattle

26391 Views 84 Replies 36 Participants Last post by ruxpin76, Jun 23, 2012

250 Tom

Discussion Starter · Jul 23, 2011

I have had no luck trying to find out whats causing the 5000 - 5500 rpm engine rattle. Talked with dealer 3 times they were supposed to contact Honda and get back to me. Dealer rode the bike and agrees it is noisey. Has anyone got any feedback from there dealer or Honda on this subject ???

1 - 20 of 85 Posts

Redline

· #2 · Jul 23, 2011

Scrub the chain properly. Properly lube it with proper o-ring lube.

Test it again.

Rossman

· #3 · Jul 23, 2011

rattle

It's not the chains, so throw that out the window. I too have the same noise, but no word from honda yet. My father in law was an engineer by trade, and in discussing it with him he has hypothesized that at a certain RPM there is a point where the valve rockers are potentially vibrating on the cam. Very possible. I guess Honda will have to come out with an official verdict to put us all at ease.

250 Tom

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 23, 2011

Redline said:
Scrub the chain properly. Properly lube it with proper o-ring lube.

Test it again.

I have done that several times. Thats not the problem. This sound for sure is coming from the top end of the engine

Redline

· #5 · Jul 24, 2011

Strange I complained of this exact thing for months, as soon as I started deep cleaning/proper lubing the chain it amazingly disappears.

BTW, do ye guys always have it, or is there most of the time and disappears every now and again?

Aufitt

· #6 · Jul 24, 2011

LOl @ 'scrub the chain' not too sure I even want to ask what that involved.

Redline

· #7 · Jul 24, 2011 (Edited)

Sorry, it's a colloquialism, it doesn't mean to literally 'scrub' it.

I think I was the first person to complain of this noise back in January. For months it bugged me trying to find and solve it. Always at the same rpm 5400-5600. Sometimes gone, but usually there for around 80% of the time. Really annoying. Certainly doesn't sound like it's coming from the chain area. I even stuck clothe under the dashboard in February, but nope. It really does sound like it's coming from the top of the engine. The same as everyone else is now complaining about.

First time I properly cleaned the chain with a proper chain cleaner, and lubed it with a proper o-ring lube it completely vanished for a few hundred km. And has done so ever since, never returning for a long time afterwards. Which is amazing as the noise isn't coming from there.

Massive coincidence if so many other people have the same noise at the same rpm and it's something entirely different.

Strange that with all the experts that no one has found it yet. I mean the top of the engine isn't exactly massive.

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Aufitt

· #8 · Jul 24, 2011

Too high a gear on a single will cause chain chatter, or poor rear wheel alignment or a dry chain.. but we're a bit off topic, the OP is talking about an 'engine rattle'
i'd let the Honda dealer sort it.. they are ones that carry the 2 yr waarranty.

Redline

· #9 · Jul 24, 2011

Seems many who have taken the bikes to them have had them returned with a 'it's a normal sound'. Which they haven't been happy about.

furious_blue

· #10 · Jul 24, 2011

Redline said:
Seems many who have taken the bikes to them have had them returned with a 'it's a normal sound'. Which they haven't been happy about.

My bike's just had the first service including the valve clearances set to spec. I still hear the clatter on the freeway and I still label it as normal tappet noise as it happens in time with the revs (revs increase, frequency increases).

Luke

· #11 · Jul 24, 2011

I have a rattle as well - it's in the top end. but it's not as annoying (maybe it's me). I can make it happen sitting still in neutral, so it's not drive train. Went by the dealer to pick up a filter yesterday (HONDA - put spin-on filters on EVERYTHING!!) and I had their chief mechanic listen to it. He agreed it's there, but said he had no bulletins on it or any indication that it was a problem.

Every engine (except inline sixes, or so I'm told) has various rpm levels where harmonic imbalances occur. Good balancer design can eliminate most of the problem, but it still occurs - watch the front forks and the mirror of the next Harley that's idling beside you at a stoplight.

Is it a design issue or detrimental to the engine? Don't know. One of the risks you take when you buy a new model, I guess. Not going to let it bother me, would rather go riding. I know it's in vogue to distrust and hate big companies, but Honda has a pretty good track record of taking care of it's customers - one of the reasons I like to "ride red" (even if mine is black).

Let's hope it's just a thumper harmonic...

Luke

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TheMente

· #12 · Jul 25, 2011

Luke said:
I have a rattle as well

Mine is getting a little worst, and seems it's moving higher on rpms.
First was there at exactly 5500rpm, now up to 6000, in basically every gear.
It feels to me like something not fixed properly that starts vibrating, even if it is not worrying me so much: I read it is common.
Must be said that I didn't lube the chain yet, at 400 km.
After doing so I will check again and report.

Mr Redface

· #13 · Jul 29, 2011

I notice the rattle on mine at 40miles now my bike is just over 200miles its in every gear and at RPM's over 5500 thru 6000. I going to visit the dealer tomorrow just to get the issue on the books and ask if it's a problem. I've only have the bike a week and hope it's not damaging anything.

spdklls

· #14 · Jul 29, 2011

I guess i got lucky..i have noticed no rattle at no rpm, high or low..just had first service done yesterday...only rattle i have is when i go over a railroad crossing or something of that nature..sounds like a metal plate or something jiggling in the front fairing somewhere....nothing im concerned about or annoyed with

w0rM

· #15 · Jul 30, 2011

I guess I'm super lucky... so far, no rattles of any kind, in any conditions.

250 Tom

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 30, 2011

Ordered a Yosh slip on exhaust. Im hopeing it drowns out the noisey motor

sloppy

· #17 · Jul 30, 2011

yall should be wearing earplugs on the bike anyway. i cant imagine going back to riding without them.

Strelok89

· #18 · Jul 30, 2011

today i was looking at this graph

and i think i spotted something interesting.
lot's of people complain about rattle between 5500 to 6000 rpm.
but if you look at this dyno graph you will notice that between 5500 and 6000 rpm the torque i rapidly increasing.
maybe the same process which makes the torque rapidly increase is doing the rattle noise?

sorry about my bad English

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Rossman

· #19 · Jul 30, 2011

rattle

Hmm, that's very interesting. I still have my head all open (waiting for shims to arrive Tuesday), and have checked everything out top to bottom. Besides there being side-side play on the rocker arms, there is also play on the shaft holding the rocker arms in place and the cap that secures it in the head. There are rub marks on the caps too. Basically, besides these 2 things, everything is solid. There is no scoring, mechanical damage, etc. It might just be a design issue and we'll have to invest in earplugs.

srmart1983

· #20 · Jul 31, 2011

no rattle for me neither and i love the bike so much fun

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