Motor Chatter..

Cycledude

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Jan 29, 2016
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Rib lake wi
About the only time my Tenere is quieter than my Goldwing is when the Tenere is turned off and the Goldwing is still running.
Yes the Tenere engine does sort of rattle quite a bit but it’s usually nothing to worry about..............unless your cam chain tensioner is shot ?
What year and how many miles on your Tenere ?
 
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bamajoe

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May 9, 2019
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Hamilton, Al USA
About the only time my Tenere is quieter than my Goldwing is when the Tenere is turned off and the Goldwing is still running.
Yes the Tenere engine does sort of rattle quite a bit but it’s usually nothing to worry about..............unless your cam chain tensioner is shot ?
What year and how many miles on your Tenere ?
2018 2800 miles only had it a month ....
 

pkelly20

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Aug 29, 2017
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49
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Canada
When the bike is warmed up, running, in neutral, does the noise go away when you pull in the clutch?

My 2017 has around 6,000 km on it now and it’s been this way since new.


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bamajoe

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May 9, 2019
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Hamilton, Al USA
When the bike is warmed up, running, in neutral, does the noise go away when you pull in the clutch?

My 2017 has around 6,000 km on it now and it’s been this way since new.


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I have a feeling it's just the nature of the beast. But, I wanted to see what others said about it...
 

pkelly20

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Canada
I have a feeling it's just the nature of the beast. But, I wanted to see what others said about it...
I think so. It hasn’t become better or worse, I just got use to it I think.

I recently upgraded my helmet from a 10+ year old HJC to a Shoei GT Air 2. I can now hear more engine sounds at speed than I could previously. Nothing concerning, but she does let you know things are happening in the engine.


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HeliMark

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Dec 18, 2013
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995
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Tennessee
I wouldn't say I was concerned, I was just wondering if it was normal. I know the RSV I rode had gear whine all did it so I didn't think about it so
If it sounds like a bunch of tools being rattled around in a metal tool box, then it is normal. Gets worse with a skid plate.

Simple fix is ear plugs.
 
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Don in Lodi

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I wouldn't say I was concerned, I was just wondering if it was normal. I know the RSV I rode had gear whine all did it so I didn't think about it so
They're pretty rare, but I can identify a Royal Star coming down the road before seeing it. Mine sang pretty good too.
 

kmasa58

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Sep 23, 2018
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Oregon
I have a 2018 with 3k miles & I've also noticed a rattle (CCT?) consistently between 2900~3500rpm whether I'm on/off throttle. How do I determine if the cam-chain tensioner is 'shot'? Above 3500rpm, the rattle seems to go away.
 

Don in Lodi

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The cam chain tensioner rattle was predominately on the earliest bikes, '10-'13. It gave you a loud chatter for the first second or two on cold start. It didn't seem to become an issue till around 40-50 thousand miles.
 

kmasa58

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Sep 23, 2018
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Oregon
Don,

I'll be taking my bike in for injector body synch so I'll have them take a listen. But, I KNOW they'll come back and tell me it's 'normal' like they usually do. What I finally noticed today after a 200 mile ride is that in "S" mode, the rattle is minimal. I always focused on 'smooth' throttle use and wasn't paying attention the sound until today. The rattle still exists between 2900~3500rpm, but in 'S' mode, it's almost inaudible.
kmasa
 

Don in Lodi

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Too true, 'normal' gets thrown around a bit to much. As a career mechanic I can say that's it gets pretty tough to diagnose a noise from the owners description. What one person hears as a bad noise another may not even be able to pick out.
 

Crash

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Sep 28, 2018
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15
I have a 2018 and the noise of the motor is the thing I dislike about it the most. It's a very harsh and to my ear unpleasant sound. Once up to speed I can't hear it because of wind and road noise but the din and clatter at lower speeds is not at all appealing. Bike was bought new and only has around 3500 kms, ear plugs always worn.
 

U.P.rider

I M A UPR
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Jul 26, 2011
Messages
208
Location
Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan
My Vmax's clutch was pretty noisy and would go away with clutch lever pulled in. My 2016 has 11000 miles on it and the transmission is way "clunkier" than my Vmax but I did have a new undercut transmission in the Vmax so that may have helped. The clutch and finding neutral on the S10 is way better than the Vmax. If I am very deliberate and trying to be smooth the S10 it sounds better to me.
 

kmasa58

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Sep 23, 2018
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I do have clutch clatter too, but it's not as annoying as my cam-chain slap. When the bike is thouroughly warmed up and putting around town in low gear, all you hear is the cam-chain. I thought CCT on S10 uses hydraulic pressure and adjusts tension automatically as needed. I feel that the system isn't as effective on some models ... like mine. There are 'manual' CCT kits out there, but not sure if they are effective; since the cam-chain tension must vary with temperature, so if the CCT isn't constantly compensating for the stretch/contraction, fixed CCT would be useless. By the way, Barnett Tool & Engineering has various levels of 'upgrades' for S10 clutch that people are raving about.
 

DryRider

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Sep 27, 2014
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Crystal Minnesota USA
Mine does this at about 4300 RPM sounds like a hammer hitting the skid plate...I padded the plate for sound still does it...I'm over it 35,000 miles runs rides great...just sound bad at 80mph when I speed up it goes away;-)
 

Scubatech

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Aug 11, 2016
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Severance, Colorado
I have a 2018 and the noise of the motor is the thing I dislike about it the most. It's a very harsh and to my ear unpleasant sound. Once up to speed I can't hear it because of wind and road noise but the din and clatter at lower speeds is not at all appealing. Bike was bought new and only has around 3500 kms, ear plugs always worn.
I had a WR450 for 13 years and with the skid plate, idling it sounded like a rod would come through the oil pan!! I rode that bike for all those years & not one issue! It still runs strong I am told. I wouldn't worry my sounds the same way. I used to sell Ducati's and they were really loud in the clutch area.
 
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