Hard accel Cam Chain Noise around 2,200 rpm?

[Nateskate]

This is my second Gen II FJR. Both bikes made the same noise. In the 07 (10,000 miles, 06 6,500) it's more often and louder. When I accelerate hard, I hear for a moment a growl noise like a chain rubbing on the inside wall of the engine. I think it is slack in the cam chain. I don't hear it on light acceleration. Should I be concerned about it? Can it be easily repaired or adjusted?

Thanks

 

[FJRay]

This is my second Gen II FJR. Both bikes made the same noise. In the 07 (10,000 miles, 06 6,500) it's more often and louder. When I accelerate hard, I hear for a moment a growl noise like a chain rubbing on the inside wall of the engine. I think it is slack in the cam chain. I don't hear it on light acceleration. Should I be concerned about it? Can it be easily repaired or adjusted?
Thanks

If it is the same noise mine makes I don't think its the chain. I think its to much load at low RPM. I get it for a few seconds if I load it up hard a low revs.

 

[BugR]

Do you have one of those AE's?

Else use the lever on the left bar and the control by your left foot.

Chris

 

[Nateskate]

I hear it most often while rounding a corner in 2nd gear and starting to accelerate. I don't think it is too much load. No I don't have an AE.

 

[FJRBluesman]

If you feel it shouldn't make such noise, I would be concerned.

I have a Gen1 and I only got the cam noise at idle, and with a 'no load' throttle blip from idle. Otherwise it was fine. I did do the CCT change (see my post here) and was glad I did.

Good luck finding the source of your noise.

 

[Nateskate]

Both my 06, which I purchased new, and this 07, bought used, made the same noise under similar conditions. I think it is slack in the cam chain that is taken up when transitioning from off throttle to on with a load, at a low RPM. What I was looking for is confirmation the noise is normal or that there is a fix for it. BTW, my friend's 06 makes the same noise. The best way I can describe it; vrrrump

 

[Smooth_Gary]

Both my 06, which I purchased new, and this 07, bought used, made the same noise under similar conditions. I think it is slack in the cam chain that is taken up when transitioning from off throttle to on with a load, at a low RPM. What I was looking for is confirmation the noise is normal or that there is a fix for it. BTW, my friend's 06 makes the same noise. The best way I can describe it; vrrrump

my 06 makes the same noise,, hoping it is normal,,i have 65k,,it started at about 45k, while riding n the slack is taken up,there is no noise,,i think it is more of a mindfucker then a problem,i still have some extended warranty,,will have it checked out

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Hard accel Cam Chain Noise around 2,200 rpm?<snip>I hear it most often .... in 2nd gear and starting to accelerate.

Can it be easily repaired or adjusted?

Hmmm.... 2,200 rpm -- have you heard the noise (when accelerating hard) at lower rpm or at 2,200 rpm in higher gears...?? :huh:

 

[FJRBluesman]

If you feel it shouldn't make such noise, I would be concerned.I have a Gen1 and I only got the cam noise at idle, and with a 'no load' throttle blip from idle. Otherwise it was fine. I did do the CCT change (see my post here) and was glad I did.

Good luck finding the source of your noise.

Both my 06, which I purchased new, and this 07, bought used, made the same noise under similar conditions. I think it is slack in the cam chain that is taken up when transitioning from off throttle to on with a load, at a low RPM. What I was looking for is confirmation the noise is normal or that there is a fix for it. BTW, my friend's 06 makes the same noise. The best way I can describe it; vrrrump

my 06 makes the same noise,, hoping it is normal,,i have 65k,,it started at about 45k, while riding n the slack is taken up,there is no noise,,i think it is more of a mindfucker then a problem,i still have some extended warranty,,will have it checked out

Funny thing is, a guy with a 2005 like mine, his also made the same noise and he said, don't worry. Another person with an 08 heard my noise too, both believed it was not cam chain noise. another friend of mine (non-FJR rider), he thought it was cam chain noise, just sayin'. Now I know otherwise. Too many posts from Radio Howie and ionbeam on loosing a motor due to catastrophic failure. If you believe it's cam chain noise, I'd do something about it.

 

[RadioHowie]

Too many posts from Radio Howie and ionbeam on loosing a motor due to catastrophic failure. If you believe it's cam chain noise, I'd do something about it.

You guys just can't quit picking that scab, can ya? :fuck:

 

[FJRBluesman]

Too many posts from Radio Howie and ionbeam on loosing a motor due to catastrophic failure. If you believe it's cam chain noise, I'd do something about it.

You guys just can't quit picking that scab, can ya? :fuck:

Ya just had to bring scab into this... Jeeeeeesh.

 

[RadioHowie]

Hard accel at (fairly) low rpm....

Octane pinging?

You ARE taking a fairly lean running motor and making it go WAY lean by honking on the noise handle at low revs.

Just wonderin' out loud.

 

[Nateskate]

It's not a ping or spark knock. It will do it in first, second or third. It's always from off throttle to moderate/hard accel. It will do it from a stop or while rounding a turn. If you are paying attention, you can feel it as well a hear it. I'm shocked more owners have not chimed in since I experienced it on multiple FJR's. My guess is that it is slack in the cam chain. If I keep the rpms up I won't hear it. Once it's done it, if I continue to accelerate, I won't hear it again.

What are the symptoms of a worn or defective cam chain tensioner?

Thanks

 

[xcsp]

I've noticed a similar noise-the noise isn't constant, but if I go along, say in 3rd gear at about 35mph, and then accelerate to 40, the noise, which sounds like a loose (cam) chain, can be heard momentarily and goes away. (On my bike, it doesn't seem to happen in any other gear.)

I cannot duplicate "noise" with the engine at idle and revving it slowly upwards, so possibly caused by inducing a load on the engine at a lower RPM in a higher gear?

 

[lnewlf]

My '06 makes a growly vibration if you lug the engine in any gear except first-kind of like any standard shift anything that wants more rpm to do the job..The FJR Gen ll is the highest geared bike I've ever had and I needed to learn to run a lower gear than I,m used to..

 

[RadioHowie]

What are the symptoms of a worn or defective cam chain tensioner?

 

[Nateskate]

I'm going by the dealership in the morning for them to diagnose my noise. The service manager asked is what type of oil I'm using. When I told him Mobil 4T, he suggested the first thing I should try is conventional non-synthetic oil. He does not reccomend synthetic in the FJR... Interesting. By my description of the noise he thinks it's the CCT.

 

[Fred W]

I don't think this is cam chain noise. I agree with what others have said, that you are lugging the engine. The fact that every FJR you have tested displays this phenomenon also supports this. So, if this really does happen on every FJR, then I can tell you that mine doesn't have cam chain noise under those conditions. But it does make a growling type noise associated with lugging the engine. I'm not sure of the exact origin of the noise, but I believe it is mild pre-ignition.

If you understand how the FJR's spring loaded spiral CCT works, there is no reason it would slacken only at low rpm under hard acceleration. If anything, it should slacken at higher rpms when the chain's centrifugal force against the tensioner is greater.

[edit] If this only happens when you accelerate hard at 2200 rpm in 2nd or 3rd gear, one sure way to avoid it would be to keep your rpms up higher than that. I generally try to keep mine between 3k-4k for general cruising. It seems happiest up there (or higher)

Let us know what you find out...

 

[Nateskate]

A technician took my bike for a ride yesterday. He did not hear or feel anything abnormal. He said Cam Chain noise is much higher pitched than what I was hearing and suggested that I might try some earplugs. He also pointed out that my larger windshield, Vstream, might expose me to noises that I wouldn't normally hear. It occured to me that the noise has increased since I installed the shield a couple of weeks ago. I should have thought of that.

His other comments were these: The gear size in the transmission, along with the drive shaft and rear gear, will produce a lot of combined noise. "just ride it, it won't break". He also suggested conventional oil or a synthetic blend instead of 4T. He claimed to have tested oil in his home workshop where he works on small jet engines, and found synthetic oil does not dissipate heat as well as conventional. "In this in-line four, I would use regular oil".

Just go out and ride...