Does your's still "clank" or has it fallen to pieces/exploded into shrapnel/become posessed by a ghost?
Blimey - this is a while back....
I sold that bike when i moved from the UK - looking back, i think it was 'possibly' the cam chain tensioner.
However, it never got worse and was better after a semi-synth oil change.
However, i've now got almost exactly the same bike here in Aus. - and this 'clanks' very occasionally too.
I've also seen the thread on advrider about the tensioner change, but haven't seen this new one yet ( above ).
Autumn is starting here - cloud and rain this week - cooling down to 20-ish deg C
Spring and Autumn seem to be the best for biking here - much more manageable temps.
cheers guys
relevant text copied here - applicable to ALL oilhead motors
The SYMPTOM: with the engine warmed up, between idle and 2000 RPM it sounded like it had spun a rod bearing. With a mechanic's stethoscope, I found that the noises were loudest 1) at the fastener that holds the top of the fixed left cam chain rail, and 2) at the left cam chain tensioner.
The SOLUTION: BMW enhanced left cam chain tensioner, part 11 31 2 325 563.
The PROBABLE CAUSE: open up the left valve cover and turn the engine manually. As the crank rotates, it also turns the camshaft by means of the cam chain. However, when the intake valves begin to close, their springs push on the cams hard enough for the camshaft to suddenly “pop” and lead the crank. When this happens, the tension in the chain reverses: the section under the tensioner becomes taught and the lower half of the chain sags. This load reversal also causes the tensioner to fully compress. In other words, the tension in the chain varies enough in one revolution to cause chain flutter and the corresponding bottoming out of the tensioner plunger. In its “normal” installed position, the whole tensioner assembly is about 71.5 mm long. In this position, the plunger has about 10 mm of play.
The DIAGNOSIS: to ascertain that the cause of the noise was chain flutter, I reduced the amount of plunger travel by inserting a steel rod inside the tensioner spring (try this at your own risk!). I found that a 56 mm rod reduced the play in the tensioner from 10 mm to only 3 mm. The result is dramatic: all you hear when the engine is running is a light ticking, similar to a loud injector.
The REASONS THE NEW tensioner WORKS: the enhanced tensioner is a two-piston design. The spring is invisible and it is hidden inside the larger piston (plunger). The operation of the device is not obvious, but there are several clear reasons why it would apply more force to the chain rail:
-spring force is about twice that of the standard design
-there is no oil drain slit on the plunger’s wall, as there is on the standard one
-oil cavity volume is minuscule compared to standard, and it does not empty when the engine shuts off. Oh yeah, startup clanking noises are nearly gone too!!
-plunger diameter is slightly larger, so more force at equal oil pressure
-once installed, plunger travel is about 5 mm, as opposed to the 10 mm in the standard one.
THE INSTALLATION: piece of cake. Losen the three clamp rings, slide the intake of the left TB out of the way, and slide the TB out of the intake boot. The tensioner is the bolt behind the TB. Substitute the tensioner, put together, and you're done in 10 minutes!
The APPLICABILITY: as far as I can tell, the part number is valid for all oilheads, even the 1100. I used it on an R1150R. I would not use the part if you do not have a problem with the chain noise. The tensioner clearly puts more force than the standard one, and there could be more wear on the chain guide. I wish we could get some technical information from BMW. Unfortunately, they are the most secretive automotive company I know.