1150gsa - clicking noise on accel

[mickskelly]

I sometimes get a fairly loud clicking noise on acceleration. Mostly on Hard accel & lower engine RPM. It doesn't happen that often & I've been driving the bike for a while with this without problem. It's a noise that sounds like it's related to bike speed, ie clicking increases in frequency with speed. My best guess is that it's something to do with how the drive shaft connects to the engine output shaft.

Anyone with any experience or opinions on this? I've a trip to morocco planned for September and worry that this may give me trouble along the way. In the 35,000km that I've owned the bike I've noticed that the clicking is getting slightly worse.

There about 75,000km on the bike in total.

 

[Rugged Path]

Have you upgraded to the revised left side cam chain tensioner bolt?

 

[Stewart H]

Are you certain its not pinking ?

Stewart

 

[sockpuppet]

Have the local kids installed clackers on your spokes?

 

[Merv]

Check that the front shock lower mounting bolt is tight.This caused a clicking on my gsa.

 

[niko]

could it be nacked wheel bearing

 

[carrera2]

Is this happening when you're really loading the engine at low revs? If so I have this too and it sounds to me like it's valvetrain related.

Sorry - can't help at all but am interested in the replies. I'm half expecting it to suddenly go wrong.

 

[Number 6]

Is this happening when you're really loading the engine at low revs? If so I have this too and it sounds to me like it's valvetrain related.

As Stewart H said, sounds like pinking to me, probably due to crap fuel. Put some Shell V Power or BP Ultimate in and see if it goes away

 

[carrera2]

As Stewart H said, sounds like pinking to me, probably due to crap fuel. Put some Shell V Power or BP Ultimate in and see if it goes away

Will def try that - cheers.

 

[carrera2]

Number 6 - that seems to work! Many thanks

Will it revert back to pinking again when I fill with 95 do you think?

 

[mickskelly]

I'm pretty sure it's not pinking thats causing the noise. (by the way I though these gs were lower performance and by design able to run on even bad fuel)

re: front shock lower mounting bolt - it's not that, it's very regular clicks with regard to speed.

valve train/tensioner - very unlikely. I think the clicking is not related to engine speed, but bike speed.

Wheel bearing, nope. It'd never be that loud, but it does seem to match bike speed, so I guess I'll take a look and see.

I think it's something with drive shaft/final drive. Could the final drive bearing do that? I guess I'll be stripping some of it down to see what I can see. Any other suggestions are very welcome. I wonder if there was some way that I could record the noise happening? That would help.

 

[mickskelly]

RE: Have you upgraded to the revised left side cam chain tensioner bolt?

No I haven't done this. What's the issue with the offending bolt?

 

[Stewart H]

On normal unleaded I can provoke pinking when the weather is hot and I spend half an hour or so in heavy traffic, its a good reason for filtering.
Stewart

 

[MattW]

On normal unleaded I can provoke pinking when the weather is hot and I spend half an hour or so in heavy traffic, its a good reason for filtering.
Stewart

Likewise - hot, loaded and giving it too much in third from below 3000 ish rpm can induce pinking on mine.

 

[ciderman gs]

if the clicking is at low rpm with the throttle open wide it is pinking the camchain tensioner only slaps at start up and the modified one stops this sometimes

 

[mickskelly]

Now I'm not sure.
she's an '05 twin spark.. do they still pink?

 

[Number 6]

Number 6 - that seems to work! Many thanks

Will it revert back to pinking again when I fill with 95 do you think?

It shouldn't but it might

Now I'm not sure.
she's an '05 twin spark.. do they still pink?

Yes, especially in hot weather. Some '95' octane fuel isn't as good as it should be, try 98 and if that cures it then find a different supplier for your 95 octane.