Rattle when starting after sidestand parking

[IanC]

My 2006 GSA is sounding very rattly when I start the engine after being parked on the sidestand. The bike has 77k on the clock, and this rattle has noticeably increased in the last few thousand miles. I thought I was imagining it until someone else commented (a previous GS owner).

I intend doing the tappets, but I'm not convinced this is the problem.

Any ideas? It runs/sounds fine once it's going. Sounds more like top end or possibly cam chain rather than bottom end.

 

[sethmopp]

Had that a week or so ago, strangely it was the morning after washing it (used a pressure washer - rather than the rain) but didn't ride it after washing it other than putting it in the garage. After about a mile, and filling up with petrol, the noise had stopped and hasn't recurred. Mine's a 2012 model.

 

[Sooty09]

Cam chain tensioner.
Used to be the right hand one mainly on the R1150 range. Probably the same on the R1200. Not a serious problem and not too difficult to fix.

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

I changed the LHS tensioner on my 1150, but later found a better fix is using 10w60 oil...quieter in 1150 and 1200.

 

[IanC]

Cam chain tensioner.
Used to be the right hand one mainly on the R1150 range. Probably the same on the R1200. Not a serious problem and not too difficult to fix.

The RHS cam chain tensioner was replaced 15 months ago by my dealer, I'm sure he had to remove the whole rear end of the bike, i.e. split it in half??

The reason was that one of the head studs had pulled out of the crankcase, causing the nut to come off (how I spotted the problem, when doing tappets). Apparently this is not uncommon, but the nut had gone down the cam chain tunnel and broken a finger off the black plastic tensioner, and replacing the tensioner was the big problem. Otherwise it would have been relatively easy to repair the thread with a time-sert (better than helicoil apparently).

I'm hoping I haven't got this whole £1k job again Although to be fair that did include a new clutch while they had it open.

 

[Time Traveller]

Interestingly I was going to post on this very topic.

I've only had my 2009 R1200GS for a month, but I have noticed after running it, leaving on the side stand and then restarting, sometimes, and only sometimes, it sounds very noisy on start up.

to me it sounded like top end knock, like ZERO oil (but the level is fine) only for a second or two, then everything's fine.

I am concerned whether it is just mine (I'm just paranoid!) or whether its "normal" - (also like the super clunky gear shifts (in the words of the late Sir Jimmy Saville, "clunk clunk every trip" ))

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Cam chain tensioner. Mine's been doing it on start up for 85,000 miles with no problem

 

[Pukmeister]

My 2004 bike used to do the same until I sold it, never caused any major concern.

 

[kentgal]

rattle

mines the same, have you tried putting the bike on its centre stand, mines a lot quieter then, i have been told its because the hot oil drains out of the RH cylinder/head. sounds awful on start up when its been on the side stand.

 

[Fanum]

 

[IanC]

Thanks - Had a chat with CW Motorcycles, they also suggested cam chain tensioner (£30), though strictly speaking its a "cylinder" and "piston" according to the fiche - the tensioner's the plastic thing that the chain runs against (what I replaced before, and a major hassle to change!).

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

If it only does it at start up and then goes away do not worry.

It's hydraulic and once pressure builds after start up (a few secs) it does it's job and quietens the chain.

If the engine gets 'really' hot you can get the same symptoms when running as the oil thins and pressure is lost - still no big deal really

Andres

 

[IanC]

For the money, I'm going to change it - mainly because it has quite suddenly got a lot louder (at around 75k miles?), to the extent that people comment!, and also it appears to be very easy to change. And the sound makes me cringe!

 

[bod]

Interestingly I was going to post on this very topic.

I've only had my 2009 R1200GS for a month, but I have noticed after running it, leaving on the side stand and then restarting, sometimes, and only sometimes, it sounds very noisy on start up.

to me it sounded like top end knock, like ZERO oil (but the level is fine) only for a second or two, then everything's fine.

I am concerned whether it is just mine (I'm just paranoid!) or whether its "normal" - (also like the super clunky gear shifts (in the words of the late Sir Jimmy Saville, "clunk clunk every trip" ))

A mate got a new twin cam & asked me if my 1200 (55 plate) made a "cammy" rattle on cold start up ... I said no!
Then I buy a new 1200 and sure enough it does the same. Start it from cold & after 5 - 10 seconds there is a metalic knocking that lasts 2 seconds.
My CB1300 did exactly the same and that was water cooled, so don't worry about it. I believe it's the hydraulic camchain tensioner that needs a few seconds to build pressure?

As long as they sound ok warmed up, everything is ok!