SuzukiSavage.com - Strange rattling sound...

HotCarl

Ex Member

Strange rattling sound...
07/19/06 at 23:44:02

I recently had my bike put on a dyno and re-jetted. It runs insanely better, but now there is a strange rattle at a certain rpm, no matter which gear I'm in. I checked for anything loose and I can't for the life of me figure out what the hell it is. It wasn;t there before the mods though. Could it be the valves are out of adjustment now and are making the sound? Any other suggestions?

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enophile Full Member Offline 1998 Savage, black, mostly stock Posts: 116 Morgantown, WV Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #1 - 07/20/06 at 04:42:10 At what RPM do you hear it? Does it happen under load (i.e. climbing a hill) as well as when the engine is not under any strain?
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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #2 - 07/20/06 at 06:01:58 Check the sheet metal, I had a rattle coming from the panel on the left side, only happened when riding. A loose baffle in the muffler can cause a rattle also, I am having that problem with the slashcut muffler I just installed on my '02 .
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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #3 - 07/20/06 at 08:00:48 The speedo is known for rattling and there are a lot of posts concerning it. I've also had the headlight rattle before too. I stuck some wadded plastic inside and it stopped.
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RadarORiley Serious Thumper Offline No one notices how you ride until you fall off. Posts: 863 West Of Weatherford, Texas Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #4 - 07/20/06 at 08:35:22 My license plate nearly drove me nutz with a strange rattling before we found it. It only happened at a certain speed.
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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #5 - 07/20/06 at 08:46:52 Is it a rattle or a ticking? If ticking, it's the valves.
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HotCarl Ex Member	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #6 - 07/20/06 at 11:57:32 Hmm.. I don't know if it's a ticking, could be very fast ticking... I don't know. Seems more like a rattle. I sounds like it's coming from under me, on the engine. I checked the exhaust and license plate and it's all tight. I'll check the headlight next. It is wierd becuse it ONLY happens at at a certain low RPM in every gear.
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enophile Full Member Offline 1998 Savage, black, mostly stock Posts: 116 Morgantown, WV Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #7 - 07/20/06 at 12:19:58 Does it tick faster or louder when you give it gas or does it remain steady? Can you reproduce the sound by reving the bike to that RPM while in neutral?
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Max_Morley Serious Thumper Offline LT650 Luxury Touring & sidecar rig Posts: 1490 Moses Lake. WA Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #8 - 07/20/06 at 13:43:19 Use a mechanics stethoscope to listen on the RH side for a the cam chain tensioner being loose. It would clatter more at idle than at higher engine speeds when it is first unable to keep the tension on the chain. Max
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steelwolf Serious Thumper Offline "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride." Posts: 847 Trinity, NC Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #9 - 07/20/06 at 20:25:49 I have developed a rattle as well. Mine turned out to be the license plate. While the bolts are tight, the plate has cracked about a 1/3 of the way across the plate from the right to left about an inch from the top. Really annoying till I found it. Now I just need to build a backing plate for it to keep it from flying off.
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smokey02 Full Member Offline Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas Posts: 233 Alta Loma, California Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #10 - 07/21/06 at 10:02:26 My license plate is cracked too, had to bolt on a chromed frame to keep the bottom half of it from falling off.
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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #11 - 07/21/06 at 11:44:55 No cracks yet with my plate but it is getting a bit bent up from changing out a flat twice.
Back to top	Silver '02, clubman handle bars, Cobra headlight, Sportster muffler, K+N stock air filter, 152.5 main, Superbrace, oil cooler, 1/2 inch aluminium plate forward controls, spark advance, goes like stink IP Logged

MacAttack Ex Member	Re: Strange rattling sound... Reply #12 - 07/21/06 at 16:26:40 I took a piece of Plexiglas to the band saw and cut a backing plate. So far, so good.
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HotCarl

Ex Member

Re: Strange rattling sound...
Reply #13 - 07/21/06 at 21:37:48

I can't reproduce it in neutral, and it only happens at a certain rpm while in motion. I can kind of hold that RPM and the sound will stay somewhat. The cam tensioner chain you think? Hmm, I would have to take it the dealer, I don;t have the tools to or time to fix that. My bike is under warranty though, so I wouldnt have to pay.

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Serowbot

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

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OK.... so what's the
speed of dark?

Posts: 28651
Tucson Az
Gender: male

Re: Strange rattling sound...
Reply #14 - 07/22/06 at 00:32:48

If the rev testing at the dyno didn't damage anything serious (doubtful if you have better performance), it's probably o.k. I can't think of anything they would do to cause scary engine noise otherwise. Maybe minor things, rattling against something else, (i.e. speedo housing, electrical connector under tank, speedo cable, etc...) They didn't hole out your piston, or blow a head gasket, obviously.
I notice different sounds after someone else has ridden my bike for a while,(I'm nuts, I know!) I don't know if I'm listening different or, if the person's driving style temporarily changes the bikes happy place/rpm.
Anyone else noticed/imagined this?

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Ludicrous Speed !... ... Huh

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