XJ650 valve train noise

I haven't been on another XJ and that makes it difficult to know if what I hear is normal & what I've read as "valve train noise" or if there's something else whining in my engine. I am hearing something that is to me, quite loud and is the predominant sound around 3,000 RPM and is not so noticeable at say 2,000 RPM and it goes away, perhaps completely by 4500 RPM. It is not heard at idle. It is not speed dependent and though it's to some degree there with reving the engine, it's most definitely there when under load. at the same time I hear the whine I can also hear the light ticking sound of valves in the background. The valve click is much the same light click character & volume as the fuel injectors make on my Subaru. The XJ's valve shims have been adjusted and I don't think the bike is missing on any power that it could have, it's very responsive, accelerates wonderfully and combined driving nets me around 50MPG.

I've used the search feature to look up similar issues and have read that oil may be an issue with valve train noise; I'm using 10/40 Mobile 1 motorcycle oil. I've also read the timing chain may be an issue but I'm not sure if it's automatically adjusted or manually adjusted and, how to best approach adjusting that if it's off with my 82 650 Maxim.

It definitely seems to be coming from the upper middle of the engine and isn't more on one side than the other.

Any idears & maybe what to do to make this less predominant a sound?

Thanks!

 

Cam chain contacting metal ?

 

It's not like a rasp like metal scraping rapidly in any way, it's a high pitched whine. It was... one of the first sounds I noticed & didn't anticipate when I first rode the bike and now that I adjusted the valves, I don't see any change in character or relative volume. The cam chain felt quite contracted when I felt it when the cover was off, didn't see anything that looked at all out of line.

Musically, it's around the same pitch as an E string on a fiddle, not the pure note a plucked string would make, definitely a mechanical sound. Have to think about that but at the moment, that's the approx. pitch I'm thinking of.

 

Middle gear whine? Search it. Although I believe there was a post that said it was not actually the "middle gear"

 

Had that for awhile, turned out to be a leaky intake manifold.

 

That is the Middle gear whine, sounds like a tiny turbo spooling up
Thats normal on our shaft drive bike.
There should not be noticible whine while revving in neutral

 

I had something similar, a high pitched metal on metal sound when I put it under power. Then I realized it was my garage lock key dangling from my key chain vibrating on the handle bar. Yeah I'm new.

 

Hmmm... Like a tiny turbo... yes. And it only happens under load but is pronounced at the RPMs I mentioned in my initial post. Just revving I'm not hearing it.

I filled the fluids in the shaft so I know they're fine.

I'll have to read up on middle gear whine & see if there's anything other than adding sawdust to it to quiet it down, I'd love to just hear the sound of the engine itself.

Thanks

 

I think that IS the sound of the engine itself....not much you can do but enjoy it!

 

I've heard it called middle gear whine, I've heard it called stator whine, I've heard it called generator whine, etc.......

It's a normal sound, some bikes it's more pronounced than others, but it's a unique sound.........learn it and enjoy it. Learn to recognize it! It's pretty cool when we can stand out in the lawn on a Carb Clinic day, listening to bikes coming down the road and say, "nope, they're not coming here.....yup, that's coming here.... "

dave fox

 

I had a similar noise on Sweet Scarlet around 3,500 to 4,500 RPM. Went completely away when I had my valve shims addjusted for wear (25,000 mile on the original valve shims). As the valves seat further into the aluminum head over engine running time, more of the valve stems move up into the valve shims reducing clearance for the cams and leads to the increased noise in the valve cover area.

Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
1982 XJ7750RJ Seca Sweet Scarlet
1982 XJ7750RJ Seca Gray Ghost
1982 XJ7750RJ Seca Bones (The Donner Cycle, beinig stripped to the bones to keep the other two alive)
1979 XS1100SF Special The Black Ranger
2008 Honda Rebel 250 Black Beth

 

The best description of the sound of riding an XJ shaftie at speed that I've been able to come up with is "a cross between a big sewing machine and George Jetson's car". You don't hear much of the exhaust note, and between the slight ticking of well-adjusted valves and the pseudo-turbo whine of the shaft drive, you don't mistake anything else for an XJ, that's for sure.

 

Now I'm looking forward to the day I too can enjoy the XJ sound. My last bike (Honda V4 Magna) was absolute music when everything was adjusted correctly.

 

As the Owner and Rider you don't really get to enjoy the Note and Whine of a well-tuned XJ-Bike.

Sitting in the wind and leaving the exhaust noise behind you; you hear the same noise all the time.

Standing on the corner, with you coming-up the street, the casual observer's attention is drawn to you approaching on a Bike that sounds more like a race car approaching than any usual motorcycle.

With the Middle Gear Whining at a frequency changing along with the exhaust note and reaching the ears of the observer constantly changing due to the Doppler effect; they're looking for a Ferrari, but it's just you passing by.

 

Yes, not unlike a Ferrari the sound is awesome.
But- - where does the sound come from ??
And from where does the sound radiate ??

About 2 years ago I stuffed wet rags and towels around my motor.
Looking for the truth.
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... whine.html

It can't be the middle gear set, as the sound is heard when the bike is not moving at all.

 

I've grown to love that sound although it unnerved me a bit at first. It kind of reminds me of those big rig engines when they wind up.

 

Well... It sounds (pun intended) like everything is probably OK and I appreciate the nice replies. It would be helpful if someone could get a good recording of the sound so that wind noise & excessive muffler noise were reduced and the sound made clear for someone searching to find the sound to know for themselves if it's OK. So many of the Youtube video clips are not particularly good at audio reproduction. Going to the dealer around here with an older bike to ask a question like this will result in a blank stare.

I have to wonder why the engineers decided to go with this extra sound as it's not something most other quality bikes demonstrate and it is quite pronounced. I'm sure is was a definite decision to go with it.

Many thanks!

 

Read the link TimetoRide provided. The trade off was a more robust means of transmitting power to the clutch (if I read that right). No primary chain means no maintanence, but results in the "whine." So I think the trade of was a more reliable engine for a unique sound.

 

Yeah that sound is way cool on thiese bikes, which is why im glad i got mine. Kinda bumed out about it though, because i might have to wait till next year to ride it because of all the work i want to do to it.

 

WHERE CAN I FIND VALVE SHIMS??? OR DO I HAVE TO MAKE THEM?