i think it's valve noise

85' xj700, 19K miles. after I ride the bike a long distance on highway, it sounds like clicking from the valves at idle. it's just a slight "tick tick tick." I haven't checked the valve clearance yet nor do know when the last shim job was done. am I correct in assuming it is the valves that are clicking and why does it only do it after long highway ride?

 

some tick is good!
I think you want a tick so you can hear the
valves... no tick really bad... tight valves don't tick
my engine makes all kinds of noises.. with spec valves

 

Yup, clatter is good. It's just like a fart---you smile and laugh when you hear one, but silence is deadly.

BUT it is also possible that have a loose exhaust collar. Try snugging them just a bit and see if it goes away.

 

just like a fart bahahahhahahaha!!!!!! ok thanks. I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. planning on a 750mi trip to Michigan soon. I will check my exhaust as well

 

you should check your valves before you go. just because one is ticking doesn't mean the one next to it isn't tight

 

+1

 

I have the same tick occasionally and it's good to know someone else has. My valves are in spec.

 

I concur on checking your valve clearances. If the bike has 19K on it and they've been ignored, you're approaching the danger zone.

You definitely don't want to take a trip without checking them first.

 

yeah yeah I checked mine at 19k im pretty sure no one had that valve cover off before. I could tell they were fine because you can hear them clicking away.

 

Wow, you can hear the difference between in spec and out of spec? That's impressive.

Dave

 

go-go gadget hearing feeler gauges!

 

Yep I sure can anyone can if they obsess enough and have a good ear

 

Loose valves click too.

 

Yeah but I can tell if they are too loose from hearing other bikes being tight and loose.my virago had a tight intake in the rear and i literally could never hear the cylinder tick then my front was loose and thats all i could hear the thing was banging away. then when i adjusted them you could hear both cylinders with a nice click click evenly together it sounded great..

 

Hmm--8 valves and 1000 rpm idle. If my math is correct, and it may not be, that means that each valve opens and shuts 4+ times a second, and you can tell which valves are loose/tight and which aren't! You need to be on America has Talent!

 

1,050 X 4 / 60 = 70

70 individual ticks per second.

 

Josh has Perfect Click!

 

I sure do lol

 

But since each valve only opens and closes once for every two revolutions then it would seem that there are only a total of 35 ticks per second. If that's true, then each valve opens and closes 4.375 times per second. In any case, it takes incredible ears to tell the difference.

 

ok so I will definitely check them haha thanks everybody!

 

I covered the 4-cycle bit - - the "real" math would be:
1,050 X 8 / 2 / 60 = 70

And I gotta say, a Virago would be idling alot lower, has only 2 CYL which are separated so you could tell where the sound is coming from.

500 X 2 / 2 / 60 = 8

It would be alot more reasonable to tell which valve is tapping in a V2 engine.

 

My virago idle speed is at the same rpm as my xj700n

 

Yep, you've got it right. That's a lot of ticking to listen to in one second. Even an elephant would have a hard time with that. :lol:

 

Yep. The last XV920 I worked on specs idle at 1,50 RPM. It takes a big flywheel for a gas engine to idle below 1000 RPM. 500RPM is about what a hit-and-miss engine idles at, and they have huge flywheels relative to their displacement.

 

Yeah yeah We will see next time ready to check the valves I will use my ear first then see with feeler gauge