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Valve Tapping

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  SiPPMSH 
#1 ·
I am noticing a much more pronounced valve tap near the top of the front cylinder recently. It varies directly with throttle input. Is there an easy way to quiet this down? Could it be something else? I have no exhaust leaks and performance seems normal/strong. My coolant is a bit low at the moment if it matters.
I've got 19K miles, exhaust, FI2000R, TRE. Stock airbox.
 
#2 ·
That's not uncommon for these bikes; the top end of the M109 engines can be a bit loud. I think it's around 10,000 - 12,000 miles that there is a valve inspection but 9 times out of 10 no adjustments are necessary. One thing you could try is switching to a heavier weight oil to quiet things down a tad. :bigthumbsup:
 
#4 ·
Does it do it just under load or any time you increase the throttle? Wondering if it's a little spark knock if it's doing it under load.

Valves on these tend to tighten up instead of getting loose. The valve seats deeper into the head and closes the gap. I've got 35,000 on mine and they've never been checked, and it's still fairly quiet.
 
#5 ·
I notice the tap all the time. It just increases in frequency as the motor speeds up. I can hear it at idle as well. I am due for an oil change soon, I'll try a heavier weight oil as Sippmsh mentioned and see if that doesn't quiet things down.
What would a "heavy" weight oil be for this motor? 20W50..?
 
#6 ·
20W-50. It's what I've used in mine since day one, with the exception of the oil the dealer poured in at the 600 mile service (which I changed out sooner than 3000 miles). Mine has a little bit of top-end noise, nothing to write home about. 2006 with over 21,000 miles.
 
#7 ·
Agreed 100%! I have run Amsoil Full Synthetic 20w-50 in my bike since day 1. :bigthumbsup: I also have a little bit of noise under load but as mentioned above, "nothing to write home about". :D
 
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