So lots of people have a ticking noise...

[norcalwelder]

Could it be from the reed valves for the Air Injection system? They are located on the top of the engine and supply air into the exhaust system when idling or when the coolant temp is not up to two bars. A solenoid valve controls the air flow. I have never thought to check them, but the ticking noise I hear sure does sound like that.

 

[REO Scorpio]

I have completely removed the Ais, flipped the reeds, and installed block-off plates.

My tick didn't change at all. I had hoped that a reduction/stoppage of the ticking may have been an added benefit of the removal, but no luck.

 

[outasight20]

Isn't a loose cam chain usually the cause of ticking?

 

[norcalwelder]

Isn't a loose cam chain usually the cause of ticking?

Not necessarily, I put in a new cam chain, guides, and tensioner about 5000 miles ago and it got ride of a the sound the cam chain was making, but another ticking noise remained.

 

[FinalImpact]

Not necessarily, I put in a new cam chain, guides, and tensioner about 5000 miles ago and it got ride of a the sound the cam chain was making, but another ticking noise remained.

You might pull the valve cover and recheck the valve lash. All it takes is one being loose (too much clearance) and you have a tick.
If in fact that is what it is, it will be constant at lower Rpms. Too much clearance is better than none as none burns valves. Also you should be able to pinpoint this with a stethoscope.

 

[norcalwelder]

I know for a fact my valves are on the looser side, the weird thing is if they were causing the noise, why does it go away and then come back occasionally?

 

[FinalImpact]

I know for a fact my valves are on the looser side, the weird thing is if they were causing the noise, why does it go away and then come back occasionally?

Do you have the measurements???? Can you post them?

I guess I should have worded that differently; Engines that have hydraulic lash adjusters keep the noise down by maintaining a zero lash. Our engines stay mostly quiet but only when the lash is within spec. That said they will always be noisy compared to one with hydraulic lash adjusters. The trade off is reduced weight and greater performance - you do get noise as by-product.

Variable as to when and why:
Engine is not running smooth.
Oil temperature / as it goes up, it doesn't cushion as well.
Head temperature, valves clearance changes with temp

 

[tosh23]

fuel injectors tick..

 

[FinalImpact]

fuel injectors tick..

Yes, but are quiet in comparison to Valve Lash and THEY ARE 100% all the time and easily isolated from other noises with a stethoscope.

This is brought up often, the injectors on these bikes are so small most will NEVER here them over the exhaust into the header or the thrashing of the valve train. Its a NONE issue!

 

[lazamus69]

Its an FZ6 bro...takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

 

[lkea]

As mention earlier, I would also suspect its the valve clearance that causes the ticking sound. You should have a feeler gauge to get the exact gap and measurement upon adjusting it.

 

[red06]

my valves tick but recently it got real loud , at highway speed i hear the ticking over the exhaust , is there a fix?

 

[norcalwelder]

Well I had a ticking noise that sounded serious, so I went to replace my cam chain tensioner and found it to be fine, but my cam chain was stretched and the guides that support it worn out. I replaced the chain, guides, and tensioner which fixed the problem, but I noticed that it was replaced with slightly quieter ticking noise that was masked by the cam chain. Long story short, it was impossible to pin down or isolate. However, my valves were fairly loose and my cam shaft is worn, which might explain the noise. Me and several motorcycle mechanics from work (I work at a dealership) looked at the cam shaft and the idea was floated that the loose valves and worn cam shaft might be responsible. I have noticed the sound is minimized or gone when the bike is running smoothly, sometimes when the bike is cold, and after an oil change. I know for a fact that having a little too much oil will create a definite tick, so that is an easy place to start.

 

[klausnj]

i have an 2005 fz6 with 6000 miles on it and lately it seems to make a ticking noise but only after it has warmed up to 2 bars on the temp gauge. what could be causing this? and is it something that could hurt my bike?

 

[bundziur]

hey, my valvetrain also sounds to be quite noisy, i've recorded it so that I could ask you guys if that noise is within norm - I've ridden a Honda Hornet before, which had 15k miles more on the clock and was 8 years older, but much quieter in comparison. This bike is a 2009 FZ6.

fz6 engine noise - YouTube

Also, when engine braking, when revvs are about 2000-3000, a rattling noise becomes apparent - it only presents itself under these circumstances and seems to go away when i pull the clutch. that would mean it's the clutch basket, right? Is a noisy clutch basket something normal on an fz6?

fz6 clutch noise 2 - YouTube
fz6 clutch noise - YouTube

im not sure if you can actually hear it in the vids

edit: popped down to yamaha dealer to confirm / sway away my worries - they said bike has lots of fairing noise and regular camshaft endfloat noise. all's good.

thanks!