Welcome to NAME THAT SOUND!!!!

[Jester]

sooooo i have this sound that is noticable to me while i am accelerating.  sounds kind of like a bingatingbing  it sounds like it's coming from the left front part of the engine  but only while accelerating at constant speed i don't hear it.   If i'm being to vague let me know and i'll try to be more specific.       The only mods to the bike are a k/N filter and one extra shim on the needle jets      thanks,


JEss

[roboto65]

Well how about idle is it loud then if it is I only need one guess!!! Cam Chain tensioner!

[hootmon]

No chance it's valve knock because you are using regular 87 Octane gas???
Just trying to keep it simple..

[Jester]

the answer is no AND yes.  no i can't hear it at idle, only under acceleration.   I am running regular unleaded....  I don't want to start a fight... but...  does it matter?   I suppose I'll supreme next time around.       Cam chain tensioner sounds...  it was my understanding that those would be a LOUD knock as the chain hit the case.   this doesn't have a knock to it...  Kinda like a rattle sound... 

[hootmon]

I'm not trying to get Octane to fit your problem...
I have a '94 - and Run Plus (89 Octane) all the time. If I run Regular, I get pre-ignition Knock.
We have had a discussion in the past month on Supreme (91+ Octane), if you do a search, you will find the posts (It is within a subject not releated to use of higher octane).. In short, it was determined by everyone except one poster that there is no point in Super...
My '94 has a sticker on the frame (Right side near the battery I believe) that states it needs 89 octane although others swear that their book says regular 87 octane...

Are you new to your bike, or has it been fine running on regular for thousands of miles, and suddenly you have this noise??

[roboto65]

If it was the Cam chain tensioner you would know and it would be louder at idle it sounds like a valve loose and flopping around in there it is not a pretty sound. Yours may be octane I run regular myself and have no problem have you changed the plugs lately?  If so you may have got the wrong heat range.

[Jester]

I've had the bike since May of this year.       The right side cover of my magna has a sticker that states Gasoline: 91 RON min.     well after a little research i found a formula for conversion from ron to aki  rating systems   ( RON Octane Rating x 0.95 = AKI Octane Rating )   which converts 91 RON to 86.4 AKI          Maybe it's all just in my head.    The spark plugs were changed about a month after i got the bike.  I got the lower temp plugs not the higher temp plugs   My bike is the california model...if that makes that much of a difference...     I wouldn't say that this noise has come on suddenly...  I've put over 4000 miles on the bikes this summer.   I would say it was kind of a gradual increase in awareness of this specific sound...

[roboto65]

Do YOU have the stock pipes on there  put some louder pipes on it and poof no more noise  Not sure about the Cali thing most Magnas have a little noise might be your drive chain has been known to fool a bunch of people....

[Jester]

You know,  I have thought about louder pipes buuuuuuut  that sounds like a real pain.   I get about 50 mpg hiway the way it is  so i think i'll leave that alone.  maybe i just need on board stereo.    Has anyone got an HD fairing to fit the magna?   seriously though... have they?    I think i'll try an oilchange  to synthetic.   The drive chain is practically brand new.  That was one of the first things i replaced back in may  stupid dorks at the honda dealership told me i needed a 112 link chain...  so i bought a 120 and cut 8 links off...damn........

[rjb/AKA Bob Barram]

I have noticed a similar sound on mine when I don't wear the helmet. I have not decided yet if it is a loose chain, unlubricated chain (just got back from a long trip) or a chain that needs replacing. The noise happens more when decelerating and goes away when I clutch.

[Solafide]

Have you checked your alignment?  My bike made a real racket after having a new chain/sprocket on.  It started out as an annoying sound while accelerating (sounding like it was coming from the front of the bike).  It progressively got louder and louder until people could hear it over the sound of their own bikes when I was riding in a group (while accelerating especially).

According to the marks on the bike everything was lined up right, but when I did an alignment (string method)I saw that it was way (I mean way!!) out.  After this I tested it and the sound was almost gone.  I then measured the bolts for adjusting the chain and I noticed that one still had just slightly more access then the other.  I figured I would try making them exactly the same.  I got on the bike and the noise was totally gone.

Worth checking.

[Jester]

Just out of curiosity,   why is stringing the bike more accurate than just measuring off the back of the swing arm...  I can't imagine that the swing arm would be that out of square with the rest of the bike.    yeah I'll look into it.  That does sound like a possibility.

[Solafide]

Just out of curiosity,   why is stringing the bike more accurate than just measuring off the back of the swing arm...  I can't imagine that the swing arm would be that out of square with the rest of the bike.

Well I tried that, but those nice looking mufflers on each side get in the way.   I could tell just by looking at it that there was about a half inch difference (the right side was 1/2 inch closer to the swing arm).

I wasn't sure if this was by design or not, so I used the string method to see what was really going on.

[Slydynbye]

Recheck your spark plugs you might have a loose one.

[rjb/AKA Bob Barram]

Well, my sounds went away after the maintenance I mentioned I thought needed to be done. I tightened and waxed the chain and it sure is quiet now!
I think one more chain adjustment and a new chain will be needed.