Intermittent rattle

[guywheatley]

I've got an intermittent rattle somewhere in the front of my 94 VF750. I can hear it come and go, even when the clutch is engaged or it's out of gear. A time or two, I though it might be coming from the radiator. A couple of folks have heard it, but nobody can localize or identify it. I put a couple of hundred miles on the bike since first hearing it. It doesn't seem to be getting worse, and nothing seems wrong. Still, it's unnerving to have your bike just rattle. Anybody else ever had this happen?

[John Luttrell]

Could be a broken cam chain tensioner, the tensioner springs have been known to break and cause a rattle in the effected head.

[guywheatley]

John:
Someone suggested that to me. Fortunately, I've got someone close by who's actually heard that problem on a VF750 before. He doesn't think that's it. I'll keep listening though, in case it gets worse.

[Magnum Magna]

If it sounds like it is up front near the radiator, do you have the large engin guards, there is a spacer that can have an occasional raddle sound.  I have not heard it on my pair but others have.

[guywheatley]

Nope. I've got the smaller guards, but it does sound like something loose. I had the radiator off a few months ago changing plugs. I'm going to get her up on the trailer and go over her looking for loose brackets or clamps. I've got a hunch that when I finally find it, it'll be a bolt or screw I didn't get tight.

[L J VFR]

Hope you find it... Unlike me, it takes my son to wiggle something before i realize it's about to fall off.. Lance

[Justin]

I have a similar intermittent rattle coming from what sounds to be the front of my 94 750c somewhere around the radiator area, if sway the bike side to side the noise either goes away or intensifies. I was thinking it might be the thrust barring on my cam but I'm a rookie to these V4's, I'm switching over to Amsoil 20w-50 and i was hoping that was going to fix it. If anyone else has a better suggestion please let me know.

[BA]

I've been having an intermittent rattle/clunk sound from the fromt cylinders that I notice when lugging the engine at 3000 rpm.  It's not there when cruising or under hard acceleration in a lower gear.  Could that be the cam chain tightener?

[Magnum Magna]

In the 3 Gen Magna there is a metallic raddle noise inside the engine.  The clunk sound, description does not sound right without hearing it in person it could be nothing or something.

[Sledge Hammer]

Guy, I noticed what may be the same thing in my '95, especially at low rpm and after the bike has gotten hot. It sounds like it is gear noise coming from the transmission, and a friend of mine who is a pretty fair mechanic said that it could be the unselected gears rotating. It doesn't seem to be hurting anything and my bike has only about 4700 miles on it, so I doubt it is internal wear or breakage.

From the other comments posted, perhaps it is just a "feature" of the design.

[TLRam1]

You guys need louder pipes. 

[BA]

How do you check the cam chain tensioner?