XT660Z engine noise at 4200rpm.
 

Hi all,

I've been using the tenere for 1year+ and is loving the bike very much but I'm bothered by an engine noise that i recently noticed.

In my 09'XT660Z @22000 km I started to note a metallic vibrating noise around 4200 rpm (starts around 4200 rpm and goes after 4700 rpm). Its noticeable with same intensity and pitch in any gear, moving or stopped, accelerating, decelerating or at constant engine speed.

It seems just like a loose screw that vibrates but with a higher pitch more like some sort of a vibrating whistle. All screws are tight though

The bike engine was full stock when I first notice this. I noticie this with warm/hot engine and I never rev beyond 4000 rpm with cold engine, so I never notice this with cold engine.

Most of the time the noise is there but sometimes it disappears for a few miles and then comes back.

The bike runs fine except between 4200rpm-4700rpm, at any gear, the engine(or some other possible location) is making the noise...

I get about 21-23km/ltr with Leo Vince installed...serviced regularly every 5000-7000km with loads of TLC...current mileage is 31000+km...

Thanks for looking guys...Any help is much appreciated..

Had exactly the same symptoms and only found out what it was the first time I removed the LHS radiator side cover. It was the top one of the two set screws that join the panel to the exhaust heat shield. The screw is too long and tapped against the exhaust pipe, it had actually worn away at an angle. I cut off about 7-8mm, refitted and the rattle disappeared!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/a...re_2008-39.jpg

Try pushing on the screw head and see if it makes contact with the exhaust with a metallic tap...

Same thing happened to me Pleiades, only I just swapped the two screws over and put the shorter one in where the long one was.

The screws in mine were (or appeared to be) the same length?? I guess when they assembled them the screws they were picked randomly from a Quality Street tin like I have in the garage!!:003:

Wow..thks guys...and i tot i actually had to kill someone to get this problem fixed..will try it out and let ya'll know...

Have the same and actually thought there was something loose in the cans, so i didn't bother - until now. Going to check it in a minute...

Solved!!!
 

thanks dudes....it worked.....no more irritating 'klinking klanking' sound now.....

will pass round the message to all other xt660z dudes if i hear 'em complaining...

Glad you're sorted.

I checked mine yesterday, and the top screw was hard up against the header and worn at an angle. I've spaced it out with two galv washers for now, but will shorten it asap. I doubt mine was rattling, though, because it was really pushing hard against the pipe.

Good work, Pleiades!

rattling came back...
 

Hey again guys, apparently the engine noise came back and this time its no longer the header guard knocking as the nut has been shorten and the guard is no longer touching the header...

Previously the noise was at any gear when it vibrates from 4200rpm-4700rpm...

now after resolving the header knocking sound, the engine noise only starts at 4200rpm on gear 4 and 5...

could it be the clutch? i've not abused the xt660 for any rough offroading or hard riding...only normal highway use and light trails 5 times max since i bought it....

appreciate the advise...thanks in advance...

It's probably not the engine/gearbox/clutch... it'll be another panel/part rattling. The fairing area is a good source of rattles on the Z and because you sit behind it any noises are reflected back and often sound like they're from the motor. A good start is to take the screen off and ride it without and see if it goes away. I had to use cut up inner tube between the headlight unit and the plastic around it to cure a vibratory rattle soon after getting the bike.

the top bolt in the head light cowl .. at the front opposite the clocks cowel came loose on mine ..and that made a right viby sound ..

could the front sprocket be getting a bit spiked ??

hey guys,

i know the date ia abit way back but i've found the true cause for my rattling issue after sooooooo long!!!

apparently the givi crashbar that is mounted had a major break at one of the welding areas near the engine guard area...not sure how that happened as this bike has never been dropped...not even on the side...

anyways i got it welded back to its original position and the rattling stopped completely...took me so long to notice as the breakage area was not obvious...can be seen only when i pulled the crashbar from the frames...:spanking[1]:

These bikes like to keep us er well ...... on our toes!!!! Hehe.

:)

Thanks for this advice. After reading this yesterday, I decided to check out the front fairing today, as some part(s) in that area appeared to to be the source(s) of 'my' rattles (rattling at certain RPMs, also when gear in neutral). It helped somewhat simply to tight up things a little. And then, a bit surprised, I realised that the sound was produced by the windshield vibrating towards the black plastic around the headlight. I rolled up some bits of black electric insulating tape, with the sticking side outwards, so they became small self adhering patches - and tucked them between the windshield and the plastic, in four vibrating areas along the edge. Worked perfect!

I even felt this had countered a source of an amplifying effect, and by that reducing the vibrations of the bike overall. - But that I take as a placebo effect caused by my euphoria from having eliminated the rattle sound.

Anyway, all joy :hello2:

open the side cases of the engine and check, and replace gaskets if torn.
only way to be sure if no big nut came loose.
try listening to the engine when standing next to it and giving it throttle to 4200-4700 rpm. you might find wich side it could be. (and cover the exhaust with a thick cloth to dampen the exhaustnoise.

If all covers and headlight is ok it might be the crank nut on rhs. On high mileage bikes it can come lose. I thought it was a bad bearing at first but crank nut was lose.