It might just be me but I've noticed what I can only describe as a knocking sensation in (I think) the handlebars on my Ten when traveling at high speed (harldy present at 70, noticable from 75+) over the last few days. Certqainly I don't seem to notice it in my feet, and feel it a bit through my knees griping the tank.

Obviously I'm concerned that this might indicate a problem but I can't 100% be certain it was not there before due the the chain probelms I had causing surging.

The knocking feels a little like when the engine is struggling at low revs (<3k rpm for instance) and needs to go down a gear. I get a 2-3 'knocks' in quick succession, stops then the same again a few seconds later. The knocks are about the same intensity as hitting a 'big' bump in the motorway road surface, only 2-3 together in less than a second. Bike sounds and feels fine at all other revs/speeds from what I can see.

I'm not a mechanic but my bars turn smoothly, and rocking the bike forward/back with the front brake on does not seem to show only head play and nice smooth suspension movement. When I had the chain changed the mechanic commented my sprockets were ok so its not that either. Oil has been regularly changed every 3k miles and bike is just coming up to 10k miles in total (so 2k until the major 12k mile service). Milage is almost exclusively motorway miles over the last 6 months.

Anyone got any ideas?

So it is chassis rather than engine knocking ?

I'm no mechanic either but..........

I'd be checking for play in the suspension linkage, give the shock,swingarm and linkage a good wiggle.Check engine mount bolts/nuts are present and tight, ditto the fork yoke bolts.

I'd also look at the sprockets and every link of the chain just to be sure.Check for play in the front wheel bearing too.

MY guess would be chasis knocking rather than engine but as its constant but what would I know.

I've tried holding the handle bars and wiggling the front wheel to get any play and seems ok. As much as I can check in the dark and wet moving the rear swingarm and rear wheel seems to give no play. No sure how I'd check the linkage, tried poking it from the bottom where all the scottoil/road crud collect and that seemed ok as far as I could tell. Again I'm not a mechanic so not 100% if I'm checking these correctly as its still all new to me.

Chain is 800 miles old, spockets were declared ok by ddealer at the same time (as per my own visual inspection).

Not sure where the engine bolts and nuts are...I'll try and look tomorrow when its daylight!

Thanks for for suggestions so far though!

IN addition to what others have said, try tighten all the screws and bolts according to the torque spec in the service manual around areas of the handlebar, front fork, and where the tank attaches to the frame. If you have what I have had in the last 13k km, i.e. more has to do with rpm range between 4k and 5k than the speed, this should help.

Thanks. I have the service manual but I need to get a new torque wrench as mine conveniently broke yesterday when I was taking of the rear axel nut to tighten the chain.

I have tried high revs at lower speeds but this does not seem to cause the symptoms however. Still no harm in torquing the nuts properly however.

Just a quick followup to this.

Had my bike serviced today as well as new tyres and cush drive and the problem seems to have gone away. Dealer said the cush rubbers litteraly fell apart when they tried to remove them. Funny thing is they seemed ok up until I had the chain replaced at 10k miles (not that much sprocket movement) but seemed to deteriate rapidly after that.

Cost was about 23 quid for the rubbers.