TOPIC:

I've got a strange tick on the top end of the right hand side of the motor on cold starts. It starts fine with no noise, a couple of seconds after starting the tick begins, stops, begins again and then stops. I never hear it it any other time except on starts where it has sat for at least a day. I noticed this last year toward the end of the season but I had other issues at the time. I am more concerned now because it is getting worse. The tick is louder and lasts longer.

Here is a video of the noise. It is very obvious when it starts and stops. The tick is there whether the engine is running fast or slow.



Any ideas? Just when this thing was running so well.....

Difficult to tell what the sound is but on my sound system it certainly doesn't sound metallic. Almost sounds like one of the HT leads is shorting to earth.

Interesting. I assumed mechanical, like valves. Hadn't considered that as a possibility. I also just thought I should double check my header bolts since sometimes exhaust leaks sound like valve noises.

Not HT lead. If it was then the bike would be running on 5 not 6 cylinders. An HT lead shorting to ground has a sharper crack to the sound. Remember that sound. It's a valve out of adjustment. It's at the right speed for the RPM, it is metallic and it's located in the right place, just under the rocker cover. If you pulled the fuel tank and ran the engine and had a Stethoscope www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mechanic-s-st...MaQodTaIGeA#store=38
you could pinpoint it before even pulling the rocker cover. if you don't have one of these in your toolbox, get one. When you "think" you hear something, you can pull out that stethoscope and go looking for it.
The "other thing" you can do with that tool is pull the head off of the tool and go searching for vacuum leaks with the end of the hose and the ear piece. It's amazing what you can hear when you eliminate all the other noises surrounding you and focus your hearing via the end of the hose to just one area at a time.
Think you have a bad bearing? That's where the stethoscope really shines.
Last but not least, let's say you hear the ticking sound using the stethoscope and then go and check your valve lash and Hmmmm doesn't seem to be out of adjustment. Many other things could be going on. Sticking valve in a valve guide. Shim bucket sticking in the cylinder head.

Thanks Kawboy. Well, shit. I probably know the answer to this next question.... should I be riding this or should I immediately park it and deal with it? I only ask because it goes away a minute or so after it warms up. Can you offer some insight why this would happen? If a valve was out of adjustment, shouldn't it stay that way?

My quick answer would be-
When was the oil last changed? Could be an oil change will resolve your problem.
What weight of engine oil and what brand are you using? If it's 15W40 then I would go to 5W40. I always run 5W40 (preferably Rotella T6) because when the engine is cold, I want the thinner viscosity in there to quickly wet all of the running surfaces. Once the oil temp comes up the 40 weight of the oil is present for maintaining lubricity between all the moving parts. Just take it easy until the engine temp comes up, then you can drive it like you stole it.