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Rattling sound while accelerating

39341 Views 48 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  Greenspeed
For the last 150km or so I've noticed a loud rattling sound coming from my engine/clutch or something, but only while accelerating.

Sounds similar to.. something like a screw loose on a moving car while the wind and vibration is pounding at it.

It's quite an embarrassing sound when pulling away at a red light after people have been staring longingly at the bike... :rolleyes:

Took it to the dealer the other day to have it checked out, they don't hear it while it's just standing there being revved, but when they take it around for a short ride they hear it clearly.

Workshop guy said I might have to leave the bike with them for a day or two while they strip it down and investigate :(

Anyways he's asking our Kawasaki if anyone's been experiencing anything similar and if they have a solution, before they take anything apart.
Will probably only get a response on Monday or so.

*sigh*

Will keep you guys posted as they happen.
Thread may come in handy for anyone else that experiences the same thing in future.
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this sounds interesting. id like to know what the outcome of it is thats for sure. out of interest how many kilometres do you have on the clock?
3250km at the moment
Just a theory but, Kawasaki uses automatic cam chain tensioner. They do fail, causing chain noise, that tends to occur under acceleration. It looks like this:

if the center screw is removed, you can free up the tensioner. On my ZX it was a hex key under the bolt. The hex key will compress the spring maybe freeing it up. If that fixes it, it is a temporary fix until the tensioner is replaced.

Should be located on the rear of the right side of the block.
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It wasn't on a ninja, but a friend of mine had the chattering of the chain slipping sound and it turned out to be the chain to drivetrain.
Engine Auto part Automotive engine part Automotive super charger part Automotive starter motor



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I had a vibrating noise on mine when I twisted the throttle it turns out the nut in the throttle body cable wasn't tightened and had wriggled loose, it is worth having a quick look at


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For the last 150km or so I've noticed a loud rattling sound coming from my engine/clutch or something, but only while accelerating.

Sounds similar to.. something like a screw loose on a moving car while the wind and vibration is pounding at it.

It's quite an embarrassing sound when pulling away at a red light after people have been staring longingly at the bike... :rolleyes:

Took it to the dealer the other day to have it checked out, they don't hear it while it's just standing there being revved, but when they take it around for a short ride they hear it clearly.

Workshop guy said I might have to leave the bike with them for a day or two while they strip it down and investigate :(

Anyways he's asking our Kawasaki if anyone's been experiencing anything similar and if they have a solution, before they take anything apart.
Will probably only get a response on Monday or so.

*sigh*

Will keep you guys posted as they happen.
Thread may come in handy for anyone else that experiences the same thing in future.
This sounds EXACTLY like what started on my bike yesterday. Did they ever find what was wrong with it?
Monday and Tuesday Kawasaki still didn't get back to them, so the dealer just said I should take my bike in. I took the bike in on Tuesday, and they kindly gave me their demo ebony 300 to use while they investigate my bike.

At first they thought it may be the exhaust baffle, because the sound only happens when it's under load and moving. I had to take in the ebony demo in the next day(Wednesday) so they could swap exhausts and see if the sound would disappear on my 300. That didn't fix it.

The mech says to me he needs to strip the bike down and investigate further. He thinks it might be something in the engine or clutch.

Today I didn't get any news.
I'll have to follow up again in the morning. I was hoping to get the bike back before the weekend :(

The bike seems to be usable. No performance decrease, rides perfect... It's just that annoying acceleration rattle. Well the mechs at the place are confused as well so I don't feel so bad not knowing what it is. Hopefully they find out by tomorrow.
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Could this sound be described as a pinging or oil beads sizzling like on a sheet of aluminum? Between 5-6k RPMs?
Thats very odd. After having the dealer install a 15 tooth front sprocket mine makes a rattling noise but only when I pull the clutch in while driving. Sounds like a chain/sprocket noise. I've tried cleaning it and the noise is still there. It doesnt effect the bike in any way its just super annoying.
Could this sound be described as a pinging or oil beads sizzling like on a sheet of aluminum? Between 5-6k RPMs?
Yes, it sounds pretty similar to
.

But it happens anywhere between 4k-6k rpm for a second or two as i'm accelerating and moving.
If i'm cruising at a steady rpm or the bike is in neutral and being revved, the sound doesn't happen.
I was crediting it to the cat, and then after removing that the fuel. I think it is light detonation/pre-ignition. My tune and premium fuel seems to have cleared it up.
Yes, it sounds pretty similar to these sounds.

But it happens anywhere between 4k-6k rpm for a second or two as i'm accelerating and moving.
If i'm cruising at a steady rpm or the bike is in neutral and being revved, the sound doesn't happen.
Yep, that's the sound. It starts when I get around 4k, but keeps on until I take it back under 4k.
Premium fuel and get a tune in it. It'll probably run for 100,000 miles like that but I wanted it gone ASAP!

I doubt Kawi will have a EPA approved tune to drop in it.
Hi guys,

Dealer took the bike apart last week. He said "we have taken the head and barrels off and found the left big end bearing has gone."

I'm not very techinical and don't know exactly what that means, but I think it's parts inside the engine, which would mean it's pretty serious.

Last I heard from them on Monday is that they are still waiting for approval from Kawasaki for the warranty claim, and waiting for parts to repair it. :(
I just rode it like normal, like I do in normal day-to-day commuting. So most of the rev range gets used a bit.
I find it impossible to stay under the prescribed break-in rev limit.
This is my third bike I've broken in this way.

The first 3000km on this was fine. Only 150km or so after, I started noticing the sound.
Dealer took the bike apart last week. He said "we have taken the head and barrels off and found the left big end bearing has gone."
far out! a bigend bearing gone with only 3000k on the clock:eek:.
i doubt its cos of the way you broke it in, im more willing to bet these things come of a factory line and every now and then one of them will not be up to scratch.

could be as simple as not being properly torqued up at the factory correctly & not your fault at all, thanks heavens for warranty!
You'd have to intentionally rev it beyond the limiter or run without oil to do that, factory defect, build issue or bad bearing, maybe a scrap in the cases that wiped it out. Nasty. I've had a few big end bearings go, didn't sound like my pinging at all, much deeper tone.

Good luck, glad they are rebuilding it!
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