GS500e clapping

[median]

Hi all im new here i thought id come and pick your brains. Ive bought my second gs500e last year for £320 it is in good conidtion for the year (1989) i bought it as a cheap run about and a cheap bit of fun as i had 1 years ago so knew there cr4acking little bikes with plenty of go in them.

Anyway  since i got it when it gets hot it makes this odd clapping sound (Not tapping) when it is ticking over when i start moving it cant be heard, it still rides fine with no difference in performance and like i said its done it since i got it over a year ago and i was using it daily for a time.

I decided to race the bike up abit this summer as it already has a nexus exhuast system on i took the air box out and put a lunchbox air filter directly onto the carbs then rejetted the carbs. Becuase of this it gets hotter faster now so the sound starts sooner than before.

The sound claps 3 or 4 times really quickly then goes silent for a moment then does it again a mate of mine things it could just be the rocker cover gets abit loose when its hot but im not reallyt sure.
No leaks or knocks and like i said it runs absolutly fine, so any insight would be welcome.

[T1z3R]

your valve cover wouldnt (shouldnt) get loose enough to do that.
does the bike hesitate for split secoond each time it makes the noise?

[JAY W]

If it`s only doing it hot,i`d check for piston slap;compression test.If you`ve already owned an E,i take it your familiar with the cam rattle from too much endfloat (normal).Might be worth checking camchain tensioner although can usually hear when cold.

[median]

hi theres no hesitation in it it rides the same forgot to mession it does it most of the time when hot but not all the time took it out today and it was fine its bizzar. ill get a mecanic mate around to pick his brains about the tensioners etc but due tot he sound id be surprised if it was that.

cheers for the replies guys

[sledge]

An 89 eh? cant be many left in the UK now that are this old 

Get a long screwdriver or an extension bar, hold one end against your ear and the other against the LH and then the RH cylinder below the exhaust ports.......if its slap it will stand out a mile from all the other noises and you will easily recognise it.  . However the early GS5 were notorious for cam float so dont rule this possibilty out. It could also be a sticking camchain tensioner allowing the chain to flap about. You need to have a good listen all over and around the engine for noises that are irregular and come and go and when you find them you can identify the area they are coming from and then take a guess at the cause.

[BaltimoreGS]

Don't know what the noise is but it sounds like your '89 does the same thing mine does.  I've been ignoring it for many miles   

-Jessie

[Homer]

3 or 4 times really quickly then goes silent for a moment then does it again

Lateral play, Sledge? 

[Deros514]

perhaps your GS is applauding your skills

[gregvhen]

Don't know what the noise is but it sounds like your '89 does the same thing mine does.  I've been ignoring it for many miles   

-Jessie

that should fix it

[median]

Ill have ago with the screw driver next time it does it.
But i think ill like Deros514 idea lol.
cheers for the rplies guys if i cant figure it out ill just have to leave it best not to mess with it when its running fine i always find you end up with more problems if you try to fix something which is not totaly broken. Plus i could pick up another for between £400 to \£500 if i needed to if the engine did go pop thern at least id have a hell of alot of spares.

[sledge]

Lateral play, Sledge?

Not with ya Homey.

Slap occurs when the piston starts to "rock" in the cylinder as it travels up and down. This then causes the skirts to wear front and back at points 90deg to the crank. Its usualy as a result of wear in the small end.

Here is a good un`

[BaltimoreGS]

Don't know what the noise is but it sounds like your '89 does the same thing mine does.  I've been ignoring it for many miles  

-Jessie

that should fix it

I'm assuming it is the cam noise that the early bikes are known for.  Can't fix what isn't broken    I bought it dirt cheap and didn't want to put any money in it so I figured I'd just ride it till the noise got worse.  Now at 20,000 miles the noise has never gotten any worse and the bike has turned out to be the most reliable GS I've ever owned.  That's how she earned that custom Van Halen paint job  

-Jessie

[Firewalker]

haha.....nice on the EVH stripes.......brings back 1984 in color!