knocking like noise??

[tireeater]

My gs has started to make a knocking like sound at low rpm only. I did a valve adjustment not even 1k miles ago. They all within spec. I dont know if it could be a loose cam chain, not enough clearance or what. It only does it with two conditions, 1)bike has to get hot. mainly day time. 2) only when it at idle to about 2k rpm. I really need help due to it only has 17k miles on it and I got alot of riding to do with the beast. Greatly appreciate the help.

[Jimbob]

Can you make a video of the sound?

[sledge]

So you do a video and make a recording 

and then people will join in and say.....

Its the valves.....or
Its the camchain.....or
Its the tensioner.....or
Its the sprag clutch.....or
Its piston slap.....or
Its a main/big-end/balancer bearing....or
Its something else.

At least that's what normally happens when this forum plays `guess the sound` 

The GS5 is not and never has been a quiet bike and diagnosing faults by sound alone especially over the internet is very difficult. You need someone with experience and who knows what they are talking about to be stood next to it to be in with a chance of getting the diagnosis right.
However.....the fact its doing it on tickover means it could, emphasis on could be the infamous camshaft float.

If it sounds like the one in the video and you have an engine number below 114497 it almost certainly is and despite being annoying is harmless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuEA90rB5g

[dinkydonuts]

I don't understand why this forum doesn't make it mandatory to put the year of the bike in the Sig or profile.

Anyway.....what year is the bike?!

[gsJack]

It's an 04 F model so it could be cam knock.  Also another low rpm only knock that's seems quite common right know is the loose starter clutch knock and the two have very different frequencies.  A video would be helpful.

I agree dinky, every post asking for help should start out with " I have a 02 GS with 100k miles on it and................"  It is significant info so often not mentioned.

[tireeater]

Well to help it is a 04 gs500f or fk( title says fk), it has 17k miles on it and i use 15w-40 oil. Now slug it sounds like that knock in the video but more frequent. I work thirds so i just got home. i will post a video later today when i wake up. Sorry about not including that. The year and model would def help yall.

[robfriedenberger]

At least that's what normally happens when this forum plays `guess the sound`

I love playing guess the sound. 

Really though, take a long screw driver and put it up to your ear and take a listen to the different parts of the motor, and isolate the sound to an area that usually defeats the guessing game....we could also start a poll once the video is posted 

[gsJack]

At least that's what normally happens when this forum plays `guess the sound`

I love playing guess the sound. 

Really though, take a long screw driver and put it up to your ear and take a listen to the different parts of the motor, and isolate the sound to an area that usually defeats the guessing game....we could also start a poll once the video is posted 

Well, I had a knocking noise this spring as you must recall Rob and I removed the left cover, the top cover, and the then the right cover in turn looking for the problem unsuccessfully.  Then I found a post from a member with a video that nailed it for me immediately and I went back to the left cover and fixed it.  While it looked good when first checked it was immediately obvious upon return that it was a loose starter clutch, additional running time had made it obvious to me.

So keep the videos coming but take the replies as suggestions to be checked out regardless of who they come from.  Nobody's right or wrong all the time. it's up to the bikes inquiring owner to make the decisions on which way to go.

[tireeater]

So I'm thinking it is the cam chain tension? Any oppose? Video should be up tomorrow.

[gsJack]

If this is a poll I vote for camshaft knock based on your description in 1st post above.  Only when hot, only at idle, and goes away at fast idle and above.  Frequency of knock would be determining input.  It's at a much lower frequency than most other engine knocks. 

[Joolstacho]

If it's a loose starter clutch it will clatter when cold too, so, as your noise only happens when motor is hot you can probably discount that.

I interpret the starter clutch noise as a 'clatter', - not a knock (like mains or big ends) or a rattle (like excessive valve clearances or piston slap). It will be more prominent at lower revs, possibly going away at higher revs.
And I must admit that I found it hard to track 'my' starter clutch noise down using the stethoscope (screwy) method, somehow this particular clatter is hard to pinpoint by ear.

[tireeater]

If cam shaft knock, do your believe its the barrings? i did the valve adjustment about 1,000 miles ago and it seem to make it worse. i guess what im asking is what should i do to track down this noise til i get a video up?

[gsJack]

If it's the camshaft knock it's not bad bearings, it's due to too much lateral free play and the camshaft knocks back and forth sideways between the bearings.  If that's your problem it's annoying but harmless. 

I had it on both of my GSs and first identified it on my 97 GS.  I confirmed it by removing the valve cover and checking the camshaft free play, found one camshaft with excess lateral free play.  Ran Mobil 1 20-50 synthetic in the 97 from new to about 50k miles and then changed to Rotella T 15-40 for another 30k miles and never heard it again.

Heard it early on with my current 02 GS bought slightly used in 03 with 4k on the clock and went to 15-40 Rotella T soon after that and don't recall hearing it again after that up to it's present 100k miles.  Not saying an oil change will fix it but that's the way I recall it looking back about 11 years.  I guess a proper fix would be shimming the excess free play out but I stopped worrying about it after I identified it.

[robfriedenberger]

If its camshaft, I think I read that you can identify this by leaning the bike over to the left side?

[gsJack]

Yes, that's in the Suzuki cam fix bulletin, a man a half century younger than I might try to check it that way.   

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/CamFix_zps454a0fb8.jpg

[tireeater]

So if it starts going away under the lean the cams are walking? no big deal just put 15-40 and enjoy?