A Ticking Noise After Hospital Visit

Now here's a strange one.I visit my Partner at a Hospital about 35 miles away each day on the SW. The bike is running fine, however, after about 4 to 5 hours of visit time (bike parked up), I get on the bike to come home and there is a ticking noise coming from somewhere under the tunnel, I think!.....it's quite loud.

It ticks in perfect time with the engine RPM and sounds rather like tappet noise. I ignore it and continue with my ride home. Sometimes I stop at the pub for a pint before I reach home and spend about half an hour there and then remount to ride home.....but no ticking noise.

It only makes this noise after being parked up at the Hospital, I don't hear it at any other time. My SW is 2001 with 27000 miles.

It's got me puzzled

TIME...tick tock...Time!... So the noise develops during a long-ish rest period.  Hmm... The only thing that happens when the bike isn't running is that the engine cools and the oil gradually drains away from the upper cylinder area. In which case it would take some time to replenish after the engine has started.

I would: 1) check the oil level before starting after that 5-hour rest. And again shortly after arriving at the pub. 2) Try to determine the origin to the noise. Lift the seat; remove the spark plug cover; use a mechanics stethoscope or other listening device to probe the areas. Especially around the variator and driven pulley areas. 3) Test run with the belt case and covers removed. 4) Remove the tunnel cover and test. It could be arcing spark plug wires, etc. 5) Test run with the tunnel cover and belt removed.

My 2¢ opinions on a Sunday morning.

Tim

Quite a lot of info for just 2¢, great value for money here on the forum! Thanks Tim.

I'll have a look at all the things you mentioned during the next week. I have a new drive belt, oil and oil filter, spark plugs and air filter to fit this week so it's a good opportunity to go have a look. I think I'll take the clutch assembly apart for a clean while I'm there.....(I've also noticed an occasional 'whining' during low speed manoeuvring but that's another story).

Tim, I do suspect some wear in the variator and ramp plate. Do you think that installing sliders, rather than rollers, might take up any 'slack'?

I'll post my findings after my service/inspection regarding the ticking noise.

BTW, what is the difference between a tick and a tock?

Loosebearing wrote:

BTW, what is the difference between a tick and a tock?

May I try to answer that question? We had a doctor give a talk about Lymne and ticks. I called it a tick tock ! So a tick is a nasty little critter that can cause grief, and a tock is a presentation on a given subject --- also called a talk.

Mike

Was said Doctor Scottish by any chance?

I'm sure there is a humorous point to the question .... "Scottish Doc by chance ?" ... but I'm missing the humor ... sorry. In fact he was a Chinese doctor from Vancouver, BC. He was at the fore-front of Lyme disease cures but his methods were considered outside the regular treatments such that he was banned from practice of medicine. The funny thing is that his methods were the only things that were working. Only in recent years is it that the medical "community" is starting to take Lyme seriously here. A most nasty disease indeed. So the tick-tock Doc was Chinese.

And more to the topic at hand.... I read once (years ago) about a fellow that traveled to the same place on a weekly basis. Always the same distance and travel time. After the point of his trip and very close to 20 minutes after he arrived he would leave for the return home. Always the same duration of visit at his destination. Most times his car wouldn't start ...Some times he may stop on his way at a shop for only a few minutes. No restarting problems then. It seemed that the 20 minutes of car cooling was the cause of re-starting problem. After much consulting with all his mechanic friends, (most of which were stumped for a solution) someone suggested vapor lock. I think whatever the cure for this was cured his re-starting problems.

Your story brought this to mind ..... similar, but completely different for sure. Tim's suggestion leads to thinking what happens while you are stopped --- somewhat like the guy with vapor lock. It is time based ... tick-tock,,,tick-tock,,,,tick-tock....

Mike

If a Scotsman were to say 'talk' it might sound like 'tock' to the untrained ear...Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin, I thought there may be a connection.....however, the curious story about vapour lock sounds feasible in that case.

Maybe I've upset the space/time continuum with my high speed jaunts to the hospital. I need to set the flux-capacitor to sub-light speed in future.

Loosebearing wrote:

 Maybe I've upset the space/time continuum with my high speed jaunts to the hospital. I need to set the flux-capacitor to sub-light speed in future.

Ah ha! So then it is possible that a phase shift in the continuum might explain the occurrence of that tick sound. In a similar vein I know that a space/time phase shift is what happens in my clothes dryer which results in a missing sock. The sock is actually right there but in a parellel dimension and is sure to reappear nearby when another phase shift occurs.  

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

In a similar vein I know that a space/time phase shift is what happens in my clothes dryer which results in a missing sock. The sock is actually right there but in a parellel dimension and is sure to reappear nearby when another phase shift occurs.  

Nah. Alexei Sayle gives a full expanation about missing socks in The Fish People Tapes, listen to the series and you will never eat another McDonald's burger again

Loosebearing wrote:

If a Scotsman were to say 'talk' it might sound like 'tock' to the untrained ear...Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin, I thought there may be a connection.....

Ah yes ... I see the possibility .... I mean "aye !"

I change into regular clothes whilst visiting my partner and during my last visit to the hospital my Moto GP bike socks disappeared from the ward...seriously!

Tim, keep a look out for them in your clothes dryer

Well, I now reckon that the ticking noise is tupperware rattle. Done all the checks and inspections and today, when leaving the hospital, it sounds much more like plastic rattling.

I'm gonna live with it for now and have a look 'under the tunnel' when I'm feeling brave!

SWAG by me but perhaps before tearing into it you could pick an area and use GOOD duct tape to bridge across gaps tighten the panels and see if the TICK goes away.

I fixed the little noises I found with stainless, small sheet metal screws. As these scooter age and miles pile up, there are panel noises, period.

John my friend had S.S. self taping screws in several places on his GW he said better than buying new panels.

Good idea. I'll get into all that during the winter. I've already added a third plastic nut and bolt to secure the rear number plate which had been creating a rattle on hard acceleration for many a year.

Loosebearing, you don't have a Pacemaker do you? Besides what do you expect with that handle?

I could have chosen 'Loosemarbles' but it might give people the wrong idea.

"Loosemarbles"? Hey, as Site Admin I can "edit" your account and tweak your screen name. If you'd like.

Tim

Even give you a new avatar

Tim, you're a genius. Do it...including the avatar.

Maybe it's the cause of the ticking noise after all

Loosemarbles wouldn't be too good of a name for two wheel riders because the general public seems to have the opinion all of us have loosemarbles for riding. They'll never know why we do it. My wife and I have two cars and they serve us well but the scooter or motorcycle works for me as well as andi-depression pills. When I'm down a bit due to increasing age caused disability I just go out and ride down a nice twisty road and I feel good for the next few days. It's one thing I can still do well and I love the feeling.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Loosemarbles? As long as it's not in a corner I'm OK with that.

Hit some loose gravel last weekend went for a good slide but that's another story . Tar and chip that gets washed down and impossible to see. Old dirt biking days saved my butt.

Risk is worth the reward.

It wasn't my fault your honour, he (Tim) made me do it!

Anyhow, motorists are only jealous of bikers. I find that when I climb into the car I grow these horns on my head and start growling whenever the wheels stop turning. Not fair on other road users really, I'm a nuisance when behind the wheel and avoid driving whenever possible.

My Dear Loosemarbles,

I mean no disrespect, diminuation of your status here, nor any other form of disrespect either perceived or actual. However, comma...

Please come to America and be our real "Burger King". You'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

Jon

2005 SW Yellow - In the shop for new sliders/rollers/belt/going through.

LOL, Burger King, sign in a local mom and pop place;

This ain't Burger King
You get it MY way
or you don't get it.

Change it back that photo is annoying on so many different levels.