Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Clacking/Tappping/Rattling sound from engine ?!!

Just tonight I bought a 2007 Speedmaster with 1,100 miles.
Rode it home and there's a tapping/rattling noise coming from the engine. Do the cams or exhaust make a slight noise like that? Or something else. My buddy says it sounds like a lifter but these bikes don't have lifters I think. Thanks.

These bikes have noisy engines. 1100 miles shouldn't need a valve adjustment. I thought the same thing when I got my bike.

If you have stock pipes, all you hear is the mechanical sound of the engine whirring and clacking and tapping along.

Overhead cams, valve lash, timing chain, cam gears, etc.; lovely sounds. They'll be nicely complimented by a quality set of pipes.

My '03 Speedy was like that when I bought it with 1800mi.
An oil change with full-synthetic quieted it right down.

All perfectly normal. Better pipes will mask it to some degree, but eventually you'll come to realize it's Triumph brand music! If you can hear it, it means it's running. Best when listened to at @60MPH.

That sound is a confirmation that all is well with yer scoot . These things are like yer wife or GF , don't you wanna lie next to her and hear the cadence of her beating heart and the rhythm of her breathing ? Maybe she backfires now and then .

It's all about the sounds of love . Ooohh , I gotta go see Lola .

Cool! Thanks everyone for your replies! I got a little concerned so I'm glad to hear the good news. Can't wait to stand in line at the BMV for four hours tomorrow to get my new tags!

I like valve clatter. My beemer makes a lot of it. A buddy of mine said he liked my bike because it sounds like "industrial machinery."

So the tapping noise is normal for Triumphs? Because I stopped by my local bike mechanic to grab some good chain grease and he raised an eyebrow at the tapping and said that I need to get my valves checked - soon. I asked if it wasn't just normal Triumph noise and he said it was valves tapping, which indicated a problem...

Input? Advice?

This is a 2003 Triumph America with 5900 miles on it - been garage kept and dealer maintained, according to the previous owner.

Loud pipes will solve this.
If you are worried about it, do a check of the valves, it's not that hard.

The cams ride between two hunksa metal, with no additional or replaceable or adjustable* bearing surfaces or devices.

*Outside of a line bore

I'd be worried if my bike wasn't noisy, lol. Like Dinqua said if it worries you, check the clearances, it's not that big of a deal. If you intend to do the work yourself invest in a metric feeler gauge set, don't rely on SAE gauges with metric conversions marked on them, they are close but with valve clearances you need more accuracy than they allow IMO.

These bikes do not have hydraulic lifters to quieten things up. The valve train tends to be noisy. The clatter will quieten up once the clearances are adjusted.

Thank you all. I wasn't worried... until I talked to my local bike mechanic. (I outta know better than that... *laugh*)

And here I thought the valve train in our bikes was pretty quiet coming from a lifetime of riding 50s and 60s Triumph twins.