Is This Sound Normal

[snmhanson]

If I listen very close to the engine of my new WR450 I can hear a very slight but regular "clanking" sound. I hesitate to even use the word clanking as it is not loud at all and I only use that word for lack of a better word to describe it. I guess it kind of resembles the "clanking" sound that comes from the deisel engine in my tractor. I suspect it is the sound of the piston going up and down since it is consistent and regular but I am no mechanic and actually pretty ignorant when it comes to engines. I heard a similar sound from my old 2-stroke after I re-built the top end (put in a new piston and cylinder) but I didn't really care about that bike since it was an old POS. So, is this a normal sound (maybe just the sound of the piston and sleeve working things out?) or do I possibly have a clearance problem or something else to worry about. I need to stress that the sound is pretty distant and most of what I hear is the growl (and occasional fart) of the engine. I think I may just have new bike paranoia and any sound other than a deep rumble gets my attention. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing. Any input on this? Thanks.


Matt


BTY, since my bike is brand new and not uncorked yet I also get all of the other "WR450 problems" such as poor starting, lean jetting, bad idling, runs bad when cold, etc... but my mechanic says it will all get dialed in at my first maintainance when it gets all of the mods. Thanks again.

 

[BSWIFT]

Does the sound lessen some when you pull in the clutch? My YZF450 makes some noise from the clutch and always has. It's anoying but I've had no problems.

 

[snmhanson]

I just listened and it didn't change when I pulled in the clutch. However, the more I listen to it the more I think it is just the normal sound of the piston. I just wasn't used to hearing it on my old bike. There were some knocking noises when I started it and the bike was cold but they went away as soon as it warmed up for a few seconds. If anyone has anything to add I'd love to hear it but otherwise I think I'll just wait until my first maint. and then the mechanic should notice anything out of the ordinary.

I do have another question though. I've read somewhere that it is normal for the head pipe on the WRs to glow a little bit but when I started my bike it only took about twenty or thirty seconds for it to start glowing and then after letting it idle for about a minute and reving the engine few times the entire head pipe glowing quite brightly. I put a piece of paper towel up to it to see how hot it really was and it immediately started burning. Is it normal for it to be this hot? It seems like it could almost be a fire hazzard on the trail if you dump your bike and there is dead leaves or grass around. Sorry for all of the mundane questions, it's just after dropping this much on a new bike I want to make sure everything is working right on it. Thanks.

Matt

 

[BSWIFT]

Once you are riding the head pipe gets air flow across it and cools some. I ride the woods and have had no problems starting fires but you should be aware of the possibility when riding in very dry conditions. The glow is normal. Getting your jetting spot-on will minimize the heat buildup but it is still going to glow when idling.

 

[Treejumper]

Mines like BSwift's, it has always made a slight sound from day one. To me it sounds like when a motor gets low on oil but its not.