Seemingly Excessive Engine Noise

[KeithC]

I have an '04 R1150R with about 14K miles. Bought it from the original owner with 2K on it. All maintenance has been kept up-to-date. The bike has been totally reliable, and runs strong. Absolutely love the bike.

Took a couple of relatively long day rides this weekend. I always wear a helmet. When I got home from the second ride, however, decided to take a very short ride (for the first time) with no helmet, just to see what the bike sounded like without the noise suppression afforded by the full-face helmet. I was surprised by the seemingly excessive amount of mechanical noises the engine makes. Seems like I could hear both the cam chain and the valves. There is no knocking sound, though. (The left side cam chain tensioner has the 15mm head, so, from what I read here, it should already have the updated tensioner installed.)

I'm looking for some feedback from others, with more experience than I have with these bikes, as to how mechanically noisy the engines are. Is this normal? I'm probably being a bit anal, but I was just taken aback by the engine noise.

Thanks,
Keith

[MattPie]

I have an '04 R1150R with about 14K miles. Bought it from the original owner with 2K on it. All maintenance has been kept up-to-date. The bike has been totally reliable, and runs strong. Absolutely love the bike.

Took a couple of relatively long day rides this weekend. I always wear a helmet. When I got home from the second ride, however, decided to take a very short ride (for the first time) with no helmet, just to see what the bike sounded like without the noise suppression afforded by the full-face helmet. I was surprised by the seemingly excessive amount of mechanical noises the engine makes. Seems like I could hear both the cam chain and the valves. There is no knocking sound, though. (The left side cam chain tensioner has the 15mm head, so, from what I read here, it should already have the updated tensioner installed.)

I'm looking for some feedback from others, with more experience than I have with these bikes, as to how mechanically noisy the engines are. Is this normal? I'm probably being a bit anal, but I was just taken aback by the engine noise.

I asked the dealer shortly after buying mine (new), and he simply said, 'They're not the quietest machines out there.' Yours might be excessively noisy for some reason, but mine makes quite a bit of racket the few times I've ridden around a parking lot or neighborhood without a helmet. The explanation I've heard is on most bikes, some part of the bike (tank, fairing, etc) is between you and valve train. On this, there's no sound isolation at all since the valves are just out there.

[smocarski]

I had a very similar scenario. Just bought with a few weeks ago with 1400 miles (nearly 3k now). Replaced the cam tensioner, new filter, oil to 20W50, a valve job and a throttle body sync using a TwinMax and its night and day. Much quieter but definitely a bit more noise than my old Vulcan. If you're not hearing any noise under a helmet, its probably just standard boxer noise -- I think...

[jm1515]

There is no knocking sound, though. (The left side cam chain tensioner has the 15mm head, so, from what I read here, it should already have the updated tensioner installed.)

I'm looking for some feedback from others, with more experience than I have with these bikes, as to how mechanically noisy the engines are. Is this normal? I'm probably being a bit anal, but I was just taken aback by the engine noise.

Thanks,
Keith

Bet you a donut you don't have the new tensioner. From what I've read they were introduced on the 1200 series engines sometime on late 04 or 05 I think.....that's why on alot of boards it's called the '1200' CCT.....

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16695
is a thread where I post my experience...I thought I had this upgrade also...for ~30k miles.
It's a 15min job to check, given the right tools, and the 1200CCT will help somewhat with noise.

I've done as you have...ridden w/o a helmet a few times, and I can tell you that my R, while I keep it well-tuned & it idles as sweetly as you please, makes some racket while riding....almost embarrasing.
But I've done 3 UOAs since 28k miles (now w/ just under 41 thou) looking for evidence of engine self-destruction, and they have all come back super.

[towerworker]

I've put nearly 60,000 miles on two R's. The first an 03 and the second an 04. I ride with a full face when the weather is a tad cool and a trooper style when it's hot. Every time I wear the trooper I think the same thing---this thing sure is noisy!

The cylinders are out in the slipstream and there is nothing to speak of that hides the valve train noise (like tank, fairing or more importantly a liquid cooling system. It is the nature of the beast and really nothing to worry about. If you have had the cam chain tensioner upgrade and the valves are fairly well adjusted and a decent TB sync I wouldn't worry about it. They all do that and it's normal.

Wayne

[The Meromorph]

If you are wearing good earplugs, as all motorcyclists should, you shouldn't hear those nasty noises anyway.