Replaced clutch cable, now chain / sprocket noise

[Guest]

My clutch cable broke this weekend and I replaced it (I think successfully). I have only ridden it the 5 minutes home after replacing the cable on the side of the road. Today, I was pushing it around in the garage (engine off) and noticed a noise coming from the left side of the bike, near the front sprocket area. I took the sprocket cover off and rotated the rear wheel - it seems like the noise is coming from the front sprocket or maybe behind it. Not sure if it will show anything useful but I took a pic of the front sprocket:


Is this related to my clutch cable change? It seems like too much of a coincidence that it developed a new noise right where I was just working.

I quickly checked the chain slack and it seemed to be within the 20-30mm spec.

[tom203]

Side of the road repairs-with spare clutch cable- I'm impressed! Is this bike idling better, or have you just surrendered to its ways? Anyways, is this chain noise a continuous clicking or just in one area of chain?

[john82q]

Clean and a lube woud hurt!

[scott]

Side of the road repairs-with spare clutch cable- I'm impressed! Is this bike idling better, or have you just surrendered to its ways?

I don't think the "stalling at idle when hot" issue has been completely solved. The carb re-cleaning and re-synch helped. Keeping the idle set higher than normal 1400-1500 seems to help as well. The fact that it hasn't been extremely hot lately probably has something to do with it too. I decided it was working well enough to make the drive to get new tires mounted but since then the bike's had other issues ...

Anyways, is this chain noise a continuous clicking or just in one area of chain?

It seems pretty continuous. I made a video to try to show what it's doing. It's not a really loud noise but it wasn't doing that before - it may be a rattle more than a click ...

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

Clean and a lube woud hurt!

I have been lubing it but I guess it could use a cleaning. It does look pretty nasty, especially in the close up.

[chef1366]

Is that rust on the chain?

[scott]

Is that rust on the chain?

It does kind of look like it. I cleaned off a link and it doesn't seem like it's rusted after cleaning though.


The sprocket, on the other hand, does look rusted.

[hampshirehog]

I watched the video. Your chain needs a bloody good clean and lube plus it looks as if it's too tight. It's just the chain clicking that's making the noise.

[tom203]

I watched the video. Your chain needs a bloody good clean and lube plus it looks as if it's too tight. It's just the chain clicking that's making the noise.

My computer doesn't like youtube, but it looks like some of my old dirt bike chains with my youthful benign neglect.

Scott said... "but since then the bike's had other issues ". Like what?

[scott]

I watched the video. Your chain needs a bloody good clean and lube plus it looks as if it's too tight.

I'll work on cleaning the chain and rechecking the slack.

It's just the chain clicking that's making the noise.

There's a lower pitched rattle/noise than the regular chain click. It wasn't doing that before. It may not be clear in the video.

My computer doesn't like youtube, but it looks like some of my old dirt bike chains with my youthful benign neglect.

Yeah - seeing it next to a clean link really shows how dirty it is.

Scott said... "but since then the bike's had other issues ". Like what?

I have another thread about problems with the tire mounting.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=180383

Summary: It turns out the shop did a poor job and didn't put the front tire back on correctly. It wasn't aligned correctly, was missing bolts and the speedometer mechanism wasn't straight causing the speedometer cable to snap on the way home.

[tom203]

I'll work on cleaning the chain and rechecking the slack.


There's a lower pitched rattle/noise than the regular chain click. It wasn't doing that before. It may not be clear in the video.


Yeah - seeing it next to a clean link really shows how dirty it is.


I have another thread about problems with the tire mounting.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=180383

Summary: It turns out the shop did a poor job and didn't put the front tire back on correctly. It wasn't aligned correctly, was missing bolts and the speedometer mechanism wasn't straight causing the speedometer cable to snap on the way home.

Wow, that's quite a tire saga! very sloppy, careless work. definitely give them your pics of their handiwork, so maybe they don't kill someone, if they haven't already. When you get time, take nessism's advice and flush front brake lines and replace pads. I have a spare speedo drive if you find yours is damaged.

[scott]

Well I cleaned up the chain but that hasn't made any difference with the noise.

I've read about clutch rattle, could that be what I'm hearing? The noise seems to be on the left side of the bike though and it's happening with the engine off, in neutral.

Could the jolt of the clutch cable breaking or me downshifting with the broken clutch cable have caused a problem? Did I bend something in the transmission?

Or should I just try riding the bike with this noise? Maybe things will rattle back into place and it will stop.

[tom203]

"Or should I just try riding the bike with this noise? Maybe things will rattle back into place and it will stop. "

I often use this technique, but it has poor rate of success! Maybe your old clutch cable was too tight and masked this rattle .

[scott]

"Or should I just try riding the bike with this noise? Maybe things will rattle back into place and it will stop. "

I often use this technique, but it has poor rate of success! Maybe your old clutch cable was too tight and masked this rattle .

I took it for a ride - it didn't explode or anything. Maybe I'm just being paranoid about that noise.

The new clutch cable does feel a lot lighter / easier to pull than the old one so maybe you're right about the old clutch cable being too tight. It also seems to engage later - in other words, I have to let out the clutch lever further before it starts moving. I'm not sure I like that but I'll get used to it.

I still have a noise from the rear when I go over bumps but I'll have to look into that more closely. My fear is that it's related to the rear tire mounting (they messed up the front, no reason to assume they didn't mess up the rear). I forget exactly what the shop guy said but it was something about it taking longer than he expected because he had to remove something to get the rear wheel off. If I find anything I'll put that in my tire mounting issue thread.

[tom203]

Can't you just adjust play of clutch at lever so it starts grabbing earlier? Rear tire noise with bumps.... yeah, i'd be concerned about those tire idiots too. Obviously, check tightness of all stuff, especially shock mounts and gear.

[scott]

Can't you just adjust play of clutch at lever so it starts grabbing earlier?

I was thinking that reducing the amount of play at the lever would cause the clutch to grab earlier. I have the free play fairly low now (around 2.25mm I think) so I don't think I can make it much tighter. I'll double-check that though.