1995 r1100r engine rattle when accelerating under load

[davenora]

This last weekend I noticed my 1995 R1100R engine rattled a little when accelerating (especially when over-geared - over-geared meaning that I probably should have been in 2nd gear rather than 3rd). Even more alarming is that I'm noticing it rattles when really getting on it NOT over-geared. The bike did not have this rattle at 31K when it was new to me. It now has 35K.
Any advice on where to begin?
Thanks!

[omg1010]

Hi there,

the cause for this can be multifold. The oilheads are a constant source of all sorts of funny noises. From ticking of the throttle bodies to the cam chain tensioner over to the gearbox and the final drive. I would suggest you put your bike on an (elevated) center stand and run the engine and try to diagnose where the noise comes from ... Another possibility to find some dealer with a dyno to get the bike running - in order to diagnose.

Brgds
Oliver

[ginscoe]

My right hand throttle body was making a ticking sound under the same circumstances. Adjusting the throttle cable fixed the problem.

[StevenG]

Sure it wasn't low-octane fuel problem? Incomplete gas combustion is a problem with weak gas on the r.

[boxermoose]

Hmmmm - if it sounds like a handful of pebbles on a steel grate it's pre-ignition

If you make a habit of under reving the engine you may have carbon build-up in th ecylinder heads

Throw in a 1/2 jug of Chevron Techron in the next tank and keep reved over 4 grand form now on - if you are using regular gas go up a grade

Baby it and you can pull the heads every 10k miles to manually de-carbon

The water torture works well for de-carb but may be to aggressive for this audience -