I am looking at a 2003 silver mean streak with 552 miles .The guy bought the bike new.I believe the milage .bike is brand new. He wants $7000. Has $800 extras. When he started it up it had what I thought was a loud pecking noise liike coming from the front valve cover. He said it has been there since new. His dealer said it was the nature of a mean streak. I do recall a noise from another meanstreak that
I had ridden but not this loud.The noise seemed to get quiter as the bike warmed up. Any suggestions?

 

Yes I know what it is, I had it on my 1998 ZX11. It's your Cam chain Tensioner adjuster.. It's probably Stuck. You see when the chain streches, one side of the chain is tighter than the other side, so as to stop the automatic spring tensioner release from sellf adjusting!!!!
It's positions just behind the cylinder head. It's very easy to fix, but yours as with mine will have to be Manualy set........... EASY!! Its like a rachet, Only push it in ONE CLICK!!!

 

I just replaced the cam tensioner on my zx7 and it had a loud knocking before. Now it is gone, the tensioner was easy no problems except a little tight on clearance and one of the bolts held on till the last thread.

 

Bikes sometime knock when they haven't been running for a while. Oil dosen't stay up in the mnotor. Might also be old gas.Put high octain.
Fattkaw

 

A really good way to check that cam tesioner is by putting your hand right where the cam chain is...
the same way eric said one side of the chain will be loose and sloppy, you should be able to feel the chain slapping there

 

We need a how to Valve adjustment guide.. i bet nostock could give a good
description like his carb one.