HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I have a 2003 ZX6-RR with 8500 miles on it, and for about three hundred miles, I've been hearing a loud tick (like a timebomb) coming from the front right of the engine. It sounds like the cam chain tensioner problem I had with my 98' F3, but that bike had over 20,000 miles on it. This one has less than half. Has anyone had this type of problem? I know these engines are known to be noisy, but my friend has a 04' 636 with the same mileage, and the sound isn't hear on his bike. I went to my mechanic, and he told me to find out if there have been cam chain tensioner problems with this bike, so here I am. Any diagnosis would help, but I hope its not major cause I can't afford to dump anymore money on this thing for the moment (I just spent $300 to get a pair of Metzeler M3s, for tires and getting them put on and my wallet is suffering).

If it is the cam chain tensioner, how long can I ride with it ticking? Any help would be much appreciated!

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

has it had a vavle adjustment ever?

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

no it hasn't, but I didn't think that it needed one yet after only 8,500 miles. Isn't that extremely early? If they need them this often, I'll have to sell this bike and look into a different one, cuz that's too much money to spend every 8500 miles. I put at least 2,500 a month on it, commuting to work and twisties on the weekend. What is the regular valve check interval?

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I think valve check is at 12,500. As far as the chain tensioner it is an 80.00 part and took me 30 mins to install form start to clean up.

I would be looking for a new machanic if I were you too.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

on 05 636's isnt the vavle adjustment @ 5k miles?

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

i have the same bike and the same ticking and my bike only has almost 4k its not to loud but i can here it.
I would deff like to know what it is also, im begining to think the 03 rr is junk i never here anything good about them and do you have realy clunky shifts.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

BTW, my bad the ticking seems to be coming from the left front side of the engine. I heard this ticking at very low pitch when I was around 4k too, and it just is getting louder (especially over the last 300miles). Also, my shifts are not clunky, but for the past 500 miles I'm having trouble finding neutral at stops, and I sometimes I get a false neutral when switching from first to second. This isn't cause I don't know what I'm doing either, cuz I've done a few track days, and I've been riding for over 3 years, with 25k in the saddle. I'm starting to feel like this bike is a piece of **** too, and I don't know what I'm gonna do. If it is the cam chain tensioner, or the valves, wtf are they giving me problems for after only 8500 miles??? Makes me feel like I bought a junker, so I have to decide if I should get rid of it and pick up something else.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

Same here with the finding neutral and the same with the false nuetral, Yea i tell myself every day I SHOULD OF GOT A 636, i here nothing but good things about them and i dont know if you know but the 04 RR kawi actualy did a whole new desighn for motor and trans that tells you right there that somthings wrong.
Ohh btw did you try full synthetic.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I'm not sure what kind of oil was last used, I took it to the shop for the oil change cause I wanted some other stuff done too. I doubt that full synthetic will stop the crazy noise I hear. I didn't know about the engine redesign in 04', but you just convinced me to sell it. I went out and listened to my bike with my friend who rides a beat up old F2, and his bike sounds better than mine. The sound is real loud, and has got louder over the 100 miles I put it through today, so its going to the shop, and if it doesn't cost over 2-3 bills, i'm fixing it and selling it. The other bike I was looking at was a Z1000, but I think Kawasaki just put me off their bikes for good.I hope you have more luck with yours than mine, but don't expect that noise to stop. I kept ignoring it, and now its louder than my slip-on. The other bike I was looking at was a Z1000, but I think Kawasaki just put me off their bikes for good.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

These bikes are known for the camchain tensioner making noise. Actually it's the cam chain that's making the noise. The best thing to do is get the manual adjustable tensioner and replace the stock unit. I think Kawasaki.com sells it for about $62. Manual Cam Chain Tensioner P.N. 12048-1175. You can find others on ebay also. Mine does the same thing sometimes. If you don't want to replace it, you can stop the noise temporarily by putting the bike in seond gear and rocking it forward with the engine off. It'll go away for a bit but may come back. My F4i had the same problem also. On my old racebike, I drilled a hole in th back of the tensioner plunger, tapped it and installes a bolt with a locknut to prevent the tensioner from loosening. I may try that on this or might just buy one.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

Thanks for the advice speedracer138, I'm definitely gonna try the 2nd gear thing tonight, so hopefully the noise will stop. But either way, I'm gonna change the cam chain tensioner with the one you suggested, and I'll let you know how it turned out. Thanks again for the help

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

Yea let us know so i know what to do in the future

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I tried putting it in 2nd and rocking it with the engine off, but no luck. I'm gonna change the cam chain tensioner over the weekend, and I'll let you know the results. Hopefully that'll be the end of it...

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

You have to Bump it in the Forward Direction Only. Try it in a higher gear like 4th or 5th also.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

so did you change it yet

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

My mechanic just got the CCT in, but I'm hella busy with exams today n tomorrow, I'm gonna change it on Wednesday afternoon, I'll let you know the results. I'm also gonna follow speedracer138's advice tonight, to see if it helps. You'll definitely hear from me before the end of the week

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I got an AP manual cam chain tensioner, and it was installed in 45 mins on Thursday. The noise was immediately gone, and it has been quiet since, so I guess my problem is resolved. I still don't know about this engine though, it sounds like ****. I don't feel like this bike has an extra twenty thousand miles (at least) in it, like I need it to, so I might get rid of it before the 12k valve adjustment and hop on something else. That's a big might, though. I'm a take a good look at my options before I do anything.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

When I first got my 636, I thought that it was louder than normal or older Ninjas and it is. They made a lot of parts thinner to save weight like the cylinder wall castings so the sound isn't muffled ad well. It's NORMAL for these bikes to be a little louder due to these Hi-performance weight reductions. That's what most race bikes sound like because that's what these are esentially. It doesn't bother me anymore that I am used to it. Also, once you replace the tensioner and get the valves adjusted, it'll quiet down some. You can also get the throttle bodies synchronized to eliminate the noise from the backlash in the clutch and tranny. Notice that it gets quieter when you pull in the clutch which rattles a little in nuetral.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

so your saying by replacing the cam tensioner the noise went away
i would be led to believe that the noise is normal for the head is designed. with the changing of the cam tensioner you had to change oil i am guessing.
i bet you that the same noise is there maybe just a little less harsh do to the new oil and the fact you think it is gone

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

i actually know sdrider... and i have had my 636 for over a year and the sound his bike was making was not normal, and not an oil related problem. When he first called me and informed me of this horrible sound i initially dismissed it as normal kawi sound, but upon hearing it, it was horrific. Louder, and uglier than anything i've ever heard from any sport bike. I mentioned an oil change, which he had just recently done, so that definently isn't the case. After replaceing the cam, the sound IS gone, and the bike sounds like a normal loud engined kawi. Why this occured is still a mystery tho. At least its running good. I do agree that a valve adjustment and some synching will help the normal engine quite down, but with that fixed the bike is running kawi good! Just thought i'd add my two cents.
Anyone know what would make a cam go bad so quick?

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

Bad luck on the tensioner I would say. I replaced on on my bike and it was like night and day with the ticking sound.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

Poor oil supply to the top end. If you or the person who owned it before were doing a lot of wheelies/ stunts, the oil pump may have starved momentarily and could be the reason for the extra engine noise due to worn cam journals or lobes etc. That was the first question (Wheelies) the mechanic at the dealer asked me.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

glad everything worked out

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

hay speed how the hell did you get so smart im always seeing you answering all these questions and you always have these awsome facts, AWSOME.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

The dealer’s mechanic is a joke, he only asked you that so he could use that for anything that is wrong with the bike.

I personally have never had a good experience with the dealer fixing problems on my bikes. They are good for oil change, brakes and routine service only. You are risking it when serious work needs to be done. I would recommend that anyone learn the for mentioned services and do them on there own.

The statement about starved for oil is correct but really only happens on long wheelies of up to a mile or more. Most people I have ever known who can ride those, overfill there oil by as much as 1.5 quarts to compensate for this. The addition al oil keeps it where it will still be picked up by the oil pump.

Tensioners ware out and need to be replaced if they are not applying enough tension on the cam chain, that’s where the ticking comes from.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I was at the dealer that day picking up a part, so I had the mechanic listen to it. I don't trust them and no-one works on my stuff but me; gotta do it right! Notstock, I agree with you about them blaming everything on wheelies. Actually, the oil pump pick-up on these bikes are near the back of the engine and the sump is really deep; so you'd have oil supply even if you were 2 qts low on oil. To cause oil starvation damage, you would have to ride a lot of 12 o'clock wheelies or abuse it a lot (extended over-revving like during free revving or burnouts.) This bike is louder than I'm used to compared to my OOOLD 85/88 ZX600; ofcourse I also hadn't ridden in years. I had an 03 F4i just before my 636, which was a lot quieter but did start making camchain noise which was getting louder. murphmaster5, As far as all the info I know or think I know, come from doing it all myself cause I couldn't afford to pay anyone to do it for me. I was a motorcycle mechanic for 8 years and raced and wrenched on my bike for 5 years. Did some car hot rodding also, building bike & car engines. Then I got into working on jet airplanes, but my passion still lies with bikes. I have always been gifted with the ability to fix things, especially engines/ machinery of all kinds; I treat them like living, breathing machines. Might sound a little wierd but that's what I feel.

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

I had this EXACT same problem on my 03' 636. Around 4k miles it started this ticking noise. Started out quiet and got louder and louder. I went to a local performance shop (mach 1 in Newport Beach) and he immediatly said "cam chain tensioner" after he test rode it. Then i went to the motorcycle shop where the bike was purchased from (because i have a warranty for it) and they said it was just the kawi valve train noises. 3 guys there confirmed that it was just "noises" so i rode on. at 8k miles i was fed up with it and took it in and said do the 8k service and check the chain. they did and said it needed a new adjuster, so they put it in and im still hearing the noise. It is softer now and not harse, but im betting it will start amplifying here in about 2k miles (right around 13,000 on bike) and then im going to buy a manual one. when i do this should i also check valve clearance? i asked the guy at Mach one (who i now know "knows his sh*t") about valve adjustments, he said 20k miles on these bike. does that sound about right, im reading some people saying 12k?

RE: HELP!!! Ticking Noise From Engine- Cam Chain Tensioner???
 

If I had to take my bike anywhere it would be to Mach 1. They fixed me up after a poor valve adjustment from the dealer.

I believe the manual says 12.5k for the adjustment.

Did you get the manual cam tensioner or the stock one? If it is the manual one and you start hearing the ticking again just tighten it. I wish I had known they made adjustable tensioners when I bought my stock one.