If it is something mechanical with the engine then my bet would have to be the gearbox, since the sound isn't present when just reving the engine.
Could you give a description of the ticks? What do they sound like, metal on metal? Or softer? How fast does it tick? Is there a pattern/rhythm to the ticks? Does it ever change any pattern/rhythm? Is it consistent regardless of wich gear you are in?
Be as spesific as you can, the more details the better.

 

He did say they increase/decrease with the RPMs.

I'd guess it's likely just the sound of a smaller engine, compared to the majority of crotch rockets and big cruisers out on the road.

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The ticks sound like soft metal on metal - the closest i can compare it to is the sound of a playing card, flicking on bicycle wheel spokes.

The ticks increase or decrease in rhythm as I drive, regardless of the gear I'm in and completely disappear if I press the clutch or am standing in neutral. So for example, I'm driving in 3rd, approaching a traffic light, pressing the clutch as i slow the bike down - As long as the clutch is not engaged, the ticks are audible and increase / decrease in speed as the engine revs up / down. When i press the clutch and let go of the throttle, the ticks disappear. When I start driving again, they appear, increasing in speed as i rev up. Since it's hard hearing them due to wind noise over a certain speed, I cannot say for sure if they persist in higher speeds / RPM.

Their rhythm does appear to be correlated to that of the engine, rather than wheels. They are always consistent in loudness.

What I'm trying to figure out is if I should take the bike to the dealership for a quick check and how urgent is the problem if it is indeed a problem.

 

Shouldn't cost much just to have the dealer check it out if you're worried about it.

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Better safe than sorry I'd say. Little strange that your buddy says nothing is wrong thou. But if your gut feeling says something is wrong then better to have the dealer check it out. That way you'll be able to sleep better at night

 

Roger that - thanks, that's what i'll do first thing tomorrow morning. Shouldn't cost anything as the bike is under warranty.

 

The repair (if necessary) shouldn't cost anything, but if they don't find anything wrong, they may charge you for the visit.

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It seems the "clicking sounds" you hear happens when your engine is under load between mid to high RPMs when riding. Have you considered that it may be engine "pinging" maybe because of the quality of the gasoline or inducing too much load (try shifting to the next lower gear)?

Try using higher octane fuel and/or shifting down a gear and see if your issue is still there.

Just a suggestion as I occasionally ride our Rebel hard, but never encountered the pinging sounds you describe.

Good luck.

 

I don't think it's a load issue - the clicking is audible even under relaxed riding style with fast gear shifts and lower RPM. As for gasoline quality, we only have 95 octane as an option, so it's a no go.

I'll visit the dealership today and have them take a look

 

Quick update. Dealership checked the bike and confirmed all is good. The ticking is most probably (my educated guess) part of the engine's natural sound, which I have to get used to

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Quick update. Dealership checked the bike and confirmed all is good. The ticking is most probably (my educated guess) part of the engine's natural sound, which I have to get used to

If you're ever able to, try and get some audio recorded of it. Getting quite curious to as what sound you're hearing..
Because I've can't say I've ever heard such a noise from a bike before.

But at least now the dealership has had a personal look on it, and if they say it's normal and everything is fine then ok.
So if the bike somehow should blow up now, you should stand pretty solid about the dealer making a mistake here :grin2:

 

Well hopefully it's nothing to be conserned about

A thought just hit me, could it be the chain?

 

It might be, although the guy at the dealership asked me to sit on the bike so he can check the chain tension.

 

Glad I ran into this thread. My 300 has the same ticks you're describing. Drives great, but ticks at mid/high RPM.

Glad to hear it's just the nature of the smaller engines. Then again, I'm running the lowest octane available 87. I'll try premium (92/93) next fill up and see if that helps

 

wow my bike does the exact same noise so at least i am in good company

 

Induction noise will sound a bit like the flicking of cards, and will be much more prominent when riding rather than revving while stationary. Will also go up with the revs. If it's that then it's perfectly normal.

 

@Cuthbert - that's very reassuring. Did a bit of reading, and found a comment on a Honda forum that claims Honda engines have "noisy" valve trains. I'm guessing the mix of both noises is what we're probably hearing.

Also, being a bit of a worrier, I wanted (but haven't had the time) to test this with a different helmet. Something made me suspect that different muffling on the ears from the helmet lining will make this noise more / less prominent...

 

@Cuthbert - that's very reassuring. Did a bit of reading, and found a comment on a Honda forum that claims Honda engines have "noisy" valve trains. I'm guessing the mix of both noises is what we're probably hearing.



Also, being a bit of a worrier, I wanted (but haven't had the time) to test this with a different helmet. Something made me suspect that different muffling on the ears from the helmet lining will make this noise more / less prominent...

No worries, also the noise will go away if you fit a loud exhaust lol


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I wear hearing protection - headphones - when operating a variety of machines and equipment. This effectively changes the sound of the equipment to make it suspicious of something being wrong. I have 25% hearing loss & tinnitus, yet with ear hearing pro on, i can easier troubleshoot 'mystery' sounds on my equipment.

 

On my lunch break I rode without a helmet and couldn't hear the ticking over the exhaust.
Throw on my helmet and suddenly I can hear the ticking noise.

 

The helmet probably captures the sound coming up from the engine.

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I just picked up mine and it only has less than 50 kilometers on it and makea that buzzing sound as well lol I guess thats normal on this bike

 

Hello,
Funny to read that because I had the same reaction :grin2:
It's a disturbing sound when you are not an motorcycle expert.
My dealer heard nothing so I suppose it's normal sound.
So ok, my motorbike makes a sewing machine sound :grin2: :grin2: :grin2:

 

Sewing machine sound is perfect. Not a lot of riders know what that sound is.

If it is quieter, no sewing happening, then you need valves looked at / adjusted.

 

Just bought a 2020 500 3 months ago and noticed a similar sound if in 2nd gear and up. The best way to describe mine is like a bicycle sprocket when you pedal backwards. The chain is fitted just fine, but the noise is noticeable. Do you guys feel like it's the same issue?

 

You need to add a rpm gauge. It’s really simple. A child could do it. You were at a gear going at a low low rpm.