Project XX. Just changed the oil today. Reassembled bike. Starts up and has a knock on the right side of the motor. This is the motor I just re-installed after frame repair. Knock very prominent at low idle. Cant really hear it above 3 grand. I started it for wife and she even picked up on it immediatly.

CCT?

Engine damage?

It was low-sided on the right side. It does have a few scratches on the right side from wear the right lower was ground through. Its a 97 carbed bike. I never noticed the knock when I started it after the wreck, but it had a rather loud single sided Erion system then too.

After review of previous knocking posts I have concluded that...

A) Its normal and I didnt hear it before due to loud exhuast

B) CCT may be bad, its got 34k on it on orgginal 97 CCT

C) The engine may have damage and I'll find out the hard way

D) Hookers.

E) May have an exhaust leak near the head. I just installed new header today.

Since a CCT is so cheap I'd swap that first.

If you want to try something you can take off the CCT, use a small screw driver in the centre and twist the screw so it compresses the spring. Reinstall with screw driver in place(bit of a pain) pull the screw driver out after install and let the spring snap back out.

Start it and see if the sound is still there, if no likely it's the CCT. The sound will come back very soon after but this has worked twice for me when my CCT was making noise.

I'd say it's the normal clutch basket rattle when cold. See if it goes away when you pull in the clutch.

had similar issues with my 97, turned out to be CCT for me...

Pull the clutch in and blip the throttle, if it went away its the clutch basket and is normal - mine does the same....

If it does not go away, and you blip the throttle do you only hear it between 2k-3.5k RPM? If so, it's probably a CCT.

... or, do you only hear it when the bike is warm? My 97 has a 'gentle' knocking sound from the bottom of the engine when it gets hot but it never affects anything so I assume its normal. I can't imagine its this, considering it would only do it on 115+ temperature days here, and somehow I don't think its all that warm where you are right now!

As someone else said, I would just swap out the CCT since its cheap and easy to start. Or take a digital camera out there that has a mic on it and record it for us and post it.

Hi JBowen4,
Have you change the CCT ? Does the knocking sound still exists ?

Hi Forumners,
What does thicker oil helps ? Was being told the thicker the oil the cooler the engine runs, is it true ? However the engine will "felt heavy" and at the same time smoother. I am using 10-40 from new until now (35000 miles), when should I change to 15-50. Or should I stick with 10-40.