Just woundering, does anyone view or visit this forum? My KLR has a knocking noise from Idle to just about 3100 rpm. Could this be caused by the CDI unit or KACR unit? After reaching 3100 rpm the engine smooths out and runs like a bat out of heck.
KLR 650 Knocking at Idle to 3100 rpm
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The forum is here in case anyone wants to stop in and ask a question, I have so many other site that I have not had a chance to promote this one yet, but it will improve once I take the time to advertise it properly.
For the knocking, I'd be sure and check the oil level, I had a bike in here that was half a quart low and knocked terribley, but then with a full oil tank the knock disappered.
For the knocking, I'd be sure and check the oil level, I had a bike in here that was half a quart low and knocked terribley, but then with a full oil tank the knock disappered.
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650 Posts
Hey Deacon,
Mine does that too. I've just acecpted it.
Dont know why it happens. and Havnt tried to figure it out.
This Place will get more active soon . and I'm sure others may have a better answer. (for us both)
Mine does that too. I've just acecpted it.
Dont know why it happens. and Havnt tried to figure it out.
This Place will get more active soon . and I'm sure others may have a better answer. (for us both)
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284 Posts
Mine doesn't knock, but it has a "ticking" sound to it. Oil is full. The ticking sound is much more noticable one I put on a Moose Skidplate.
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595 Posts
For Ticking: Take off your valve cover and check to see if your KACR is scraping the underside of the cover.
(Be super careful when putting the cover back on... if you do not head the in.lbs. in the manual, you will crack it.)
(Be super careful when putting the cover back on... if you do not head the in.lbs. in the manual, you will crack it.)
Ticking and/or knocking is a normal condition in a single cylinder engine within boundaries.
Things to check; camchain tension, valve adjustment, balancer chain tension.
It could be top end carbon also. Treat the fuel with some Seafoam and ride a tank through it. Amazingly effective stuff.
Things to check; camchain tension, valve adjustment, balancer chain tension.
It could be top end carbon also. Treat the fuel with some Seafoam and ride a tank through it. Amazingly effective stuff.
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54 Posts
Knocking or ticking? If you lug the KLR it will knock in any gear, no harm though. If its ticking it could be anything from valves, to oil?
Its a 100mm piston! any cannon that size should knock. Plus it has a steel liner instead of plated, so your clearances has to be larger.
Its a 100mm piston! any cannon that size should knock. Plus it has a steel liner instead of plated, so your clearances has to be larger.
Lugging an engine down
Holycaveman, I hope you didn't really believe that lugging an engine down doesn't hurt anything. You're harmmering away at valves and starving an engine for oil, not counting carboning up everything in the head area. I've seen valves on locomotives looking like they were being sucked up into the exhaust chamber for this very thing. It is not an overnight problem that you will catch next week or maybe even next month, but someone down the line pays for it, and a gunked up top end is very detrimental to horsepower and torque.
Holycaveman, I hope you didn't really believe that lugging an engine down doesn't hurt anything. You're harmmering away at valves and starving an engine for oil, not counting carboning up everything in the head area. I've seen valves on locomotives looking like they were being sucked up into the exhaust chamber for this very thing. It is not an overnight problem that you will catch next week or maybe even next month, but someone down the line pays for it, and a gunked up top end is very detrimental to horsepower and torque.
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Same same...
We'll fiddle sticks! My 96 has the same issue, a loud knock at low rpm, intermittent. I thought maybe it could be my throttle cable knocking against something when it was slack. Hoping it's not a valve issue because of my exhaust. Pretty much just straight open,,,
We'll fiddle sticks! My 96 has the same issue, a loud knock at low rpm, intermittent. I thought maybe it could be my throttle cable knocking against something when it was slack. Hoping it's not a valve issue because of my exhaust. Pretty much just straight open,,,
'Sounds' to me like you need to do some 'research', on the engine balancer chain 'lock lever'. aka 'doo-hickey'.
It is located under the LH engine cover.
Lucky you resurrected an old thread on this group and not some others. I ended up being banned from a KLR group because I posted to a thread which was deemed to be too old.
;-)
As Paul advised, a look inside the left engine covers will be in order. Check out the doohickey (balancer shafts and drive), the rear balancer shaft bearing, balancer chain guides.
Another possible is that the engine was run too low on oil which as burnt out the cam bearings so pulling the valve cover to check cam bearing bores and cams is in order.
I had one in last year which had the front cam chain guide missing but that's unlikely unless someone had the head off.
Right side, possible clutch/clutch basket issue.
Most likely, IME, an exhaust problem such as leak making a noise which sounds mechanical, exhaust moving/tapping because of mounting problem, loose or misaligned header pipe flange to head.
Lots of possibles and not all are serious but would go with Paul's suggestion and take the bike out of service until you diagnose.
;-)
As Paul advised, a look inside the left engine covers will be in order. Check out the doohickey (balancer shafts and drive), the rear balancer shaft bearing, balancer chain guides.
Another possible is that the engine was run too low on oil which as burnt out the cam bearings so pulling the valve cover to check cam bearing bores and cams is in order.
I had one in last year which had the front cam chain guide missing but that's unlikely unless someone had the head off.
Right side, possible clutch/clutch basket issue.
Most likely, IME, an exhaust problem such as leak making a noise which sounds mechanical, exhaust moving/tapping because of mounting problem, loose or misaligned header pipe flange to head.
Lots of possibles and not all are serious but would go with Paul's suggestion and take the bike out of service until you diagnose.
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141 Posts
Anyone can get a KACR noise at low rpm, but where Deacon is getting noise up to 3100 rpm - woa, that seems like high rpm for any significant noise. Almost sounds like trying to accererate hard in 2nd or 3rd from a stop. And if the engine cant not sit and purr reasonably quiet at 1k rpm at idle, balancer chain is the first thing to come to mind, but agreed - low oil will enable a motor to knock too.
this sounds like a project for KLRMAN. line6
this sounds like a project for KLRMAN. line6
This is another OLDER THREAD, but I don't mind.
If you slowly, deliberately, turn the idle speed of a KLR650 DOWN, you will Hear the noise of the KACR re-engaging for one split second before the engine dies.
People try to blame the KACR for all kinds of things/noises that IT is not responsible For.
The actual source of an odd noise at engine speeds above 1000 rpm is harder to trace.
If you slowly, deliberately, turn the idle speed of a KLR650 DOWN, you will Hear the noise of the KACR re-engaging for one split second before the engine dies.
People try to blame the KACR for all kinds of things/noises that IT is not responsible For.
The actual source of an odd noise at engine speeds above 1000 rpm is harder to trace.
The KACR is something I don't know anything about. Can you give me the quick rundown about what it is, and what noise should be expected from it? I'm curious because I've always thought the engine sounds kinda thrashy, like it's clacking and scraping away at itself, but only at idle. Once it's up and going it sounds great. I've had people listen to it and I'm convinced it's fine, but this post has me curious.
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The KACR is a contraption on the end of the exhaust cam that can be somewhat loose and rattly. It has been known to get loose and impact the top of the valve cover. It gets blamed for a lot of stuff it doesn't do.
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"The KACR is a contraption on the end of the exhaust cam that can be somewhat loose and rattly. It has been known to get loose and impact the top of the valve cover. It gets blamed for a lot of stuff it doesn't do."
Samuel, this "contraption" is Kawasaki Automatic Compression Release" and I believe it dates back to the early years when the bike came with a kick start. Kick starting a 650 without compression release would not be fun. Later they lost the kick start but left everything in case you wanted to install one. I dont know if there was a kit available?? Not many installed kick start anyway. Now I do not know if the current design (GEN1) still enables the iinstall of kick start, but the compression release can make noise at low rpm (lugging) As Tom stated other things too could cause a low rpm noise. Line6
Samuel, this "contraption" is Kawasaki Automatic Compression Release" and I believe it dates back to the early years when the bike came with a kick start. Kick starting a 650 without compression release would not be fun. Later they lost the kick start but left everything in case you wanted to install one. I dont know if there was a kit available?? Not many installed kick start anyway. Now I do not know if the current design (GEN1) still enables the iinstall of kick start, but the compression release can make noise at low rpm (lugging) As Tom stated other things too could cause a low rpm noise. Line6
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