Topic: Is this popping sound when rotating the chain normal??

[Dave-and-his-550]

Is the bearing on the riders side of the bike? If I dropped the pan would I be able to get under there and listen for the popping?

Chain is a standard chain, master link is on the outside.

[Cqyqte]

It has been sitting for about a year, as I was working on it. I've owned it for about 5 now. Never noticed the noise before when I was riding it before last year. I haven't ran it yet after the rebuild, but I really wanted to.

Cqyqte, could you give me the gist of replacing that bearing? How long it would normally take, and what needs to be pulled out?

Do not shoot the messenger!  But to replace that bearing you have to split the cases (upper from the bottom).  I have never done it but a look at the manual says you'll have to separate the lower case from the upper.

[Kevin400F]

Before we get too focused on the bearing, think about this.....  The inner race of the bearing is what turns with the shaft.  There are a lot of balls between the inner and outer races....the balls roll with an individual rpm much higher than the shaft, and lots of bearing balls would pass by a potential flat spot on either race for every rotation of the shaft.

If it was mine, I would drain the oil, drop the pan, get a strong light and crawl underneath. Have a pal turn the output shaft while you look and listen.  You might have a small piece of debris jammed between a couple of gear teeth on the output shaft, for example.   Hopefully you can see/feel/hear the exact issue and determine if it is something you can correct then and there (like something jammed between gear teeth), or whether you'll have to pull the engine and split the case.

Quote from Dave-and-his-550 Today at 03:34:32 pm:
Is the bearing on the riders side of the bike?

PS: Dave, which is the "riders side" of the bike?   I personally throw a leg over each side, but I wear pants so I don't have to worry about a skirt blowing up in the wind.  

[Dave-and-his-550]

lol, pants indeed. Ya, I meant to say right side of the bike. And had the thought of mentioning being from the riders position. Forgot to add the second part, and mixed the word right with rider.

Hey, dyslexics are teople poo. 

I kind of like your idea of a piece of debris in there. For this reason: I put the chain and sprockets back on. Chain slack on the centerstand is an inch. I rotate it, and NO popping sound! So maybe it was something in there? It's odd, the sound came and then was gone... 

[Cqyqte]

Yes I agree with Kevin, exhaust all possibilities before cracking the cases for a suspect bearing.