Topic: 78 550 - Is rattling/tapping noise normal on startup?

[Vintage Esquire]

I had the carbs sync'd and it sounds smooth and rev's nicely.  It rides well and has a smooth power band that kicks in about 5k revs. 

I noticed, however, that when the bike is cold and just started, I can hear rattling, ticking, tapping sounds.  After it warms up and I ride it a little, it all goes away and I can't hear the sounds anymore.

Is it merely that the oil hasn't dispersed and covered the internals yet?

Could it be bearings, valves, etc?

Thanks for any input.

[dave500]

sounds normal,dont worry yourself,these are an old tech engine and some of the mechanical designs are noisy by their nature,for peace of mind if you can adjust the tappets and cam chain it wouldnt hurt to check,the cam lobes live in little sumps of pooled oil and get wet the instant the starter turns even if it dosent fire up,nice looking bike is your tank chromed or polished?

[mickey6]

subed having same probs

[dave500]

as these age the actuall contact points between the tappet and valve stem tip can get a bit rounded,maybe a few tiny pits as well,as they expand with heat tiny gaps close up somewhat,just do regular oil changes,its when it dosent go away and adjustment dosent cure it that its a worry,,the early valve covers had the rocker shafts float in the cover,later ones had them trapped by a tapered bolt and were quieter,,dont overdo the tapered bolt if you have them,,itll split the cover in that area!

[Vintage Esquire]

Thank  you for the advice.  The tank and cowl are raw steel which have been professionally polished.  In order to keep costs down, polishing was FAR less expensive than painting and I think it looks great!  Additionally, people can see that there is no bondo/body work on the original tank.