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Loud ticking sound from Engine area

sk8norcal

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Hi all,

Just picked up a 2015 NC700X with 4000 miles

I noticed a loud ticking sound at idle.

I am guessing it's the valves? but sounds quite loud.

I have read about broken cam chain tensioner, hope it's not that.

2015 Honda NC700X engine sound, 4k miles - YouTube

[video=youtube;j2LRHhFYe4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2LRHhFYe4E[/video]
 
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One key question.........does the noise change when you pull the clutch lever ?

The clutch basket, trans gears and primary drive make a similar noise that is normal. Pulling the clutch lver loads the clutch basket and main shaft.
 
Last edited:
One key question.........does the noise change when you pull the clutch lever ?

The clutch basket, trans gears and primary drive make a similar noise that is normal. Pulling the clutch lver loads the clutch basket and main shaft.
No, the ticking sound is unrelated to the clutch. I do notice the clutch sound also , which concerns me too.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Hi all,

Just picked up a 2015 NC700X with 4000 miles

I noticed a loud ticking sound at idle.

I am guessing it's the valves? but sounds quite loud.

I have read about broken cam chain tensioner, hope it's not that.

2015 Honda NC700X engine sound, 4k miles - YouTube

I listened. sounds ok to me. how does it run? If the valves are on the loose side it will make a little more noise, but that is much better than them being too tight. Checking the valve clearances is pretty easy on this bike, so if you're worried there are a lot of how to's on youtube.
 
I listened. sounds ok to me. how does it run? If the valves are on the loose side it will make a little more noise, but that is much better than them being too tight. Checking the valve clearances is pretty easy on this bike, so if you're worried there are a lot of how to's on youtube.
There is also an excellent walkthrough on here. Step by step with pictures.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
It sounds just like my "new" 2015. I was worried about it but I realized that I only heard it because I rode it across the parking lot without my helmet. With my helmet on, I don't here the 'valve' noise at all.
 
Hi all,

Just picked up a 2015 NC700X with 4000 miles

I noticed a loud ticking sound at idle.

I am guessing it's the valves? but sounds quite loud.

I have read about broken cam chain tensioner, hope it's not that.

2015 Honda NC700X engine sound, 4k miles - YouTube


[video=youtube;FXRd9u4xnR8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXRd9u4xnR8[/video]

edit: (not my bike in the video, but mine sounds just the same as well.)
 
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Btw, I bought 2 nc700x recently, 1 clutch, 1 dct. The ticking sound is much louder on the clutch bike.

I will take a video of my dct bike also.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Btw, I bought 2 nc700x recently, 1 clutch, 1 dct. The ticking sound is much louder on the clutch bike.

I will take a video of my dct bike also.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
There is the ticking of the valves, and the rattling of the clutch basket on the manual. That's why its louder, 2 sounds! Both are normal.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
I still think my engine ticking is too loud. Sometimes it's hard to diagnose with a youtube video, especially when listening to it on a cellphone.
I do notice this, on cold startup, I don't hear the ticking, but after 2-3 minutes the ticking comes on.


Here's my 2013 NC700X DCT with 6k miles. Much quieter.

2013 NC700X DCT engine sound with 6k miles - YouTube

[video=youtube;S8QRe55lRms]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QRe55lRms[/video]
 
I still think my engine ticking is too loud. Sometimes it's hard to diagnose with a youtube video, especially when listening to it on a cellphone.
I do notice this, on cold startup, I don't hear the ticking, but after 2-3 minutes the ticking comes on.


Here's my 2013 NC700X DCT with 6k miles. Much quieter.

2013 NC700X DCT engine sound with 6k miles - YouTube

[video=youtube;S8QRe55lRms]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QRe55lRms[/video]

I can hear the difference between the two videos.

The DCT video sounds more quiet.

My 2015 manual sounds like your manual bike. It's like there's a little guy with a hammer inside making the loud tick-tick-tick. I didn't hear that hammer tick in the DCT video.

Mine runs so smoothly that I figure it is by design. I tell people the bike is noisy because it has a Diesel engine. :)
 
I am the one who experienced a $1000 pain with the broken tensioner chain.
Let me say this: The engine sounds "normal"...like the tappets on a properly maintained NC700 engine.
I had thought the same of my NC700x too.

And then it happened. The armature broke and it limped home (luckily it happened when I was literally 500m from home, Praise God Almighty) with my son as a pillion rider (he was 12yr old and he did not like riding). Somehow the chain survived.

Now...can you do anything about yours? Would you consider to strip down the engine to "inspect" the chain and armature? It is going to cost you.
It is NOT broken yet.

So...let me say this....watch out but there is really nothing you can do.

I sold my NC700x for 2-3 reasons. One of which is loss of confidence in this internal part which should NEVER be broken. But then, I was riding the bike hard (after riding the AT demo). Honda Switzerland did not want to reimburse me anything. It was 4 yrs old but under 12000km.

So that's my 2 cents. Hope you are not too alarmed by my honest blunt words.
 
The other side of the those engine noise level judgement calls is............a number of forum members tore into the motor and found nothing.
You could ( or have the dealer ) remove the valve cover check the valve clearances and inspect the cam chain and judge the tension on the slack side by observation and probing.

The manual trans sound like clutch basket ( primary drive) noise.
Comparing manual and DCT engine noise is not likely valid as the primary drive is different.

Retake the manual trans noise video hot at idle and pull in the clutch lever multiple times.
 
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I am the one who experienced a $1000 pain with the broken tensioner chain.
Let me say this: The engine sounds "normal"...like the tappets on a properly maintained NC700 engine.
I had thought the same of my NC700x too.

And then it happened. The armature broke and it limped home (luckily it happened when I was literally 500m from home, Praise God Almighty) with my son as a pillion rider (he was 12yr old and he did not like riding). Somehow the chain survived.

Now...can you do anything about yours? Would you consider to strip down the engine to "inspect" the chain and armature? It is going to cost you.
It is NOT broken yet.

So...let me say this....watch out but there is really nothing you can do.

I sold my NC700x for 2-3 reasons. One of which is loss of confidence in this internal part which should NEVER be broken. But then, I was riding the bike hard (after riding the AT demo). Honda Switzerland did not want to reimburse me anything. It was 4 yrs old but under 12000km.

So that's my 2 cents. Hope you are not too alarmed by my honest blunt words.

Yours was a very rare event Joe, statistically speaking. Then you go and buy a bike that has one of the worst reliability ratings of all motorcycle brands and probably the highest number of mandated safety recalls per unit sold in the USA. For the tiny amount of volume sold the reported problems are very high. Sorry for the honest blunt words.
 
Without some universal standards for how these engine sounds are acquired, recorded, and played back, I can’t see how any meaningful comparisons could possibly be made.
 
Yours was a very rare event Joe, statistically speaking. Then you go and buy a bike that has one of the worst reliability ratings of all motorcycle brands and probably the highest number of mandated safety recalls per unit sold in the USA. For the tiny amount of volume sold the reported problems are very high. Sorry for the honest blunt words.
Calm down...no one is saying the NC700x is not reliable and that my broken unit was the "norm".

No need to insult the bike I bought and ride now.

I am only sharing my story and that certainly brought out some people's sword and daggers..
LOL.

Stay calm and ride your Honda. That was my message (in case you read it in another way).

Which you did, Dave.



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Without some universal standards for how these engine sounds are acquired, recorded, and played back, I can’t see how any meaningful comparisons could possibly be made.

This! The audio in the YouTube clip sounds nothing like my NC. Can't tell if it's poor audio (it probably is based on the lack of low frequency sounds), or sick engine.
 
The other side of the those engine noise level judgement calls is............a number of forum members tore into the motor and found nothing.
You could ( or have the dealer ) remove the valve cover check the valve clearances and inspect the cam chain and judge the tension on the slack side by observation and probing.

The manual trans sound like clutch basket ( primary drive) noise.
Comparing manual and DCT engine noise is not likely valid as the primary drive is different.

Retake the manual trans noise video hot at idle and pull in the clutch lever multiple times.

Thanks for the feedback.

I have mentioned earlier that pulling in and letting out the clutch does not effect the ticking sound.

Here's a video of the engine sound with me press/release the clutch. (I did it like 3 times in the video)
You can barely hear the clutch basket noise.

Also, the video is now shot from the left side of the bike, where I think the ticking sounds louder.

2015 Honda NC700X engine sound with clutch pulled in and out - YouTube

[video=youtube;_JuZWWAnGXM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuZWWAnGXM[/video]
 
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