Pete

Hey folks! Got an update. Thought I'd fixed the problem, but haven't. I've checked behind the front sprocket cover, really clean actually from when I cleaned it about a year ago. I bought a chain alignment tool, which I actually HIGHLY recommend. Only £12.71 from Amazon and quickly showed me my chain was off quite a lot! [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-5051-Motorcycle-Chain-Alignment/dp/B004499M20]Here's the link[/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-5051-Motorcycle-Chain-Alignment/dp/B004499M20] So I thought that'd had done it. Re-aligned chain, checked tension, all good. Again the chain is probably slightly on the loose side just to be sure it's not too tight. Took it for a 15 mile ride, down some lanes first to get some heat into the bike then some stop start traffic. All good until after about 10 miles at slow speed the noise returned. Not as loud as before, but the first time was after a 100 mile blast up the motorway! First thing I did when I got back to my garage was put it on the stand and take these two videos: http://youtu.be/ruHRwkXoZJk?list=UU8TWv ... dbFfV7pw5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXtUOCf ... dbFfV7pw5g The second one shows the chain jumping a little bit as it clicks. Any ideas? I'm stumped. Got some pics of the rear sprocket that I'll upload later for your inspection...

Fair point mate! I tried uploading a video or two to YouTube but they both failed. Will try again on the other thread. Will bleed the system like you say and report back. Nice one.

It is indeed hydraulic. OK thanks again mate I'll do that. One other thing, because I know you do a lot with your own bike - the grinding/clunking/scraping noise I've been having and has so far assumed it's chain and sprocket related, do you reckon it could be clutch related? Just wondering not i've had this new issue with the clutch come up.

Nice one Stu. Just went out and got it up to temp in neutral. Fettled clutch lever a fair few times then revved it a bit (thought maybe it might be doing something!). Then with the clutch in I popped it into 1st and the back wheel wasn't spinning as much as before (just very slowly, like normal I guess)! Marvellous, so I let the clutch out slightly and it spun up, pulled clutch in and wheel carried on spinning at full speed. Hmm. So I revved it upto 20mph on the speedo whilst still on centre stand then put the rear break on. Heard the clutch 'click', did it a few times and each time the back wheels seemed to spin a little bit slower so must be getting unstuck I guess. Took it off the centre stand and got on board. Pulled the clutch, popped it into first and thankfully it didn't lunge forward when I released the front brake! Rolled forwards and backwards without any noticeable drag with the engine running. Turned the engine off and rolled it again, there's a bit of drag and I can hear the clutch clunk a little bit but nothing like earlier on. I'll wait for my metal mirror stem epoxy bodge to cure again (first one fell apart !) and go for a ride tomorrow morning to see if everything's any better. Then I'm off to a nearby bike shop to have them check chain alignment, no doubt I'll be feeling rather silly that I couldn't do it myself but I've had enough of peeing about and just want to get out and enjoy the weather!

p.s. the oil isn't that old either. Changed it about 4 months ago and have only done about 350 miles on it since.

Something or someone really doesn't want me to enjoy the last of this years good weather! What with the scraping/grinding/clicking noise I had trouble with in another thread, and later thinking it might be chain alignment I've now gone and tipped my Blackbird over in the garage whilst trying to undo the rear wheel! Silly old me. No harm to me though and only a broken wing mirror stem on the bike which is currently being fixed on my kitchen table with the help of some epoxy resin. So with that box ticked I thought I'd go and fire the old 'bird up to see if everything's still in order, fully expecting no problems. Went to wheel it out of the garage, in gear with clutch pulled in, and it wouldn't budge! Thought the wheel was caught on the block of wood that I put the centre stand on at first, but no nothing there. Pulled hard on the bike and it rolled but really didn't want to. Like the gear is almost disengaging but not quite. So I got it up on the centre stand, back into neutral and fired it up. Ran great. Pulled clutch in and can hear the change in pitch from the clutch as it gets pulled in so it's doing something in there. Kicked it into first and the wheel started spinning like crazy, let the clutch out and the wheel carried on at the same speed. Any ideas? Might I have broken a clutch spring when I dropped the bike? Seems unlikely as it was a really slow drop, as soon as I realised it was falling i grabbed what I could and after realising I wasn't going to save it managed to lower it as gently as possible until it finally dropped the last foot or so. Could oil have gone in somewhere it's not supposed to whilst lying down? As usual folks, any help much appreciated!

As others have said it natural for me also now to pull the clutch in anyway just because it reduces load on the starter circuit. Having had lots of issues with batteries in the past and staring up being the biggest load on a battery I pull the clutch without thinking. I also make sure all lights are off!!

I don't think so. When I rotate the rear wheel it makes a "click click click" noise like when the chain is too tight, but it's not. I think I'll loosen the back wheel off and move it forward a bit and THEN check for play in the front sprocket. I guess with the chain tensioned up it won't move at all...

Cheers Fro, could well be alignment. Looks OK by eye but I'll tweak it a quarter turn each way and see what happens. Will update with pics once uploaded somewhere! Had a look at the front sprocket, megawatt, all looks fine to me and it's tight on!

Nearly got it today! But not quite Thought I'd have a go at giving it a proper deep clean and copious amounts of lube. In the past (last 3 years or so) I've used a Kettenmax chain cleaner, paraffin as cleaner and Elf chain lube that I got in France a couple of years ago. So today I bought some Muc-off chain cleaner, must have sprayed half the can out! Rinsed it, dried it, then put some Muc-off dry PTFE chain lube on. Took it for a mixed ride, some town riding to check pulling away, and a motorway blast for 5 miles to get some heat into it. All was going very well, thought I'd cracked it (and felt silly that it was just the chain lube)... Got back to the house, knocking/scraping had returned, but a lot quieter than before. Got it up on the center stand and gave the wheel a twirl, same knock. Applied some more lube while the chain was hot anyway. I checked every single link for stiff links and they all feel the same to me. Movement in all of them, not easy to move but not stuck. Checked tension again whilst sat on the bike and off centre stand and there's plenty of slack. I'm baffled. Only things I can think is either some links are stiff and I just didn't spot them (meant to feel really bendy with ease or some resistance? I dunno!), or something to do with the sprocket carrier that goes into the engine. But the sound stays even when I pull the clutch in so surely it must be chain/sprocket related? I dunno. Seems to get worse the more the bike is ridden. Heat maybe? Thanks for your thoughts folks, much appreciated.

Sadly I don't think it's a tight spot it happens all the way round consistently when turning the wheel and the chain itself is actually quite loose

It's a thought about the swingarm, but it seems to be coming from the front sprocket rather than further back. I managed to get the sprocket cover off, and it's definitely tight enough! Absolutely no movement from it at all, and the teeth aren't pointed or hooked. Could an out of alignment rear wheel cause it to knock? While I was checking the sprocket tightness I gave it another few slow spin and noticed that each time there's a "knock" the chain jumps ever such a little bit. Almost like there's tension building up and then it clicks back again. If it is alignment it's strange that it's happened recently. Bit more info on the chain by the way, I bought the bike about 25,000 miles ago and it's on the same chain and sprockets. They were brand new when I bought the bike (or that's what the fella said, and they looked it) so that's 25,000 miles on the current set. I've kept it clean enough and lubed nice with a Kettenmax. Any thoughts on when I should change the set? Seems to be a bit of stretch left in it, and I don't want to go spending £100-130 quid on a new chain and sprocket set if I don't have to obviously. Failing all other ideas I know the rear tyre probably only has another 1000 miles left on it, I could just ask whoever changes it next to take a look at the knock and check wheel alignment etc, but I'd rather sort it myself. Just spotted the new post about the CBR having a similar issue - cheers, looks like I'm heading for a new chain and sprocket set anyway.

Hi all. My Blackbird has developed a worrying knocking/scraping noise coming from the front sprocket area. Doesn't go away when I pull the clutch in so don't think it's basket rattle. Took a video of it which is currently busy uploading to YouTube. The chain is a good tension, if anything slightly loose. Happens most noticeably when pulling away and at slow speeds. Sounds almost like the chain is flopping around, like when you run the bike in 1st gear on the centre stand. I'm going to try and get the sprocket cover off to investigate and tighten the sprocket down if needs be. Only problem is I may need to remove the lower fairing, and I've got a stuck fairing bolt and have just moved house so most of my tools are at my parents over 100 miles away! C'est la vie, as the Germans say. Anyway, any other thoughts on what it could be if the sprocket being loose isn't the case? Cheers

Defo agree on learning to maintain your chain. Usually needs cleaning and lubing around every 500 miles. Look into getting a chain cleaner like a Kettenmax like this one http://www.getgeared.co.uk/KETTENMAX_Motorcycle_Chain_Cleaner_and_Greaser - works very well and saves so much time compared to using an old toothbrush! Just add paraffin (I get mine from B&Q). As for learning to service bikes, minor service items such as oil and filter are easy enough to do, but like anything else if you don't know it might as well be impossible! Get yourself a Haynes manual for your bike and try some of the easier things at first to see how you get on. You'll have a few curse words here and there but it's all part of the fun of servicing your own bike. Alternatively there's no shame in paying a mechanic to do it if being a grease monkey just ain't your thing.

For music / sat nav a pair of basic in ear headphones will do perfectly - I use some free Sony Ericsson ones that I got with a phone years ago! - just stick the device in a pocket somewhere, and run the cable up the inside of your jacket and into your helmet. Perfect... ...making calls though is a whole different ballgame. The best way is undoubtably bluetooth. However you're going to need a kit that is A2DP (definition here), not just any old bluetooth. iPhones can be picky with the bluetooth devices they connect with, but if it's A2DP, you should be OK. With a decent bluetooth headset you should be able to do all the things you've mentioned. They're not cheap though - at over £200 the headset that fits my helmet is more expensive than the helmet itself. Very tidy though. Here it is in action: ">

So i'm going to be needing a way to charge a few things (phone, sat nav, AAA batteries for intercom etc. nothing major) on my epic trip to France next week and I've been thinking a solar charger might be the way to go (as well as the 12v cigarette lighter I'll have attached to the bike battery). It'd be nice to have one slim enough to fit in the map pocket of my Bagster tank bag, so I can plug my sat nav or phone in as I'm riding to keep it topped up. A USB port'd be nice... Anyone ever used one in anger whilst away? What's charge time like? Other stuff I need to look out for, etc etc etc... Ideally I'd like to be able to pick it up somewhere - not enough time left to order online as I'm off on Sunday evening! Price - anything under £50, preferably under £30...ideally free !

Could have just been an airleak somewhere (anywhere between gauges, hose and nipple). Best carb balancers I've ever used (and cheapest!) are one's I've made myself. It's easy, all you need is a bit of clear tubing, two milk bottles, a couple or rubber bungs and a glue gun.

Ok team, You've convinced me that it's something to do with the throttle cables, and I reckon the return "close" cable is not tight enough...ie it aint closing fully. That said the throttle does snap back nicely, just not as far as id want it to...but it does have a good positive snap. There's slack in the "open" cable, as specified in the manual, but the close is just not closing it enough. I can't seem to work out how to make it close though, the cable adjuster nut doesn't seem maxed out but I'm just stuck really! Could be totally wrong of course! Some pictures: Not the best photo, but this shows the top of the idle adjuster screw, and where the throttle body bit should be resting on it. It doesn't touch it... http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae248/peteblakemore/4478b4b8.jpg?t=1333794175 This one shows the cables at the bar end - the pull to "open" has an adjuster nut, the pull to "close" does not. http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae248/peteblakemore/58f53533.jpg?t=1333794168 In the belly of the beast - the nut at the top shows the pull to "close" cable, the one at the bottom is pull to "open". I can't seem to do much more with the "close" one... http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae248/peteblakemore/4ed9431d.jpg?t=1333794163 Thanks all!

Nice one fellas - Stu, you're only in Hull, so about 150 miles away, that's all! And I make a mean cuppa tea So I've not checked Idle adjusters - what the hell are they? They sound good...alls I've been messing with are the three screws used to balance 3+4, then 1+2 and then the one in the middle to balance them all. Not checked pilot screws either because it was running OK before I started (apart from dicky idle) - would the pilot need messing with usually? I HAVE checked throttle cable and that seems OK. that said, if I "decelerate" past the stop position, ie put a bit of opposite pressure on the grip it levels the revs out, but rises again after I let go. When I blip the throttle it's taking longer than usual to return to idle. Going to check for air leaks tomorrow (somehow...!) but can't see how I'd have one as it wasn't there this morning! Thanks all! Keep up the suggestions please!

So i finally got everything in place to balance the carbs on my blackbird today. God knows when the last time they were done was, certainly not within the last 20,000 miles! Anyway, it was running a bit lumpy so I thought I'd sort it out. It all started well, all fairing and tank taken off, auxillary fuel tank in place, I'm set up to balance carbs 3+4 and away I go. It did need doing, the levels were off... ...and I don't know where it went wrong but at some point (I've now balanced or tried to balance 3 times) the revs have gone through the roof at idle (3000-3500 rpm) and I can't bring them back down! I've fiddled with the idle screw and that does nothing - even backed all the way out the bike still revs high. Another clue to someone that may be able to help is that theres a frequent popping from the exhausts - not sure if that's a giveaway? Only thing ican think is that it's running lean, but I've not touched the insides of the carbs / the jets so can't see how that would be affected? Any ideas massively appreciated, really don't want this to ruin my Easter weekend!

Well this niggle was never solved in the space of a weekend but I have found a long term solution - so for anyone having the same problem as me, my solution has been to order new brass carb nipples (teeheehee!) and the dust caps to go with from Morgan (who make the carb tune, which i hear is very good, though i prefer the price of my milk bottle setup...) http://www.ekmpowershop20.com/ekmps/sho ... s-14-p.asp Dunno what size the Blackbird takes so I got 4x5mm and 4x6mm just in case! Now i know what I'm doing for the start of my easter weekend!

You're exactly right megawatt, the manufacturers of the balancers do include the adapters...but I made my own own balancers! thanks for the reply though Was planning on showing everyone my cheap balancer solution on here (involving 2 milk bottles, some 2 stroke oil, and some tube! Sounds painful...) but wanted to test the theory first.

What the others have said really - locate the leak first to rule out anything like a hole it the radiator. More likely to be overflow from the coolant reservoir, in which case check to make sure you've not got too much coolant in already (it'll expand as it gets hotter so if it's over the "max" line when cold its likely to overflow when warmed up)

this happened tome when I first got my blackbird - thought it was a warped frame, or wheels out of alignment...checked the tyre pressure out of sheer luck and instead of being at 42psi they were down to 20psi! Got some air in them and problem solved!! Failing that, have you fiddled with the rear suspension at all? Highering the rear suspension (usually to achieve a better turn in) will affect the rake (angle) of the forks, which WILL make the bars wobble - sport bikes have a sharp rake angle, but have steering dampers to counteract this problem.

I have a spare cam chain tensioner off a blackbird you can have if it'll fit? PM me for details if interested. I changed mine when I got the bike thinking it needed doing, turns out it was fine! It's a very easy job as well so my advice wold be to get your toolkit out (what few tools you'll need) and get to it. As for the blowing exhaust - have you located the leak? Could just be something as simple as a loose jubilee clip (I've had that before!). If its more serious (ie an actual hole) then bandaging it up will only be a temporary fix and you're better off getting the offending part replaced.