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Weird rattling noise from new V7 850 Special

Hope it's the exhaust nut.Mine were loose too ( never heard a rattling sound),however 25 nm is too tight, done 22 fearing to strip them
 
Upon sober reflection -- a rare state when Kathi leaves me unsupervised for a week as I am now :party: -- I realize that the sound that loose header-flange nuts made was not -- at least in my several experiences with that -- a rattle at all, but a distinctive rhythmic ticking that, unsurprisingly, increased and decreased in tempo with RPM.

Bill
 
Bill Hagan said:
Upon sober reflection -- a rare state when Kathi leaves me unsupervised for a week as I am now :party: -- I realize that the sound that loose header-flange nuts made was not -- at least in my several experiences with that -- a rattle at all, but a distinctive rhythmic ticking that, unsurprisingly, increased and decreased in tempo with RPM.

Bill
Click to expand...
Yeah but it didn’t really increase with heat i guess? The „rattle“ i get is distinctively linked to rpm. I am still waiting for the tools to check everything, but i’ll promise an update when i’ve done that.
 
So guys, update time. I fastened the headers except the stripped one, where i cannot fit a socket over anymore. They were all loose. I then made a test drive and the loud metallic rattle seemed to disappear somewhat.

However, i drove the guzzi to temperature and then made a small drive without helmet in a small backroad here.

The metallic sound is there but different. For once it appears to come from both cylinders and is getting progressively louder with the revs. I can hear it over the exhaust sounds and the revving engine. I can hear it also with my closet helmet.

I know that the guzzi uses two valves per cylinder and and when i concentrate and isolate the sound, it definitely seems to be faster than the revs. Am i right in my assumption, that the valves move twice as fast as the, or better said, in one stroke there is two valve movements (intake then exhaust)?

Is it normal to hear the valves loud and clear over all the other sounds? I can isolate it up into 100 km/h, then the wind noise gets too loud. Also if i move my head back and away from my standard seating position (head directly over the valve covers), the noise gets significantly quieter.

Does the valves make a metallic sound? Like a old singer sewing machine? It is definitely rhythmic and gets louder as i rev it up.

I am so unsure now, that the noise maybe the valves, which are maybe a little bit on the looser side? Before the service, the noise was only in the right side and now i can suddenly hear it left too.

Sorry to bother y’all with so many questions, but after my test drive, i have more questions than before. It really drives me crazy.
 
First off, the camshaft moves at half the speed of the crankshaft. The engine is a four stroke. During the four strokes each valve opens and closes once. Until you can get everything tightened up, and all the exhaust is aligned, to include any heat shields if any, can't say any more.
 
The Guzzi is a 4 stroke engine ( induction, compression, power, exhaust) and the camshaft runs at half the engine speed, have you checked tappet clearances yourself? , there's chains, push rods, rockers, all manner of metallic parts moving. It seems to me you're overthinking this. You're engine sounds fine to me although its difficult to tell on a video. Wow, if you can hear an unusual engine noise at 100km/hr you have super hearing.
 
I would look for another Guzzi and listen the engine sound to compare, German technicians are reliable , your dealer ( and very experienced masters in this site) may be right, it sounds like normal valve train.
 
Yeah, you guys are definitely more experienced in this regard. I am still learning about this but i am willing to listen and get better. I just want to follow all the suggestions from easiest to hardest XD. Tightening the screws was the easy part. Everything after that is new territory for me.

Checking valve clearances my myself is a possibility that i have yet to explore, i am not confident enough for that until i have read further about the process.

I discovered the spark plug covers were a little bit on the looser side, but tightening the screw there yields no change.

I have very sensitive hearing (i mostly cannot drive without ear plugs, because the wind noise hurts my ears), and after so many mentioned the valves as potential reason after the exhaust, i am beginning to suspect that the noise maybe the valves doing their work.

Maybe the reason that the left was quiet at first was that the valves were tight from the factory.

Maybe i am more sensible to this frequency, i don’t know.

I am inclined to accept this noise as normal (as i said, it doesn’t bother me, i just don’t want to damage the engine because of negligence on my part and the mechanical, metallic nature of this overlaying voice screamed mechanical wear to me).

I will try to find another air cooled Guzzi (worst case i drive to another dealer and test drive a V7 there) to compare the engine noise to.

But to be clear, you all hear the valves over the rest of the noises? A little bit like an old sewing machine?

Also sorry that my post are so long, it is a little bit hard for me to formulate my thoughts from german to english in a compact manner.

Also if i read over my post i sound frustrated, that maybe also a byproduct of my bad english. The guzzi is wonderful and i am very happy with the bike, just to be clear about that.

Apart from all that, a massive thanks to you all for the advice and kind words until here, i never would have thought that so many would partake in this and try to help me.

Edit: Spelling
 
Hello,

I have a V9 (Bobber), and I think that I hear exactly the same metallic sound on mine.
I think this sound is normal, and its from the valves movement.

Iam an “audiophile” guy, and sometimes I hear thinks that other people don’t. And most the of the times everything its ok, its just my pessimism working with my ears sensitive.

But, I can’t compare the sound with yours.
For me, the best option its to ride another V7.
And yet, if you have that sensible audition, the sound from another bike could be slightly different (but I hope that doesn’t happen)
I think know exactly what you feel…

Good luck.
 
You'll hear al lot of people say "A noisy tappet is a happy tappet", tight tappets can cause the valves to burn out. That being said, too loose isn't good either. Yes, a Guzzi sounds like a well oiled sewing machine. If you're that sensitive to noise , I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the noise from the clutch when you pull it in.
 
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Kevin.NZ said:
You'll hear al lot of people say "A noisy tappet is a happy tappet", tight tappets can cause the valves to burn out. That being said, too loose isn't good either. Yes, a Guzzi sounds like a well oiled sewing machine. If you're that sensitive to noise , I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the noise from the clutch when you pull it in.
Click to expand...
Yes, the noise from the clutch is a good example .
In the beginning, for me I was difficult to accept as normal.
Now I know is normal, because read (and heard the sound) in this forum. It was a peace of mind for me.

There is nothing out there like a Guzzi, and I love this thing!
 
Kevin.NZ said:
You'll hear al lot of people say "A noisy tappet is a happy tappet", tight tappets can cause the valves to burn out. That being said, too loose isn't good either. Yes, a Guzzi sounds like a well oiled sewing machine. If you're that sensitive to noise , I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the noise from the clutch when you pull it in.
Click to expand...
The clutch was a surprise at first, but when i've test ridden it, they warned me that, when i put in neutral and release, it will sound like screws in a washing machine and that this is normal because it's a dry clutch.

I have made one last video with my phone in my pocket while riding in a big factory storage area. I can now clearly isolate it in the video, if you guys say that this ist the normal valve train sound, then i'll file that under normal sound and forget about this, until i have the chance to ride another v7 like mine.

I'm talking about this metallic, rattly overlaying sound above the normal whirring of the engine.

Best heard 00:30 to 1:10 and 2:00 to 2:05 for example but i can hear it througout the video. Over 5000 RPM it gets really noisy.,

 
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Sorry Sambacon but all sounds a ok
👌👌 Not sure if you are used to air-cooled engines, but they are definitely louder than their water cooled jacket friends😃👍🏿 it can be disconcerting at first, but I can say from experience your engine sounds fine
 
Warnzie said:
Sorry Sambacon but all sounds a ok
👌👌 Not sure if you are used to air-cooled engines, but they are definitely louder than their water cooled jacket friends😃👍🏿 it can be disconcerting at first, but I can say from experience your engine sounds fine
Click to expand...
Don’t apologize, i am glad for your opinion. You guys are much more experienced with the engine than me, and i am thankful for the advice.

The last air cooled engine that i heard without an oil cooler was an old VW Beetle, but that was ages ago. Maybe an older Harley, but those sound entirely different.

I was just afraid, that i’ll damage the engine if i ride it much further as it got louder after the service.

Putting miles on it will be no problem, i love the bike and it is a joy to ride. Much more so now, that i don’t stress over that noise anymore.

Thing is, if that noise is normal, then it gives the engine a little bit more character, like the clunk of the gear box, which i love.

Only thing i don’t like on my bike is finding neutral, but i was prepared that this might be a challenge.

As long as i don’t hear anything contrary, my mind is more at ease now riding along.

But! I will learn about adjusting the valves, just as you guys said before: „Making mechanics out of riders“.
 
Moto Guzzi motorcycles make significant noise compared to other motorcycles.

Engine sounds are more pronounced as the cylinders point upwards and are literally closer to your ears.

The gearbox is also characteristically louder than many other types made today.

These are the sounds of "character" on an Italian motorcycle.

For what it's worth, your motorcycle sounds perfectly normal to me in your audio recording . 👍👌
 
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