[Craig380]

The other thing is, I've never heard an SV that doesn't tick intermittently at idle. The SV motor is notorious for its mechanical noise, and for the randomness with which the various noises can come and go.

My own K6 with 25,000 miles will sometimes tick and tap merrily at idle, and other times will be mechanically silent, and there's no rhyme or reason for the difference. Doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, has done a long run or a short run, or whatever. It's always done it, ever since I got the bike with 8,000 miles up.

It's because, unlike an inline twin or four-cylinder bike, the SV has 2x very long camchains, and doesn't have a big chunky cylinder block to dampen mechanical noises.