Engine rattle

Originally Posted by shifter

It's definatly front cylinder, without a doubt.

if so, how comes pulling the clutch in stops the rattle?

Hmmmmmmm, So what else could it be. Is there no way it could be to do with the clutch?

It might not be the same rattle!
The one we could hear on tick over was definatly front cylinder and 100% not clutch related.
Thats not to say that there isnt an unrelated noise happening somewhere else.
The old trick with pulling the clutch in to find noises is basicaly to try and tell wether a noise is coming from the cycle parts i.e wheels, brakes final drive etc or engine.
When you ride with the clutch in the engine is back on tick over and therfore quiter so if the noise is form the running gear you can hear it more clearly.
Is the noise related to road speed or engine revs, or random?
The noise from the front cylinder is a random knock that bears no relation to revs.

Shifter your gonna have to take her out for a spin over the next couple of days. Otherwise i may be part exing and getting a 2004 SV

Originally Posted by coz83

if so, how comes pulling the clutch in stops the rattle?

I think mrhighly rated is talking about pulling the clutch in on the move. It's probably just that the wind blast drowns out the engine.
The noise we were listening to was evident on tickover from time to time and comes and goes

By the way Mr Shifter forgot to mention i was riding home last night and i heard an even bigger rattle coming from the RAD, so i pulled over to find my horn hanging by its wire!

Nobody would hear it over the exhaust anyway

I have 2000 sv650 and am having the same problem, thinking wrist-pin or rod? hoping something simpler...but i'm thinking worse. Oil level has never been low since i have owned it, and I bought it with only 5000 miles on it. I changed the oil and filter every 2000 miles. adn the bike only has 9000 miles on it now. I do wheelie the sv, and know that most likely is what did the damage, but the oil light has never came on in a wheelie and they are not more than 10 seconds long. Going to ripit apart soon but would like some info so i don't go in blind.

Unfortunatly even low mileage engins that have been well looked after can still go wrong.
I'd check out the usual stuff, cam chain tensioners, valve clearances and do a compresion test. If all checks out o.k there then it might be time for a more in depth look.