Engine Rattle

[lukemillar]

Okay I know there have been a lot of posts over the past X months on this - I have read through a lot of them and most of them seem to be cam chain related.

Now, as I started my bike to go home from work this evening, there was a loud tapping noise coming from the top of the rear cylinder, but only when I increaseed the revs into the c. 2500 range. Above that, the engine noise either drowned it out or it stopped, I couldn't tell. Anyway, I know my cam chains have be rattling of late, so I put it down to that, and after 1/2 corners, the tapping had disappeared. However, during the ride home, it got me thinking maybe it could be something else.

For the record, my bike is a K3, around 8000 miles - 2000 of which were done last week, never starved of oil and regularly serviced.

So, rather than ask people to diagnose my problem, I was thinking that it would be more useful if people could describe what it sounds like when big ends, small ends, worn cranks etc start to give up the ghost, and any other possible engine problems and what they sound like.

Good idea, bad idea? - Don't want to start a wave of paranoia! After all -

"Bikes make noise" - randyO