chain noise

i had been riding scooters from the age of 16 up to 20 when i bought a gsxr400 then obviously my sv650s but ive now run it in and have 1200miles on it now but i find at low speeds and low revs i can hear my chain is this normal??? i have just cleaned chain and lubed to see if any different but not.i wear a crap fm helmet when commuting to work and it tends to be a noisier helmet but weekends and bright days i wear my craft lid with black visor and the noise reduction is significant and u can rarely hear the chain.is this normal on sv's and bikes in general? or is there something up?

Worst case I've heard of is that the rear sprocket is on the wrong way round. (facing in rather than out).
Probably not this but worth ruling out!

I can't find the topic, does anyone else remember this one?

its a brand new en so should be on right way round can u not hear any chain noise on urs?

As I say, this is probably worst case.
Mine's a K2 but I've never noticed chain noise.

Mind you, I did have that from new & a few weeks in discovered that the right clip-on hadn't been properly attached & had started to move around. Best not assume that new means perfect.

Search the forum for camchain tensioners, they're known to get noisy.

Other than that, wait for someone with a new shape SV to reply.

cheers m8.ill pop to my dealer tomorrow and ask what they think. im unsure weather its just my lid being noisy once u hit 4000rpm seems to go think is because the engine/standard exhaust is quiet at low revs u can hear it.but its always been there from new and i noticed it on my previous bike with same lid but with better lid u couldnt so,ill do a lid test before i go make an ass of myself i think

Originally Posted by goldengraemes

cheers m8.ill pop to my dealer tomorrow and ask what they think. im unsure weather its just my lid being noisy once u hit 4000rpm seems to go think is because the engine/standard exhaust is quiet at low revs u can hear it.but its always been there from new and i noticed it on my previous bike with same lid but with better lid u couldnt so,ill do a lid test before i go make an ass of myself i think

Probably best.

lotsa things can cause chain noise not necessarily a complete list or order of significance
1.improper alignment of wheel
2 worn chain
3. dirty chain
4 . improper adjustment of chain
5. worn sprocket(s)

and there's the other thing.... I don't know how sensitive your ears are... chains make noise just like motorcycles make noise

My rear sprocket was on the wrong way around with the machined step facing out. (Pics are on this site) This caused tight spots in the chain as it was trying to cimb the side of the sprockets. I turned it around and checked it with a straight edge, Perfect.
Chains last a lot longer now and no tight spots.
As for a noisy chain, They tend to get noisier as they stretch. If you've done 20000miles or so the chain may be stuffed.

I had problems with a noisy chain which also made a 'ticking' noise, twice every wheel revolution.

If you can, get the bike up on a paddock stand and spin the back wheel, if there is a constant grinding noise then that's normal for a chain. It shouldn't be too noisy though, I'd check the front sproket for gunk because that was the cause of my noisy chain, a good clean and it was sorted.

Are you sure it's not engine noise? twins are quite vibey and noisy?

If all else fails get to your dealer, after only 1200miles I'm sure they won't charge much to check it out.

Originally Posted by Graham

My rear sprocket was on the wrong way around with the machined step facing out.

It was you! This is what I was trying to remember.

I'd ruled out wear on chain, sprockets etc. as he's only done 1200 miles on it!