Mark,
Thanks for the advice mate, i must admit if i was able to strip the engine myself i would have done it almost straight away (when the noise first reared its head). Unfortunately im limited to basic servicing as my knowledge is limited.
Like you say though its all about learning.
In the meantime i will just have to grin and bear it, although looking at the lovely blue sky is a tad frustrating. I am planning a few days in Wales next month so the bike and i can mend our troubled relationship
PS My mate at the shop said the spring was rusty and this was partly why the cam chain tensioner failed
