Knocking/clicking Sound In My Engine While Idling

[jraul]

Question on my 2015 America. Recently purchased my 2015 Triumph America (first Triumph). Absolutely love the bike and Triumph's simplicity of design and mechanical service. Now my question...I noticed that when the bike is hot after a ride there is a light knocking/rattle in the lower engine when in idle. This knocking sound is not loud but hearable but present and only at idle. When the motor is revved or driven it either disappears or cannot be head. Is this normal for these 865 engines? it is not present when idling when cool right after startup I have had several brands of bikes and all have engine sounds peculiar to the brand, and am asking is this natural with these Triumphs. I am not a mechanic and simply asking about similar experiences. If normal, then great. If not, then maybe I need to see a mechanic.Recently replaced oil with Castrol Full Synthetic Motorcycle oil. This oil once caused my Vstar 950 to rattle in the engine some but it caused no problem. Any response will be welcome. Thanks

 

[CarlS]

I can't answer your question; but I'm interested in what you find out. It could be just the oil change. These engines are darn near bullet proof. How many miles on your bike?

 

[jraul]

I can't answer your question; but I'm interested in what you find out. It could be just the oil change. These engines are darn near bullet proof. How many miles on your bike?

I have 3500 miles on the bike. The bike had 2800 when I purchased it a couple of months ago. I immediately changed the oil and filter with Castrol synthetic 10w 40. I am thinking a conventional oil might quite it done. Others said this is normal but I wonder. Just want to be sure as I love the bike.

 

[nickjaxe]

I have 3500 miles on the bike. The bike had 2800 when I purchased it a couple of months ago. I immediately changed the oil and filter with Castrol synthetic 10w 40. I am thinking a conventional oil might quite it done. Others said this is normal but I wonder. Just want to be sure as I love the bike.

My bike is the water cooled version....T100 I get a light tapping on cold start.....nobody has been able to give me a reason for it....

With my engine you can use either fully or semi synthetic.

So I changed to semi....and a grade up from what I was using.

I still get the tapping and maybe its slightly less but to me the engine is sweet with the oil grade and type thats in it now.....what is noticeable is that the gearbox is quieter.

Far as I know semi is better for preventing internal corrosion on an engine that may not be run for maybe a few weeks at a time.....not draining off surface's as easy as semi does.

If I worked my engine real hard....I may consider fully synthetic.

I still use the Castrol bike engine oil that Triumph recommend....just a slightly heavier grade.

 

[CarlS]

I have 3500 miles on the bike. The bike had 2800 when I purchased it a couple of months ago. I immediately changed the oil and filter with Castrol synthetic 10w 40. I am thinking a conventional oil might quite it done. Others said this is normal but I wonder. Just want to be sure as I love the bike.

My bike is the water cooled version....T100 I get a light tapping on cold start.....nobody has been able to give me a reason for it....

With my engine you can use either fully or semi synthetic.

So I changed to semi....and a grade up from what I was using.

I still get the tapping and maybe its slightly less but to me the engine is sweet with the oil grade and type thats in it now.....what is noticeable is that the gearbox is quieter.

Far as I know semi is better for preventing internal corrosion on an engine that may not be run for maybe a few weeks at a time.....not draining off surface's as easy as semi does.

If I worked my engine real hard....I may consider fully synthetic.

I still use the Castrol bike engine oil that Triumph recommend....just a slightly heavier grade.

I recommend fully synthetic based on an experience my late wife had with her 03 T00. She had a oil pump failure late in the afternoon about 3 miles from home. It was isolated wilderness. She stopped her bike and called me when the oil pressure light came on. I was about 45 minutes away.

I didn't want her sitting on that Isolated road with dark coming on rapidly. I told her to crank it up and ride it as close as she could get to home. Her life and safety more important to me than that engine.

Long story short, she made it home. I bought an engine from a wrecked Thruxton, used the heads from her engine and the bottom end from the Thruxton. The cylinders were scored in her engine and the crankshaft damaged. Had it not been for fully synthetic oil, she would not have made it home. The oil pump had a plastic drive gear that had broken. I replaced that plastic gear with a brass gear in the Thruxton bottom end.

This made me a believer in fully synthetic oil.