The 'knock'....the final thread!

[complete]

This subject is like dejavu.
I think im in a timewarp.

[stuart]

iv had the dreaded knock since the first service,now at 1800 miles its a bit worse.....taken it back twice ...........this time the dealer said suzuki know about the problem....its not a problem.......so they say there will be no recall and just to live with it.(they all do that sir) lol........when pressed they then they said the 04 bike had a bigger bearing to stop the noise caused by end float on the crank which amplifies the knock from the clutch and if i wanted they will fit the bearing at the end of the year..........not sure about that though dont fancy the motor being in a hundred bits .seems a poor call to have to make ...............at the moment im reving the balls off it to see if it breaks..........goes alright

[chewy22]

If skids said he is ok then i trust this one sent my info

Intriguing this.

[Ebenhorst]

I would like to know that, how much of engine numbers crank needs to make a pattern.

It would be nice to know someday....


And to all of you who haven´t sent their numbers to crank, do it now.

We have over 1300 members here at the portal!!!!! I know that , we all don´t have sv´s but who has, send your details to Crank, so he can make a pattern...
Cheers, Esa

[Bish]

Ok,

I went to a quiet place last night and listened to the bike running.

Clutch rattle.
IMO: this really is just operating noise. Mine has pretty much made this noise from the day I picked it up. Yes it was noticably louder after the 1st service (who knows why) but it has not got any worse. Pull the clutch in and the rattle goes away.

Valve noise.
When the clutch is pulled in you can hear the light tappy noise of the valve gear. This is normal. The Bandits valve gear sounded like a bag of spanners...

Knocking noise
Not sure if you've got it? How do you tell?

Whatever is causing it it resonates down the left hand pipe (as you're sat on the bike). Walk slowly around the bike, you cant really hear it aroud the right rear, but left middle to rear its clear enough.

If you can't hear it try strapping the clutch lever in.

You might need an assistant at this point (someone who has also identified the noises as detailed above):
Now, if you put the bike in gear let the clutch out to the bite point and let it take up the slack in the transmission etc. You start to move forward slowly, trail the rear brake. The knocking goes away. Sat on the bike you can't really tell but your assistant should notice the difference.

As for what the cause is, who knows. It could be 'normal' it could be bearings, it could be gearbox related.

Get your info in to Crank and lets get to the bottom of this.

Cheers
Bish

[andyw]

Bish.....

...and the details you need to email to Crank are:

a) Engine number
b) Whether the bike is always franchised dealer serviced (non-Suzuki counts as "No")
c) Whether or not you have the knock
d) Optional: Country of purchase
e) Optional: Date of purchase (Month/Year is fine)

This is all above board so please do take the time to email Crank

[Greggy]

hi all

if this noise is the main bearing and there is really nothing wrong with the engine, ie no wear or metal in oil and it is simply noise, then can i ask this question. do you want a dealer to open up your beloved engine, rip the guts out, put new bearings in and hope it fits back in again? just so it stops making a noise at tickover. how many of us go that slow that we hear it anyway. i certainly don't. after coming from a bandit 6 that made an equally noise at tickover, i don't want extensive and expensive work done on it. i've had a lot of problems with new cars making rattling sounds etc that either can't be fixed or are made worse by a repair. if your engine is taken apart, will everything fit back as it did? i doubt it and you may well find you have a number of new noises to contend with. i feel that unless your engine is blowing blue smoke, won't go above 30 mph or drops from its frame, don't worry about it. if it was lethal there would be a recall. imagine the cost of repair - say 4 -5 days, total 35 hours, times £30 per hour plus parts equals about £1200, even more for american dollars. no wonder suzuki don't want a recall. and if you insist on a repair, your dealer may refuse. if every bike makes this sound and there is nothing else wrong with the bike, ie it fits within the sale of goods standard, then you may well be wasting your time as your dealer will prove it is a characteristic of the bike. i had that with a car and an AA engineer test drove it. found none of the faults i had and just said 'characteristics of said vehicle'... this noise is present in the v-strom and probably in the kwak's new sv engine based bike. problems with the v-strom have been a lot worse than with the sv, check out a v-strom website. another thing to consider, if the tl makes this noise after 9k or so miles, is there any reason ours won't again at that mileage? if it bugs you, go talk seriously to your dealership. but please don't upset yourself with it and lose valuable time worrying and not sitting on the edge of your saddle as you wizz past all the crappy kwaks and hondas.

[itsmyforte]

Originally Posted by Greggy

hi all

if this noise is the main bearing and there is really nothing wrong with the engine, ie no wear or metal in oil and it is simply noise, then can i ask this question. do you want a dealer to open up your beloved engine, rip the guts out, put new bearings in and hope it fits back in again? just so it stops making a noise at tickover. how many of us go that slow that we hear it anyway. i certainly don't. after coming from a bandit 6 that made an equally noise at tickover, i don't want extensive and expensive work done on it. i've had a lot of problems with new cars making rattling sounds etc that either can't be fixed or are made worse by a repair. if your engine is taken apart, will everything fit back as it did? i doubt it and you may well find you have a number of new noises to contend with. i feel that unless your engine is blowing blue smoke, won't go above 30 mph or drops from its frame, don't worry about it. if it was lethal there would be a recall. imagine the cost of repair - say 4 -5 days, total 35 hours, times £30 per hour plus parts equals about £1200, even more for american dollars. no wonder suzuki don't want a recall. and if you insist on a repair, your dealer may refuse. if every bike makes this sound and there is nothing else wrong with the bike, ie it fits within the sale of goods standard, then you may well be wasting your time as your dealer will prove it is a characteristic of the bike. i had that with a car and an AA engineer test drove it. found none of the faults i had and just said 'characteristics of said vehicle'... this noise is present in the v-strom and probably in the kwak's new sv engine based bike. problems with the v-strom have been a lot worse than with the sv, check out a v-strom website. another thing to consider, if the tl makes this noise after 9k or so miles, is there any reason ours won't again at that mileage? if it bugs you, go talk seriously to your dealership. but please don't upset yourself with it and lose valuable time worrying and not sitting on the edge of your saddle as you wizz past all the crappy kwaks and hondas.

EXCELLENT POST!!! this has been my thoughts all along. though i don't have the knock so maybe my viewpoint is scewed. quit worrying yourselves, just lok at the stats NOT ONE member of this forum has had an engine seize or just plain peter out on them yet from this "knock".

[Tundra Tom]

Good point Greggy,
Had a friend that owned a 1970 Buick LeSaber "custom" with a 350 cu. in. two barrel motor-aka bullet proof. It had a distinctive tick in the top end.
Being more anal than I, he tore off the intake manifold off and replaced all the lifters, push rods and rocker arms. Put it back together and it had the same tick, same volume.
I bought the car from him for $200 to use as a winter beater (we store nice cars on the tundra during winter to keep the salt and sliding accidents away from them). I pounded the living hell out it for several years ,driving on frozen lakes in deep snow etc. Never missed a beat. Sold it for $100
Moral to the long story? If it ain't broke..don't fix it.

[andyw]

Good points Greggy....but what Crank is trying to do here is get to the truth of the matter as to what the 'knock' is/isn't and what the cause may be...not necessarily have everyone rushing for an engine rebuild.


so everyone, please still submit your details:

...and the details you need to email to Crank are:

a) Engine number
b) Whether the bike is always franchised dealer serviced (non-Suzuki counts as "No")
c) Whether or not you have the knock
d) Optional: Country of purchase
e) Optional: Date of purchase (Month/Year is fine)

This is all above board so please do take the time to email Crank

[Skidz]

Originally Posted by itsmyforte

EXCELLENT POST!!! this has been my thoughts all along. though i don't have the knock so maybe my viewpoint is scewed. quit worrying yourselves, just lok at the stats NOT ONE member of this forum has had an engine seize or just plain peter out on them yet from this "knock".

Appreciate what you said Forte/Greg, but those people who own an SV on this site with this problem deserve answers as well. Sure nothing may come of this but is not worth a try? Having heard a knocking SV (Dave Hobbs) it is quite a worrying sound and I for one would not be too happy with any cock and bull response Suzuki may have as a contingency plan. Definitely something wrong.

We are not talking clutch basket rattle here, If you ever get to hear one, then you would understand Cranks efforts and why it is necessary for Crank to get the info he requires.

[itsmyforte]

Originally Posted by Skidz

Appreciate what you said Forte/Greg, but those people who own an SV on this site with this problem deserve answers as well. Sure nothing may come of this but is not worth a try? Having heard a knocking SV (Dave Hobbs) it is quite a worrying sound and I for one would not be too happy with any cock and bull response Suzuki may have as a contingency plan. Definitely something wrong.

We are not talking clutch basket rattle here, If you ever get to hear one, then you would understand Cranks efforts and why it is necessary for Crank to get the info he requires.

i agree its worth sending info to Crank to see what kind of information arrises. It seems to be a growing problem, but i don't think anyone should take rumors of crank bearing serously until you have seen a blown engine from our members. I guess what i'm trying to say is, don't let the "knock" get to your head and think something catastrophic is going to happen to your SV right away.

[krimax]

I don`t think the concern should be about what happens right away, but what may occur in the long run. Let's just say that this knock issue doesn't cause anything catastrophic, but what is it doing to the motor? I for one want my bike to last for more then 15 or 20 thousand miles. That is why I`m concerned. Sure my engine may not seize up, but I don't wanna be fittin the bill for those kind of repairs down the road. The bike should have been desinged better than that. Just my opinion of the situation.

[Finley]

I agree with the don't worry keep riding approch, as I have just done 750 miles in four days on a trip to Ireland and back, bike ran fine in all conditions from following traffic to traffic light drag racing, to 100mph plus cruising
the only thing that is worrying me is that the vibes on my bike seam to be getting worse and mine does knock with the clutch in when in gear at the lights at idle or just above,
so if there is anything major wrong I would like it sorted before the warranty runs out,
so keep sending the details to crank and he might find a link

[Greggy]

hi

yes i would be more concerned to the engine's longevity if after each oil change each bike has had, had a surprising amount of metal floating in it, ground away by the knocking. another point, if suzuki supplied all new bikes with standard oil and the knocking started straight away because the oil was thinner, would we all worry about it? no, but because after an oil change the new oil allows more noise to escape. so the knock started probably from day one with 0 miles on the odometer. now suzuki says they have made over 300 changes to the sv engine from the tl. do you think that after this much research and engine tests they would allow a potentially damaged engine to be released? the sv1000 is a new bike to them and the last thing they want is cock ups. however, if crank turns round and says the knock comes from a faulty batch or two of engines, then i would probably be more interested, but if each bike that makes this noise is spread evenly over each batch of engines, then i feel it is a characteristic and nothing more. lets face it, if these engines do go bang! suzuki will lose an awful lot of customers and a good part of their reputation. i thrashed mine this morning and all i felt was the feeling of my stomach hitting my back bone as i twisted the throttle all the way!!!!!! good luck to those of you more inquisitive. hope to see you around. if any of you are in the leicester area and want a ride out, let me know.