Till someone more seasoned replies, I can tell you the general consensus is that sv's are noisy, but I'm guessing that won't be a satisfactory answer if you just now started to notice this. what have you done / changed on the bike lately? how long have you been riding this bike? I'm guessing long enough to rule out this being a pre-existing condition?

 

This is the 3rd season I've been riding this bike. I bought it brand new, with 0 kilometers on it. Every kilometer on this bike has been from me.

This rattling/ticking sound has been like this a few weeks. Other than oil change, nothing significant has changed on the bike.

 

idle sounds a bit too rough for a newish bike with standard exhaust.

 

what oil did you use for the change? I hear, some oils fair better than others, and can even make it run more quiet.

 

Honestly, not 100% sure by any means... but when's the last time the throttle bodies were synced? To me, it sounds like a) your idle is slow b) your throttle bodies are out of whack, causing a bit of knock thanks to unbalanced cylinder power.

The rattle doesn't disappear as idle speed increases, that usually tells you if the ccts are the culprit.

Have you checked your valve clearances yet? I know you're not due yet, but stranger things have happened. For peace of mind, I would also pull the tensioners off the bike and check they are functioning properly.

 

I used 10w40 Honda motor oil. I just happened to be a Honda dealership when I bought my oil.

I have never synced my throttle bodies, I'm not even sure what that means. My bike idles around 1300 rpm. I haven't checked the value clearences yet.

I don't really trust myself with these mechanical issues, so I'll either have to find someone who knows what they are doing so they can teach me, or bring it to a professional.

 

I have a similar issues on my 2006 SV650N. It's been going on for a while though not as bad as yours. It follows the revs for me so I believe it's the valves as it sounds like the valve ticking I had on my BMW 330.

 

First the most obvious choice, check the oil level.

I don't think the TB's would cause that, however a TB sync wouldn't hurt and is pretty easy to do on these bikes. Following the TB sync if the noise is still present I would check the lifters.

 

Oil level is fine. I did an oil changed right before this video was taken to see if it would make a difference. It didn't.

 

Does it seem to change the way the bike rides? Like, any flat spots as you run through the rev range? Feel extra vibes through the bars?

My bike always makes noise, but I've gotten used to it. Keep in mind, even with 12k miles the motor is still changing. "Break in" might be over, but that's still a pretty fresh motor. If you are worried about it, take it to a shop and get them to just take a listen. I wager you could find a mechanic that won't charge. They usually have those stethascope things with the metal stick that lets you listen really close to any part of the motor without taking anything apart.

Or you can grab a broom stick, put it against the heads and put your ear on the other end. Problem is, if you haven't done this before you won't really know what to listen for, but it works pretty well and might give you more information.

 

As far as I can tell, no change in how the bike drives. I brought it to a reputable motorcycle mechanic in my city, and he took a listen, and took it for a quick rip around the block. He determined it was fine.

 

Probably okay then, but I know it always sucks when a motor starts making a noise you aren't familiar with.

 

My "guess" would be "cam chain tensioner".