Knocking on engine when hot

[Pembo]

Hi, I have a 2014 v strom 1000 and after having the first 600 mile service the engine has a knocking noise when hot, you can not hear the noise when running on the road only when stationery, if you put it into gear and load the engine it goes, I have taken it to two dealers and they say it's normal but don't know what it is.
I love the bike, brakes, handling, comfort, power all good but this knocking is putting me off the bike and I am getting nowhere with the dealer or Suzuki customer service.
I have had BMW,s for the last 10 years and had problems but they were always put right, not shrugged off!!.
Does anyone else have same problem?

[Jacko]

Idle hammer.

[bosnjo]

This problem is being largely discussed on US forum, with many members with the problem same as yours. I'll see what mine does after first service.

[Pembo]

Hi you can detect this knock upto 3000 revs when the noise of the engine drownds it out,
Suzuki knows about it but can not tell me what it is, I find this very strange, If they said we are looking into it and will let you know in due course I would feel a little more confident with Suzuki. Not Happy!!

[Bobstar222]

Mine did it and I put 6000 miles on it in 4 months with no problems at all I wouldn't worry about it to much and enjoy.

[Juvecu]

I wouldn't worry about it too much either, unless you're keeping it for very long it'll be the next owner's problem, or the one after that, or after that... You get the idea, there might be no problem at all.

I recall the old SV having a similar issue, it was related to crank journal bearing clearances together with several other factors that have to be present at the same time to culminate into the knock.

Sometimes something as simple as using thicker oil could help, I can recommend Silkoline Comp 4 20W-50, it's an ester based fully synthetic. It's good stuff, my bike is on 106k miles and it's never had any work done to the engine other than valve clearance adjustments. A major chunk of the mileage was done on this oil with increased service intervals, sometimes double the service interval. I still use it on longer trips.

[Pembo]

Thanks for your replies I will try Silkoline thicker oil, and keep you posted.

[doboy]

I took a test ride the other week and that bike was also knocking like the clappers ...not a good advert for Suzuki is it ?...this could have a massive effect on sales unless Suzuki sort it out quickly ...

[ziggy]

I took a test ride the other week and that bike was also knocking like the clappers ...not a good advert for Suzuki is it ?...this could have a massive effect on sales unless Suzuki sort it out quickly ...

Only if its anything more than an audio problem. Mine seems to be reducing or I am becoming even less concerned about it? After all, regardless of any moans, it is an infinitely better motorcycle than those that have gone before.

Ride more, whinge less.

Nicely said fully agree.  

[Roadrocket]

totally agree Ziggy. Mine too is actually getting quieter on tick over. Very smooth through the rev range with no mechanical noise on light or mild acceleration.

Brilliant bike. I just want to ride it more and more

[vstrompaul]

Notice a little knock on mine now but I am not going to worry about it, my zzr1400 used to rattle like buggery when first started from cold and as for the gearbox on the so called worlds best bike.........GS1200 less said the better , I am enjoying my new vstrom as its such a pleasant bike.

[Pembo]

Hi I have changed the oil to silkoline 15 50 but it still knocks when hot, maybe not quite as bad because I can not hear it untill I take my helmet off,Have done 1800 miles now and love the bike, did over 400 miles last wednesday and it is very comfy and very good on fuel over 60 mpg ever time.
Maybe this knocking is normal but it did not do it before the first service.

[ziggy]

I just consider it a characteristic of the bike all engines have their own sounds. We had a SV 1000 back in 2003 and as been stated these were considered to have a fault with a knock which at tick over and this was put down to the crank main bearing on the drive side. This was not detrimental and at the time my dealer offered to take the motor down to show me that all was OK. I did not take him up on his offer as I trust what he said.

My DL has a noise which is characteristic the moment the bike starts to move away the noise disappears.

Just listen to various bikes how many have a whine or other noises listen to a Triumph they sound different but do not have a problem.

In my opinion there is not a problem.

 

[Gassoon]

...maybe not quite as bad because I can not hear it until I take my helmet off...

Also, if you aren't already, wear earplugs - you might completely solve the 'problem' to your satisfaction!


Having become used to riding 4-cylinder bikes the 650 strom sounded like a bag of hammers (with a few chisels thrown in) to me at first. If it didn't have a 3.5k service interval I'd be changing the oil with at least that frequency anyway, to keep the noise down! And yet everything is okay with it - the engines go for thousands of miles like that.
I started wearing earplugs (Juvecu and others persuaded me to try them) and my unease vanished overnight!

[tallpaul]

Perhaps the running-in oil is a different viscosity?

[doboy]

yes I've been looking at this idle hammer  around different websites & it nearly always appears just after the first service ? ?

[Jacko]

Perhaps the running-in oil is a different viscosity?

Apparently it's not a traditional oil, it's some sort of running in compound, I have no reason to believe otherwise. The dealer I bought the bike from told me this.

[doboy]

It would be interesting to hear from someone who changed there oil early , say at 300mls against another who left there oil change till after 600mls to see how they compare.

[Brockett]

I have never owned a bike that was as clatter free riding it, as it was, passing me by.
For years I thought I was the unlucky bloke that had "the duff one".
I was so disturbed by the top end racket and gearbox backlash on my Honda  NTV that I took it back to the dealer three times and eventually sold it. Looking back it was a characteristic and not a fault. Decent ear plugs would have softened it down.

My old SD1 Rover (bought with 30k miles on the clock had a whine from the back axle. A friend suggested a thicker boot carpet and turn the radio up. At 90k miles the whine was still there and no worse.

My Kawasaki SX has a "resonating" baffle in the air filter chamber and while 'they' say it gives a satisfying roar, it also masks some, but not all, the mechanical clatter from the engine.

I understand your concern but I would not use a different oil and I would ride the bike as you normally would and then, if there is a real problem with the engine, your supplier can deal with it under warranty. If you use different lubrication than that which Suzuki recommend it may provide them with a "get out of gaol" free card.

[Juvecu]

There's more than one recommended oil for V-Stroms and probably for most bikes from most manufacturers. The outside temperature plays a part in picking the right oil. For example, the owners manual for the 2nd generation Wee (the K7+) recommends 20W-50 (2.5) in temperatures from -10 to 40+ degrees C.

Other oils recommended in the same manual.
15W-40 (2.67)
15W-50 (3.33)
10W-40 (4)
10W-50 (5)
10W-30 (3)

All these are for different temp ranges.

For interest's sake, the numbers in the brackets is what I put there to show the ratio of the min and max viscosity of each multi-grade oil. The higher the ratio the more multi-grading additives your oil needs, the less real % oil you have (it's a bit more complicated than this, but it's a good indication.) This is why I use 20W-50 myself and why I recommend it. It covers the temperature range that I'd use the bike in, has the lowest ratio of them all and the slightly thicker oil runs quieter in my old Wee.