Hi, I just recently bought a used Bayou 300 4x4 and this thing is awsome, it's never been abused or run hard, the little old man that had it took it to the dealer for regular oil changes, valve adjustments, etc...it runs like a top, BUT it has a ticking noise coming from the engine. It usually has to warm up before it becomes noticable, and even then it's not seriously loud. I was just wondering if this is a common quirk with kawasaki atv's or is it a prelude to something serious. It almost sounds like piston slap, but i know that this motor has never been bored out, SO could a piston wear a cylinder out enough to slap, but not wear the rings out? b/c this bike runs great, no smoke, and lots of compression. Any insight or opinions on this are welcome, thanks.

Tim

 

What's the valve clearance now?

 

i checked valve clearance yesterday and they were within spec- .0059-.0079 intake, .0071-.0091 exhaust, mine were right in the middle for both, also the cam chain is tight. i believe the noise is coming from either the bottom of the cylinder jug or the clutch cover towards the front. I tried the old screwdriver to the ear trick, but i still can't pinpoint where the sound is located exactly. I've heard that this "ticking" noise is common for kawasaki's but i've never heard another kawi atv run for comparison. it's not an obnoxious noise, just irritating. i just want to make sure nothing serious (or potentially expensive) is going on.

 

Get mechanis's steth scope that's only about $5 from Harbor Freight to pinpoint the source of the noise.

If it is the right side lower part of the engine, they it might be the loose rivets on the centrifugal clutch hub. If that's the case, it won't do any damage. It's just annoying.

 

so are loose rivets easy to fix or would i have to buy a new clutch hub?

 

You can try hammering on the rivets to tighten up a bit, but I am not 100% sure because myself has not tried so. Just an idea. You have to remove the clutch hub from the quad to do that obviously. But why replace if it would not do any damage.

 

yeah, that's what i figured use a hammer to tighten, i also thought about putting a tack on each rivet with a welder to keep them from rattling. To answer your question as to why would i bother if it doesn't cause any damage, well i guess i am just **** retentive and a little OCD..lol Thanks for the help, i appreciate it.

Tim

 

what ATV's have you heard run before that you are familiar with? I have noticed that hondas and suzukis sound different than kawasakis in general. the kawis do make a distince noiseat about mid to high rpm range. at least thats what my conclusions are after riding for a dozen hours or so on a 96 bayou 300 4x4, 04 pairie 400 4x4, and my 05 and 06 bayou 250's.

 

well i have rebuilt and restored plenty of honda 3 wheelers and a couple of yamaha 3 wheelers, in fact the last ytm i did had the exact same sound as this one, except alot more amplified and it was a bad bore job with too much piston to cylinder clearance and i could place a long screwdriver at the base of the cylinder and hear the slapping. i know that this machine is all original and has never been rebuilt, and as stated in my above post i can't pinpoint the location of this ticking. i have tried listening all around the cylinder base on this bike and it sounds fine. i stopped by the kawi dealer today to pickup a clutch cover gasket so i could check the clutches tomorrow and the mechanic said that the clutches are a known common source of engine noise when they wear out, so im hoping that's my problem.

oh also this sound is always present no matter what rpm, w/load and without.

 

I've seen a brand new clutch hub just came out of box having loose rivets. I don't think nor recommend you would do that but if you ever gonna get a new part, inspect it first!