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Noisy Girl

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pdksh

pdksh

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
307
Location
Ontario
I spent the long winter doing some maintenance on the 1125cr and finally have been out for a few rides.

The bike is a 2009 cr with 22,000KMS, stock muffler, K&N filter

Work done:
- valve lash adjustment
- drilled rotor (300lbs torque and red locktite)
- EBR clutch actuator
- removed solenoid from throttle bodies
- removed Harley wire harness

Bike goes like a scared dog, power wheelies in almost all gears. The onboard voltmeter reports 13.5volts with fans and high beam on. I suspect my battery is toasted but I’m going to re-check my cables/grounds.

This engine is NOISY! I did err to the high end of the valve lash spec. From idle to 5000rpm - clack clack clack. After 5000rpm the wind noise dampens everything out. It’s definitely top end noise and I don’t feel there is any abnormal vibration. I can take a video and I’m going to do the oil check procedure today. I did a new filter and 3 quarts of 30-50w amsoil.

Am I paranoid or should I order an exhaust system to drown out the noise? It took 2 seasons and 3 air cooled Buell’s to get over the racket of the evo 1203cc. But this thing makes my Uly sound like a 125cc Honda
 
Well what ever is going on, it just got much worse. While driving home the bike stalled dead and won’t turn over. The starter just clicks and I get a voltage error on the dash. Just called for a ride. Looks like I’m going to have a crumby long weekend
 
pdksh said:
Well what ever is going on, it just got much worse. While driving home the bike stalled dead and won’t turn over. The starter just clicks and I get a voltage error on the dash. Just called for a ride. Looks like I’m going to have a crumby long weekend
Click to expand...


My CR was noisy, but it wasn't a ticking or clanking sound. It was more of a gear/chain whine noisy.... but no more than a Japanese OHC bike.

So, the $3000 question is.... will it turn over by putting it in (try 5th or 6th) gear and rolling on the ground? If the starter clicks and you are getting a voltage error, it could be just a failed battery....
 
It’s something in the top end. The engine is seized. I took the stator cover off and the stator and charging rotor are fine. I was suspicious that the stator or rotor had come loose.

The rear cam chain appears ok

I suspect a valve or something in the valve train. Time to rotate the motor and tear the valve covers off
 
Your Uly is leaking oil and your 1125 is seized up!
Dang!
You’re having a bad week!
Sorry....

Let us know when you discover the root cause to the possible engine failure
 
Unless you had a piston seize in a bore, I can’t imagine something in the top end causing it to seize.

Dump the oil and check for metal shavings. If it truly did seize, it’s likely the bottom end. Usually when the top end goes, it ends with a bang.

Sorry to hear about this and hoping for the best!
 
Engine isn’t totally seized, I can give the crank a 1/4 turn. I suspect a piston is hitting a bent valve (if I’m lucky)
 
pdksh said:
Engine isn’t totally seized, I can give the crank a 1/4 turn. I suspect a piston is hitting a bent valve (if I’m lucky)
Click to expand...

Ok, so it isn’t actually seized...

Something still doesn’t sound right. You should be able to turn the crank in the opposite direction quite a bit, and move the offending piston back into BDC.

This is probably a good time to look into one of those $20 bore scopes from Amazon and take a peek down the spark plug hole. Or pulling the valve covers should point out the bent valve(s) pretty easily.


I’ll put my money on it being a failed chain tensioner or guide. Which would explain the noise and possibly the reason why the motor won’t rotate, as the overly slack chain is now snagging on something.

https://youtu.be/5B_Y3yUE4Gk
 
Last edited:
fingers crossed...
Haven't torn into the motor yet, still plugging away on the XT. I have found an engine from a 2008 wrecked 1125r for a reasonable price. I'm not concerned with matching serial numbers. Depending what the issue is, I may install the 2008 motor.
 
It's not good. Not good at all!!!

Last night I finally rotated the motor... The first obvious sign that things weren't good on the front cylinder was, one of the intake valves was visibly open when peering down the intake boot. When I removed the front header pipe a pieced of metal, the size of a quarter came out of the exhaust port. Not Good...

With the front cylinder taken apart; valve cover, cam assembly, head and cylinder sleeve. The issue, a valve shim from one of the intake valves was sitting in a recess of the head. I must have done something seriously wrong when doing the valve lash adjustment, something like; too large of a valve clearance, valve shim not properly seated, something. The cam follower arm clips were properly installed.

What parts of the crushed valve that wasn't in the exhaust port was inside the head, not allowing the piston to make clear TDC, that's why I could only make a small rotation of the crank. I suspect the intake valve shim interfered with one of the exhaust valves at 5000+ rpm and POP went my head assembly. The cylinder has damage, the piston is so banged up it has pinched the compression rings, the inside of the head is pretty banged up and there is signs of other bent valves. The engine oil was clean and the oil strainer had mild shavings, I've seen a lot worse come out of a health engine.

I'm negotiating a price for a 2008 1125r motor with 5000KMS according to the owner. I'll be looking for advice on a 2008 to 2009 motor differences/swap.

Oh and be careful when handling the piston... YIKES! I cut a big gash into my thumb, just touching the damn thing. Did Eric personally sharpen those things to discourage the Japanese from snooping around his designs? (Yes Rotax designed the motor to buell specs... blah blah blah...)

094.jpg
095.jpg
096.jpg
 
Last edited:
pdksh said:
It's not good. Not good at all!!!

Last night I finally rotated the motor... The first obvious sign that things weren't good on the front cylinder was, one of the intake valves was visibly open when peering down the intake boot. When I removed the front header pipe a pieced of metal, the size of a quarter came out of the exhaust port. Not Good...

With the front cylinder taken apart; valve cover, cam assembly, head and cylinder sleeve. The issue, a valve shim from one of the intake valves was sitting in a recess of the head. I must have done something seriously wrong when doing the valve lash adjustment, something like; too large of a valve clearance, valve shim not properly seated, something. The cam follower arm clips were properly installed.

What parts of the crushed valve that wasn't in the exhaust port was inside the head, not allowing the piston to make clear TDC, that's why I could only make a small rotation of the crank. I suspect the intake valve shim interfered with one of the exhaust valves at 5000+ rpm and POP went my head assembly. The cylinder has damage, the piston is so banged up it has pinched the compression rings, the inside of the head is pretty banged up and there is signs of other bent valves. The engine oil was clean and the oil strainer had mild shavings, I've seen a lot worse come out of a health engine.

I'm negotiating a price for a 2008 1125r motor with 5000KMS according to the owner. I'll be looking for advice on a 2008 to 2009 motor differences/swap.

Oh and be careful when handling the piston... YIKES! I cut a big gash into my thumb, just touching the damn thing. Did Eric personally sharpen those things to discourage the Japanese from snooping around his designs? (Yes Rotax designed the motor to buell specs... blah blah blah...)
Click to expand...

Sorry to see this. Ugh! On the lighter side, I did see someone on some social media site was parting out an 1125.
 
I have sourced a low mileage motor locally for a fair price. I'm going to pick it up this weekend. My motor has 25,000KMs and I'm buying a crashed bike with 5,000KMs. Ill plug in the ECU and dash, hopefully to confirm the mileage. I plan on swapping the entire motor, I could swap out the front cylinder but for the extra work. I'll probably have to change over my engine side covers, for both the drilled EBR rotor/stator and EBR SS Clutch actuator. Move over the throttle bodies, ejectors and verify the valve lash, I should be good to go. Ill keep you informed.
 

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