Hi there guys. Newbie here (to the forum, not to oily hands...)

I've just been to look at an XJ900F with 60k miles on it, and the camchain rattles once the engine starts to warm up (two or three minutes), though not when it's cold. My own 900F, with only 25k miles on the clock, has a slight sizzle/rattle once it's full warmed up (10 miles' worth of riding). The factor common to both of them is that they had spent some time standing during their lives.

My thoughts are that the 60k one probably needs a new camchain, and on mine, I'm hoping that it's just a sticky tensioner.

Do these bikes have any history of sticky camchain tensioners, and would 60k miles be about right for a new camchain being needed?

Please help......

BOF (40 years of bodging...)

I expect at those milages that the chain and the tensioners are worn out.

I expect at those milages that the chain and the tensioners are worn out.

Thanks for that, Yoda. I assume you mean that at 60k the chain and tensioner are worn out; I doubt (hope) they wouldn't be at 25k - it's not a Honda.....

BOF

Thanks for that, Yoda. I assume you mean that at 60k the chain and tensioner are worn out; I doubt (hope) they wouldn't be at 25k - it's not a Honda.....

BOF

What's a cam chain? (NC30 owner.)

Thanks for that, Yoda. I assume you mean that at 60k the chain and tensioner are worn out; I doubt (hope) they wouldn't be at 25k - it's not a Honda.....

BOF

By their very nature, as soon as the chain turns, they both wear out!!! If your having a look at the tensioner @25k then make sure you have access to a replacement, just in case.

As an aside, I have always thought that overhead cams are always best driven by bevel gear shaft. Nowadays belts are pretty reliable and silent. Out of the two, I would have low stressed engines running belts and high stressed, high reving running bevel drive.

Agree with you, Yoda, but I got what I got. If you know where I can get a low-mileage shaft-drive tourer with bevel drive cams for £350, let me know!!

And for you, Jinxed: they're like drive chains, only they cost a lot less and last a lot longer and don't need new sprockets....

Thinking about it, though, if the camchain is a bit stretched, maybe I could take a link or two out......

Yeah, all right.

I wish the tensioner was as easy to access as that on my XS850 - a minute's work with an Allen key will have that in my hand! Ah well. It'll have to come off anyway, just to check, but the symptom suggests to me that as it gets really warm, the chain stretches just enough to give a little rattle. Perhaps it will stop on the next click of the ratchet? Perhaps not?

Has any other 900F owner had this small niggle, and did it go away? Do they all do it?

And from the lack of response to the actual original question, can I assume that the 900F does NOT have any known tendency to sticky camchain tensioners, or is it just that not many 900F owners are on here?

BOF

hi BOF i have only had my 900f since april this year and the milage has just reached 20k so not come across this problem yet

do people actually know what there talking about on this site...

22 minutes ago, alex101 said:

do people actually know what there talking about on this site...

better go back 10 years and ask them !