Motorcycle Repair: 2006 honda vtx, cylinder bikes, v twins

Question
I just purchased a 2006 vtx 1300r with 10,000 miles on her. while im riding the bike and I am giving it throttle I am hearing a rapping sound, it sounds like it is coming from the top left side of the bike,is this a normal sound from a v twin motor, or could it be a stuck valve, or lifter? it has great power and does not smoke at all, but the sound drives me nuts. I really notice it when I give it throttle

Answer
Hi Kevin,

These big v-twins are noisy and partly
the v-twin firing pattern is responsible.
It is an uneven firing pattern that
can sometimes cause clacking noises
in the drive gear slack and even piston
slapping at times. This is all pretty
normal and sounds rough if you have
ridden the smoother inline four cylinder
bikes.

I would suggest having a Honda mechanic ride it
and tell you if it sounds abnormal. Most likely
it is normal big v-twin noises.
The solution for some people are headphones
or louder exhaust pipes to drown out the
noises. Even cars make some noise but
on bikes the noises are amplified.

There are also some engines that use
air valve solenoids that open and close
to pump air into the exhaust for cleaner
burning. These can make some clicking noises.
I am not sure offhand if yours has these.

I have seen these engines rebuilt from the
bottom up and they still rattle, nothing
wrong just the nature of the beast.
Maybe earplugs need to be included with
these bikes these days?

Good luck,
Wayne S.
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