ticking noise

[jchambers]

so yesterday I'd started out on a little trip, got on the highway and pedaled along at 70-75 on the highway for about 40 miles, wife wanted to stop in for a water(we'd not taken any). so parked 15 mins, fired up to take off and heard a metal ticking noise that sounded to be coming for the front head.rev it and it continued. thought about turning back and figured "we'll go to the next exit,stop, and check for it"..we did and no noise. went on the rest of the trip with nothing else..i feel it is a lifter that bled off. what are the thoughts of the rest of the group over this. i don't want to think it'll puke then have to have it towing in for warranty work. the oil was/is full-proper level, i did have the dealer do that first service and i'm only pushing 2.5k miles..first time this happen.
Joel

 

[BluesBelly]

so yesterday I'd started out on a little trip, got on the highway and pedaled along at 70-75 on the highway for about 40 miles, wife wanted to stop in for a water(we'd not taken any). so parked 15 mins, fired up to take off and heard a metal ticking noise that sounded to be coming for the front head.rev it and it continued. thought about turning back and figured "we'll go to the next exit,stop, and check for it"..we did and no noise. went on the rest of the trip with nothing else..i feel it is a lifter that bled off. what are the thoughts of the rest of the group over this. i don't want to think it'll puke then have to have it towing in for warranty work. the oil was/is full-proper level, i did have the dealer do that first service and i'm only pushing 2.5k miles..first time this happen.
Joel

If it is the lifter bleeding down it will repeat itself and then you'll know especially with a cold engine. As you know Lots of things can make a ticking sound from an exhaust leak at the pipe/head gasket to improper cam tensioning. The tick is gone and hard to diagnose when you can't hear it so you don't have much to go on. Your choice at this time is to let it develope and hope it was a one time thing from a noisy antiquated engine design.
What oil are you using and how hot was it that day?

 

[hulkss]

If you are concerned about a Harley motor making ticking noises then you will forever be having an anxiety attack. My motor sounds especially good when I am wearing earplugs and a full coverage helmet.

 

[Aviator5456]

If you are concerned about a Harley motor making ticking noises then you will forever be having an anxiety attack. My motor sounds especially good when I am wearing earplugs and a full coverage helmet.

Amen on that hulkss, I can't stand to have the music turned down, not because I love my music, I just don't want to hear all the strange noises coming from the bike....

 

[jchambers]

it was hot, we're in the hot streak through next week(low 90's with humidity). this wasn't what I'd call normal(but what do i know-first Harley) as it came after a hot restart. i have replaced quite a few lifters on late model gm products, but, what an auto v/6 or v/8 engine sounds like with the lifters well above the crank and what a vtwin with the lifter down near the crank, may sound alot different to me, however, the ticking did sound like some part wasn't getting oil, more metal on metal than a rocker pivoting on a valve( the sewing machine as some describe it). I thought maybe some of you may have heard/had it happen to you. I am paranoid but i don't worry about every noise as most i have had to get use to..i too prefer to wear ear plugs so the small sounds don't get to the ear.. it's under warranty for at least 2yrs so not worried about that. but if it's a precursor for something to come I'd rather take it in than to have it let go on the road and have to deal with that.I can't take it in if i don't have it doing it at that time.
my last ride wasn't the H/D and i never heard anything change no matter how hard or soft i road it( i rode it very hard too)....if it happens again I'll just have to do the phone video, youtube that so someone can hear it with me...oh, the oil is the Harley syn( they put it in for the first service-check my whining post about the 1000 meil(miss spelled) service, while speaking of that, the trans stick was left loose and give me a 500 mile oil smell til I LOOKED and seen there was a leak).