Strange click noises from below GN250

[Blakomen]

Hey there, I hope this is the right place to ask for help 'bout this:

I own a 2007 Suzuki GN250, and it's just come out from service after a car ran into me (long story) - and it was working perfect.

However, yesterday and today, I've started hearing a strange...clicking, metallic-ish sort of noise from the underside of my bike, which happens when the bike is going. I can't immediately see anything that's loose, but it sounds like something is bouncing around inside some enclosure of some kind. I'm also not 100% that the sound is from the wheels, but because it occurs when I'm travelling (but not stationery), and is unaffected by clutch, etc, i'm guessing it's the wheel...since I can't exactly pop my head under the bike while riding it to have a look :P

so my questions for you excellent people are:

1) does anyone know what this could be?
2) should I take it to service again? (keeping in mind i'm a poor student)

The bike seems to run fine, took it on the motorway and everyhting (although im not sure i should have) but just worried about the noise.

cheerssss

[xwhatsit]

How's the chain? You should only have about 3cm slack in the chain -- and GN250s, being a 250 single, are well-known for shagging their chains pretty quickly.

[Blakomen]

the chain looks ok, it doesnt look loose at all.

i did a little bit more playing around with my bike, got it on the centre stand and spun the rear wheel and it made that noise. seemed to be coming from either the chain or the housing of the chain but i'm not entirely sure.

does a loose chain make noise? (excuse the stupid question ><)

[thehollowmen]

check the inside of each link of the chain, a few have been known to have a bushing split, which is a REAL danger. Make sure all the sproket teeth are there too.

Looking down on top of the chain, you want to see the = signs are all there, and that they aren't just a thin pin or rivet.




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I hope my ascii art is up to the job

[FROSTY]

bring it out to me--Ill check it over for ya

[mrchips]

Put your bike on it's centre stand & spin the front wheel.

If there's clicking from the front wheel could be the speedo cable needs a bit of greese ?

[speedpro]

The late model GNs are made in Chine and have totally crap wheel bearings which are good for about a year of average use. Not unheard of to fail a WOF check at the 1 year mark. Chinese chains are garbage so that would be somethng to look at as well, as has been said.

[Blakomen]

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far, everybody! Indoors-boy like me don't know nothing about all this mechano-stuff :P

so, back onto the centre stand and:

mrchips: i spun the front wheel, no problems, so i dont think its the speedo cable
thehollowmen: I had a look at the chain in detail, as far as I could tell the links between were all ok, and the sprocket looks good too.

the harder/faster i spin the wheel, the more clicking i get, and it gets louder.

so all i know at the moment is that the sound is definitely from the rear wheel region of the bike....i guess i'll ride it back to town and i might take up your offer, Frosty, sent you an email. if anyone can recommend anything else to check (that doesnt require dismantling it), please let me knowww

[Rockbuddy]

if its just come out of a service take it back and say OI whats this clicking noise, it wasnt doing it before, what have you done to my bike please make it right

[thehollowmen]

best of luck, and if you need a workshop manual (1987 but not much has changed) I can post ya it down.

[Blakomen]

lol it was fine after the service, it was finished....a week ago? maybe a little bit more before that

the clicking started yesterday, and is a little bit worse today...

[Squiggles]

Auckland Uni student? If so give me a pm and ill take a look monday in at uni... you're probably looking at the chain or wheelbearings, seeing as it does it while stationary, otherwise i would have said check the exhaust is solidly mounted and intact as well...

Edit: Ah, you wont be able to pm yet... txt 0212685528

[Blakomen]

alrighty, sounds good (since i -do- go to auckland uni =P), i'll give you a txt sometime to see when we can meet up? just like a second opinion (or a better opinion at least) would be helpful so i know that it's really worth taking into shop. cheers!

[MSTRS]

I have heard what you describe when a chain has a sticky link...when that link leaves the front sprocket, because it doesn't freely straighten in line with the rest of the chain, it 'clicks'.
Slowly turn the rear wheel and look at the complete length of the chain as it goes around. If your problem is what I suspect, you will see one set of links sticking up. (or down if you are looking at the lower stretch of chain)

[Sparrowhawk]

My mate's Ginny was doing the same, chain was stretching & had sticky links. We were adjusting it every week, just replaced chain & sprockets on Saturday, clicking gone. That'd be where I'd look.

[Blakomen]

thanks to Squiggle + his friend, we worked out it was the wheel bearings (you could see the seal slightly bulge as you moved it) and i took the poor bike to have them replaced, and now it's running excellent!

thank you again everyone for all your help and insight :D