TICK prevention.

Straight out of the gate...I’m no mechanic. I have however, learned a few things most...in my experience are never told....Here’s one. N probably one that drives a lot of riders north of the lower 40 nuts.....You insure your bike for....bout 6 months. The rest of the years weather sucks butt, and you’d rather ( like myself), just skip it.....You hook it up to the battery tender, you put the bike cover over it, and there it sits for months. Next spring you pull it out of storage, n start it up....WTF??. It’s valve ticking so bad that you think there’s damage being done. Some bikes smooth out n stop ticking reasonably quick. Other’s like my VN2000, takes hours...n hours. I’ve literally taken it out on the open highway and run it up to 100 mph to make it stop ticking. Took me several years. Half because (I’m no mechanic), n half because I’m ( clearly an idiot). To figure out what was going on....n here it is... In my completely unprofessional opinion...... engine valve seals are made of an incredible durable substance . It’s measurably variable within temperature, and lubricant saturation. I believe that the seals shrink over a duration of time in an engine( even minutely) if not regularly heated, and subjected to “swelling “. The microbial differential causes “ valve slack “.....ticking . I a changed to a regular schedule of calendar bike starts.....I mark on my calendar ( bike start) every two weeks during storage, to ensure that the valve seals never dry out....I have NEVER had a season starting bike start up ticking problem ever since.

Great advice! I have been fortunate to live in several warm climates since 2011. Even so, when I am deployed or traveling for any length of time I ask friends and family to start all my vehicles at least monthly... but preferably more.
-MIG

MIG said:

Great advice! I have been fortunate to live in several warm climates since 2011. Even so, when I am deployed or traveling for any length of time I ask friends and family to start all my vehicles at least monthly... but preferably more.
-MIG

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You got it MIG. I’m guessing way before I did. Thanks for the reply.

I'm pretty sure the Kawasaki VN2000 is equipped with pushrods and hydraulic lifters which don't require any real valve lash adjustments. I think one or more of your lifters was bleeding down and sticking. Usually hydraulic lifters will bleed down when the engine is shut down and get pumped back up right away with engine oil pressure on start up. If this isn't happening, right away, you could have some contamination (sludge) blocking the oil port (highly unlikely), varnish build up in the lifter causing it to stick, a defective lifter (internal scoring, bad plunger/check valve etc) or dirty oil. I've changed many lifters on automotive engines over the years but it doesn't seem to be a common problem today with better oils and tighter tolerances.

If you can start the bike and let it run several times during our long winters, it doesn't hurt.

Gregger said:

I'm pretty sure the Kawasaki VN2000 is equipped with pushrods and hydraulic lifters which don't require any real valve lash adjustments. I think one or more of your lifters was bleeding down and sticking. Usually hydraulic lifters will bleed down when the engine is shut down and get pumped back up right away with engine oil pressure on start up. If this isn't happening, right away, you could have some contamination (sludge) blocking the oil port (highly unlikely), varnish build up in the lifter causing it to stick, a defective lifter (internal scoring, bad plunger/check valve etc) or dirty oil. I've changed many lifters on automotive engines over the years but it doesn't seem to be a common problem today with better oils and tighter tolerances.

If you can start the bike and let it run several times during our long winters, it doesn't hurt.

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+1

I live in Buffalo NY, so it's plenty cold. Never noticed a ticking in spring, must be specific to your bike/ bikes, and I own a few different makes. On the other hand I get a ride in 12 months a year most years. But I have been leaving them 6 months in Florida, still never noticed

I leave my hondas in the winter without problem, they are in battery charger, fuel stabilizer and start right away every couple of months... I bring the rocket back to Florida every time and keep the pampering here..

Gregger said:

I'm pretty sure the Kawasaki VN2000 is equipped with pushrods and hydraulic lifters which don't require any real valve lash adjustments. I think one or more of your lifters was bleeding down and sticking. Usually hydraulic lifters will bleed down when the engine is shut down and get pumped back up right away with engine oil pressure on start up. If this isn't happening, right away, you could have some contamination (sludge) blocking the oil port (highly unlikely), varnish build up in the lifter causing it to stick, a defective lifter (internal scoring, bad plunger/check valve etc) or dirty oil. I've changed many lifters on automotive engines over the years but it doesn't seem to be a common problem today with better oils and tighter tolerances.

If you can start the bike and let it run several times during our long winters, it doesn't hurt.

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You’re right. The VN2000 does have self adjusting lifters, so I was confused why the bike ticked so bad upon first startups of the year. I start it every couple weeks, and run it until it’s hot. That seems to do the trick. I have no idea how this R3r will store for the winter. I’ll start it regularly as well .

I purge the engine compartment with nitrogen to reduce corrosion. Then, drive it up onto the bed. (Just kidding folks. ) But I do have both heated storage and the opportunity the start the machine during the Winter months. It is an interesting question. As: 90% of engine wear occurs during starts,: there should be little to no moisture in the crankcase if you change the oil prior to storage (recommended); todays material science has produced more resilient elastomerics. (I bought a bike that sat on the dealership floor for more than 4 years., two seasons on the bike without issues. ) The new elastomerics are UV resistant and no longer have a shelf life. Systems are pretty closed for emission control these days, so, what is drying out through what mechanism? I'm not sure whether leaving it sit for the four months with a smart battery tender, or starting it from cold eight times would be more detrimental. P.S. They use more and more fluorocarbons vice nitriles in auto applications. O-Ring Material Chart Rubber Selection Guide Quick Reference

G-Force Junkie said:

I purge the engine compartment with nitrogen to reduce corrosion. Then, drive it up onto the bed. (Just kidding folks. ) But I do have both heated storage and the opportunity the start the machine during the Winter months. It is an interesting question. As: 90% of engine wear occurs during starts,: there should be little to no moisture in the crankcase if you change the oil prior to storage (recommended); todays material science has produced more resilient elastomerics. (I bought a bike that sat on the dealership floor for more than 4 years., two seasons on the bike without issues. ) The new elastomerics are UV resistant and no longer have a shelf life. Systems are pretty closed for emission control these days, so, what is drying out through what mechanism? I'm not sure whether leaving it sit for the four months with a smart battery tender, or starting it from cold eight times would be more detrimental. P.S. They use more and more fluorocarbons vice nitriles in auto applications. O-Ring Material Chart Rubber Selection Guide Quick Reference

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I have no experience with storing a R3r. Anyone getting storage lifter tick on first season start up on your Triumph? Lifter tick is common of Kawasaki Vulcan’s. I had a 1500 VN. It ticked on first season start as well. It didn’t have self adjusting lifters as the VN 2000 does. The tick went away reasonably soon after engine warming occurred. The 2000 is far worse. Perhaps the valve seals don’t shrink? Maybe as someone previously mentioned, the hydraulic lifter could be draining enough over storage time to create the lifter slack? Regularly running the bike during storage prevents lifter bleed ? Seems to work though. I’ve not had tick issue ever since regularly starting it .