VF 500 tapping noise

Could it be cam chain tensioners?

 

I would also suggest checking the valve clearances.

 

It's the lifters. oh wait, V-4's dont have lifters. hmmmmm cam chain tensioners, valve clearance out of spec? Check the simple stuff first before delving into the deep interior of the motor. Is the tapping more like a hollow sound?

 

The other thing I thought of, is I had a V4 where one of the valve adjustment nuts backed out and it made an intermittent tapping noise. I didn't get to it quickly enough and that adjustment nut backed all the way off and wrecked things in there. If that's what's going on you'd find it when you check the valves.

Assuming the 500 has screw type adjusters like the bigger Honda V4s of that vintage, you don't need any parts to do the valve adjustment. All the cost is labor, so doing it yourself is free. If the noise is a cam chain tensioner, it would mean you need to replace it, you'll have to order parts. IIRC Honda updated the cam chain tensioners for all these models. You could order the latest cam chain tensioners from Dodge Racing Products, and in fact you could call Dave Dodge and ask him to listen to the noise and he could tell you if you need cam chain tensioners. (704) 892-7961 Always nice to have the parts already in hand before taking things apart. Dave could also tell you what to set the valves to.

You would get to both valves and tensioners in the same way. I assume you have a basic set of metric mechanic's tools, sockets and allen wrenches and whatnot. Do you also have torque wrenches and a feeler gauge set? Do you have a shop manual?

The manual says to pull the alternator cover and use a wrench to turn the motor to line up the timing marks. It tells you to get a gasket set for this. You don't have to do that. Instead, you can put the bike in gear and turn the rear wheel to turn the motor, and you can just look at the cams to see where they are.

 

It sounds like a valve out of adjustment reg. If you want to adjust them yourself, check "The V-4 Pages". There's a good step by step "How to" and its illustrated. Its done on a Sabre, but it should be the same for the 500.

 

I thought of another thing that may make tapping noises.

Some of the other V4s have double walled exhaust headers. Dunno if the babyceptor does, I guess that would be something to find out. Anyway, with age and corrosion the inner pipe in one or more of the exhaust headers, can break loose from the outer pipe, and then when you run the bike, the inner pipe rattles in the outer pipe, and it makes an ominous knocking sound that seems to come from the motor. This is a noise that can be safely ignored; it sounds bad but doesn't hurt anything else.