My bike seems to have developed a strange ticking noise.

At first I thought it was cylinder 4 lead or cap jumping to earth on firing.

I stripped it down to see if I could see the spark in my dark garage. Cant see nothing jumping to earth.

But the noise appears to be coming out of the trumpet of the cylinder 4 carb - if I put my hand over the trumpet the noise deadens.

Any ideas - tappets maybe?

Have you checked the exhaust gasket on number four may be blowing slightly which sometimes ticks?

dunkenb wrote:Have you checked the exhaust gasket on number four may be blowing slightly which sometimes ticks?

I would second that, you would swear the noise is tappety, until you find a loose bolt, blowing gasket etc.

Its the exhaust - on the bolt that snapped.

Cant stop it so it will have to carry on ticking. Not taking it apart again.