The Yamaha Road Star Warrior Forum

On startup when cold have a noise from the front head. Not a tap or a knock, sounds more like a roller bearing with no grease( I know there isnt a roller bearing in there). Goes away after 15 to 20 seconds. I have a manual and dont see any kind of anti-drain back valve to keep oil in the head.  Bike runs great, and I use Amsoil 20w50 and amsoil filter with only 4000 miles on the oil change. Any ideas? i was gonna just change the oil and see if that makes it go away, but with the Amsoil i was hoping to go a little longer between oil changes.

 How many miles are on the bike? If it's getting cold where you live might want to try a thinner oil. 10w40 perhaps. 

Sounds like a lifter problem to me.  It sounds like the lifter is not getting any oil to it for the first few seconds.  However, you said it in the front head so that leaves lifters out of the question.

kja:

 How many miles are on the bike? If it's getting cold where you live might want to try a thinner oil. 10w40 perhaps. 

 You may be right about running thinnner oil during this time of the year.  I'm sure it's getting pretty cold in New Jersey.  I don't know how the heavier weight synthetic oil reacts to colder weather?  Does it have the same properties as dyno oil with colder weather?

fake:

Sounds like a lifter problem to me.  It sounds like the lifter is not getting any oil to it for the first few seconds.  However, you said it in the front head so that leaves lifters out of the question.

A collapsed lifter will sound from the head.  the pushrod falls and clanks against the rocker when it comes back up.  from what i've been told. 

YFM700R:

fake:

Sounds like a lifter problem to me.  It sounds like the lifter is not getting any oil to it for the first few seconds.  However, you said it in the front head so that leaves lifters out of the question.

A collapsed lifter will sound from the head.  the pushrod falls and clanks against the rocker when it comes back up.  from what i've been told. 

Ya, you're right; I didn't even think about the push rod. (brain fart)

I stand corrected, sounds like a lifter problem to me; like I said in my first post.

 Its got a little over 10,000 miles and it hasnt gotten that cold maybe 45 or 50 degrees. If it were the lifter I would imagine it would tap.

I think you are gonna be ok!

Do you have a big air kit? On our 2 Warriors and my previous one when we first start them we have exactly that happen. I call it a "scritchy"  sound. With the big air kit it is coming through that front small filter. It just takes a bit to get the oil pressure and circulation up to par.

I have put over 70,000 miles on them with this characteristic without issues.

For the record I have had motors apart on occasion for upgrades and it wasn't a lifter issue. It's just that with the stock air boxes etc.,  this normal sound is muffled by that extra equipment.

 I do have the Baron's BAK. I've only had the bike 6 months and love it. It might have been doing it the whole time and I've just been too excited when pulling it out of the garage to notice.Thanks for the input Bruce.

You're welcome man. If you ever have the tank off to clean your filters etc. listen then and you should pinpoint it to that hose/filter/vent.

+1 I agree w/Bruce. 

Plus, just in case, since this bike has a semi-dry-sump oil system, be sure to correctly check your oil level.  You might already know the oil checking method is different than a regular vehicle.  If the oil is low it'll take extra time to pump oil to the front rocker box.

There is a link under 'Oil' in Popular Mods that takes you to a special Yamaha video for checking the oil level.  Forgive me if you already know about this characteristic and this video .