Botched 1>2 shift, excursion to redline, now brand-new 'rattle'

[jm1515]

This annoys me, because, perhaps as a result of a lazy shift, I may have broken something on my 04Roadster.
I've been ticked off at myself for the last 2000mi....

Bike is an 04 R with just under 26000mi on the clock, bought new in May 05.

Since ~2000mi ago, I'm hearing this brand new buzzy rattle, best I can describe, coming from the right head or maybe deeper in the engine. I think it started after I botched a 1>2 upshift and took a short excursion to the redline.
At the time I pulled in the clutch and upshifted, and it went into 2nd a little....rough.
It's not particularly loud or ominous-sounding, and it's not there at idle, only past 2300rpm or so. Starts out as a gentle rattle sound, and progresses to a constant buzz as the rpms rise. I thought it was cam chain noise, and you really can't hear it too badly unless you dip your head near the tank.
Pull in the clutch while under load and it quickly goes away, only to return if you twist the throttle.
It's less noticeable if I keep the oil level on the high side in the glass.
Took it to the dealer for most of a 24k service about 1000mi ago, and of course they could not detect anything amiss...only that the valves on the right were 'significantly' looser than the left....so much for my tuneup abilities at 18k... At least my concerns are on record with them....
But I've ridden this baby for over 25k miles in just over 2.5 years and I know I've got a new noise....I'm going back to the dealer in Dec when I'm thru riding and try again.
I have no performance issues with the engine...the R runs great.
The transmission shifts nicely, as long as I preload etc.

The question is what could I have broken....or am i just hearing things??

 

[ALIENHITCHHIKER]

JM, Any chance that he noise is not actually coming from the engine, but from something else? Maybe the oil coolers or their tubing, or the alternator belt cover, or the exhaust, or...

The way you describe it - silent at idle, then a rattle progressing to a buzz as rpms increase - makes me think of a vibrating body panel or frame member or some such thing.

I'd try revving the engine with the bike on the center stand while you stand on either side of it and also directly in front of it. If this reproduces the sound, it might help you localize its source. You could even listen through a tube held to your ear (like a paper towel core) or a stethoscope, which will make localization of the sound more precise. If it sounds like its coming from a particular source, grab it (safety first!) and see what happens.

If your noise does turn out to be coming from the engine, then you are correct to

 

[dlearl476]

A couple of years ago I did some farkling on my F650. I took the fairing off and re-did the wiring the flush mount signals, put on a real horn, and re-did some wire ties that were old, too-tight, or simply in a bad spot. I also mounted a road book holder to my handle bars.
I got it all back together and went for a ride and noticed that somehow I'd cause a buzz that started around 3300 rpm and got louder as the rpms increased. Convinced I'd done something stupid under the fairing and something was now rubbing where it wasn't previously. I ended up taking the fairing off 3 different times to try to locate the source of the buzz. Finally, I gave up and lived with it.
A few months after that, I was pulling away from a gas stop and realized I hadn't reset my trip meter (gas gauge). In the process I leaned my arm against the road book holder and presto, the buzz was gone. All along it had been the scrolling knobs of the Road Book.

My point?

I think it's entirely possible that your tick was always there, and the worry caused by the missed shift made you hear it for the first time. AFAIK, your engine management system has a rev limiter that would keep it from going much above redline. Even then, I'm sure you could ride more than a little ways at, say, 10% above redline (if not for the limiter) without doing any damage. Trust the mechanics.

May I humbly submit that paying for it when and if it ever breaks is a small price to pay compared to needlessly worrying about it while it doesn't.

I don't say this lightly. I have vast experience obsessing over troubling yet imaginary noises in all kinds of mechanical things. From my blender, to my car (don't get me going about the time I revved my 911 to 9,900 rpm downshifting coming down a hill) to the aforementioned road book holder.

 

[godfather]

JM, My 99' RT had a similar "Buzz" at around 3200+ rpm on the left side when I got it last Oct (w/35K on the clock). The dealer could not hear any thing abnormal, so this being my first BMW, I lived with it. Over the course of the past year I learned to do my own 6k and 12k mile maintenance.
I just did the 42,000 mile service and the rocker end play adjustment (the first time for me), and you guessed it...THE BUZZ IS GONE! It is worth a try.

 

[jm1515]

Thanx for the input guys...I may try the rocker end play adjust...I've heard it (can) work wonders.

I'm going to give it a good once over in the garage & see what I can find.

Thanx again.....

 

[flash412]

... took a short excursion to the redline.

I've spent hours and hours at redline. Redline is not a "HERE be dragons" sort of concept. As long as you are at or below redline, you are running the motor within its design parameters. For that matter, there is a safety margin built into the location of the redline. Therefore it can actually be exceeded, SLIGHTLY, without causing damage. If the bike is still running and rideable without any difference in fuel economy, then nothing mechanical has changed. If you went TO the redline, you need to recalibrate your imagination.

 

[jgr451]

Phantom limb pain and things that go bump in the night

I'm no expert but I doubt your missed shift/redline debut did any harm.

 

[GSFORNOW]

Don't they have a rev limiter?

 

[jm1515]

I've spent hours and hours at redline. Redline is not a "HERE be dragons" sort of concept. As long as you are at or below redline, you are running the motor within its design parameters. For that matter, there is a safety margin built into the location of the redline. Therefore it can actually be exceeded, SLIGHTLY, without causing damage. If the bike is still running and rideable without any difference in fuel economy, then nothing mechanical has changed. If you went TO the redline, you need to recalibrate your imagination.

Thanx, flash. I've taken the R up there too...under load, as in 'in gear'.
I'm thinking it can't do any good to be up there in neutral, tho which is where you're sent when you lazy shift.

Hopefully I did no harm.....but I've got a new noise nonetheless.