Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!

[Valkorado]

Out on a rural joyride today with Cheeto blasting great tunes and enjoying the cool mountain temps, up and over Cochetopa Pass lickety split when I hear something.  Turn down the volume and what I was hearing was enough to make me wanna pull over asap, which I did at the first opportunity.  Strong running bike.  Recent Earl change.  Recent vac plug changeout and Digi-Sync.  Recent intake runner change.  I wasn't pushing her over the pass that hard, was I?  Start 'er up again.  TICK, TICK, TICK.  Oh, crap!  Sprouted a few new gray hairs.  Checked for cell reception to upload a short video here.  Nada.  Hmmm.  Do we risk riding home from around 70 miles out?  Try to ride on in to the next one dog town?  Hitchhike?  Get to the nearest farmhouse and call a tow truck, have the bike delivered to a $hop for diagno$i$?  I decide to ride up the road solo a ways to see if the engine even pulls.  Hmmm.  It does run.  Pretty good.  Seems to be hitting on all six. But that TICK.  Oh, well.  Off we go...

Sounds kinda like an ailing Harley on the way home.  Fun factor gave way to fear factor.  No pushing the twisties, no blasting up passes, no RV passing.  Less throttle, less TICK!  Less TICK, less damage...  

Back at home, video goes to a highly trusted Valk guru.  One listen and, "That's your (desmog) freeze plug".  Pulled off the pod and valance as instructed and sure enough, there sat the plug, mocking me.  Mixed up a batch of JB Weld and tapped it back in.  Should make for a much better riding day tomorrow!

Just something to consider if ya think, like I did, that you've blown your engine to kingdom come and you can't figure out why.  You may have only blown out a 50 cent freeze plug.

Life is good.  Again.

[Forge]

Glad it was a simple fix.

[DGS65]

At least it was a happy ending!

[Jess from VA]

The last tick-tick-tick I heard was very hard to identify.  It was pretty quiet, and mostly at slow speed.

I can't find it..... but pushing my bike up the driveway, there it was again.

A pebble stuck in my tire tread.   Probably the easiest fix I ever had.   

[Harryc]

Just diagnosed a ticking sound at idle this morning....exhaust gasket.

[Valkorado]

Just diagnosed a ticking sound at idle this morning....exhaust gasket.

Header bolts were my first thought, been there done that.  But this tick was more obnoxious, was almost thinking valves.  I only had a small tool kit, but had the #10 socket and extension to check them.  I was disheartened to find them all snug.  I didn't even think of checking freeze plugs, but wouldn't have even been able to get under the valance because I didn't bring my allen wrenches.

So, even if it's rare I'll be carrying my bigger tool kit, a small JB Weld travel kit, and some spare freeze plugs along with my emergency stuff like kickstand bolt and spring, etc.  If I never need 'em, someone else might.

[SPOFF]

I had a mystery sound on my KLR this week. After changing the tire the rear tire was going "thump, thump, thump." Then it went flat. After demounting, one of my 5-inch tire irons was inside the tire! (I wondered where it had gone.)

[..]

I had a mystery sound on my KLR this week. After changing the tire the rear tire was going "thump, thump, thump." Then it went flat. After demounting, one of my 5-inch tire irons was inside the tire! (I wondered where it had gone.)

[Valkorado]

I had a mystery sound on my KLR this week. After changing the tire the rear tire was going "thump, thump, thump." Then it went flat. After demounting, one of my 5-inch tire irons was inside the tire! (I wondered where it had gone.)

Yeah.  Holy cow!  Thanks for sharing that one!

[Bighead]

I had a mystery sound on my KLR this week. After changing the tire the rear tire was going "thump, thump, thump." Then it went flat. After demounting, one of my 5-inch tire irons was inside the tire! (I wondered where it had gone.)

Yeah.  Holy cow!  Thanks for sharing that one!

I think I might have kept that one to myself

[Jess from VA]

Remind me not to let you remove my appendix.   

[Dr K]

I am missing a 13mm 1/2 drive socket wasn't in there also was it