Skyway, I thought mine had started ticking again and it turned out that it needed a valve adjustment. Mine started ticking at ~3500 miles after the head swap.
And although it was the #1 exhaust valve that was making the most noise and mimicing the tick in every way, the valve adjustment took care of it.
I thought the clearance was waaayyy out but the replacement shim was only the next size up. I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't take a lot of clearance to make a lot of noise and you don't get the factory shims in a field replacement, you get the field shims. So instead of getting shims in.01mm increments you get shims in .05 increments.
Now in my "glass half full but was dirty when they poured your drink" way, Whose to say the same thing responsible for the tick isn't the same thing responsible for the valve clearence needeing adjustment. I certainly didn't put enough miles on this summer to really find out, but as far as I can tell it hasn't gotten worse since the adjustment, and you KNOW I have been listening.
More noise from the valve trane when hot as compared to my 03 valves but I attributed that to the harder valves. Smooth and quiet when cold with none of the peck....peck peck...peck.....at idle and no pronounced tickticktick when hot. Yet.
I do completely understand anyones "loss of confidence" though. I've gotten to the point that I only "listen" for it once every 4 or 5 rides because part of me doesn't want to know if its coming back and wondering if today will be the day it starts ticking again really does suck all of the enjoyment out of it.
But I digress. I'll let someone else start the support group for tickers Or gee maybe that should be its own section.
