[Grant Borden]

This is my first RE and also the only one I have ever heard running. When I picked up my bike at the dealer I did not have time to ride it except in the mall parking lot because they did not have it ready when I arrived, everything checked out loaded it traveled home arriving following day. Off loaded bike started it, was amazed at how quite it was with stock exhaust much louder than the engine. Went for a 6 mile ride for fuel, after returning home I noticed the engine was very loud, much louder than the stock exhaust, at least ten times louder than the exhaust, called dealer, tech said it was normal that loud valves saves lives, I asked why valve would be so loud with hydraulic lifters in it. He stated it is this normal, is it normal? Other wise I'm happy with it.

Just up-graded parking lamps to LED's, lubed cables with Dri-Slide, what a difference that made for clutch and throttle pull.

I have ridden it for about 450 miles to date

[suitcasejefferson]

Hydraulic valves should have zero lash, and be very quiet. My Kawasaki Vulcan 750 has hydraulic lifters, and is liquid cooled. The engine is very quiet. A bit too quiet for me. An engine is a machine, and IMO machines are supposed to make noise. My RE is a noisy bike, both mechanically and exhaust wise, even with the stock exhaust. I was actually surprised that the stock EPA exhaust was as loud as it is. The engine also makes the appropriate noises. These noises come not only from moving parts, but from vibration. Being a long stroke single, it shakes (something else I think a motorcycle should do) It is also a rigidly mounted engine used as a stressed member. This causes the whole bike to resonate. Overall I find both the sound and feel quite pleasing. If you have been riding Japanese bikes, the RE is completely different, and IMO, in a good way. But, if you are concerned that there may be a problem, I would actually take it back to the dealer and let them listen to it. Noise from an Enfield is normal, unfortunately so are problems.

[Grant Borden]

suitcasejefferson, Thanks for your input. I have several bikes including a 4 valve Moto Guzzi. The Guzzi valves are very loud all the time, the RE is quite when first started , after warming up and ridden 4 or 5 miles it is louder than the Guzzi. I may ride to the dealer which is about 250 secondary road miles away after the weekend.

[Ducati Scotty]

I've probably heard 30 or more UCE engines running.  One and only one was ghostly quiet.  The rest were all ticky-ticky while running, some more than others.  Keep in mind that this is an air cooled engine.  Tolerances on everything have to be looser because it goes through huge temperature changes while operating.  Water cooled engines operate in a much narrower and more controlled range.  Also, the water damps some of the noise. 

Scott

[suitcasejefferson]

suitcasejefferson, Thanks for your input. I have several bikes including a 4 valve Moto Guzzi. The Guzzi valves are very loud all the time, the RE is quite when first started , after warming up and ridden 4 or 5 miles it is louder than the Guzzi. I may ride to the dealer which is about 250 secondary road miles away after the weekend.

I have also noticed it is a bit noisier when warmed up (which here in AZ means HOT) I believe this is caused by 2 things. Certain clearances change (though most clearances get tighter when warm, that is not always the case), the other is the oil thins out. I use 20w50 oil, it is fairly thick when I put it in, but is like water when drained out of a hot engine. I would go with an even heavier oil, but I'm afraid of damaging the engine when it is cold. In any engine, oil is supposed to provide damping between moving parts. Metal should never touch metal. Straight 60 weight definitely quieted the original never been apart engine in my '64 Ford, and reduced oil burning as well. But I don't recommend using it in the Enfield.

[Arizoni]

Grant:
I hope you've checked the oil level in the sight guage.

As was mentioned, the tick tick tick sounds are pretty normal for a RE but a loud CLAT, CLAT, CLAT metal on metal sound of hydraulic valve lifters that aren't pumped up is not.
If there isn't enough oil in the tank, it will keep the oil pump from pumping up the valve lifters.

With over 450 miles on it and with at least one oil change at 300 miles, the oil level should be all right.  If it was a real problem, it probably wouldn't have made it that far.

[Kevin Mahoney]

It is way too early to start diagnosing trouble. Ones man noise is another mans music.

Two sources of noise in those engines that are common. Neither are fatal or really even harmful.
1. Decompressor - sounds like a ball bearing getting kicked around inside the engine case. Very unnerving, does no harm, goes away with RPM's. Cure, either get a louder muffler or raise your idle which is probably below the spec.

2. Cam gear lash. This can manifest itself by sounding like a stuck lifter usually worse when hot. It is not intuitive that this is the problem but it is. Very simple to adjust. This is a normal maintenance item if you look in your book.

As long as you have oil in it (20w50 is fine in Phoenix) it should be fine. You are getting close to time for the first service anyway

[dan0h]

"1. Decompressor - sounds like a ball bearing getting kicked around inside the engine case..."

Thats the best description I've ever heard for a noisy RE decomp - that is EXACTLY what it sounds like! Good work!

[Grant Borden]

Thanks Kevin.

The loudness is not something new, it was noticed at the end of my first ride on the road. I have owned many different makes of bikes over the past 54+ years of riding and accumulating more than 500k miles on bikes in the process. This is the only RE I have ever heard running, and the first Royal Enfield I've owned, I'm unfamiliar with the various RE quirks, this is the only RE I have ever heard running.

I changed the oil and filter at 283 miles with synthetic motorcycle oil filling to center of sight glass and I  am keeping a watchful eye on the oil level. 

I do hear the Decompressor when engine is first started and it goes away using by-starter and after properly warmed up. It my be the cam gear lash as it becomes loud only when the engine is hot, say after riding a 4 or 5 miles. I will check the book and make adjustments if needed.

[Grant Borden]

I looked through my owners manual (I did not receive any other manual with the bike) without success for the Cam gear lash adjustment. Is there another manual I need?

[decker]

Hope this helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2hCvyMQ7Y

[JVS]

If the sound got "ten times" louder, I would suggest that you check the exhaust header pipe nuts for tightness at the engine and similarly the bolts on the exhaust and its heatshield. Remember not to overtighten the header pipe nuts; and tighten them evenly. It can also be that the internal baffle or converter has gone loose and escaped through the muffler whilst you were riding, and the noise has got louder. But this seems unlikely. Or the loose baffle/converter parts are just trapped inside and are rattling. There can be a range of reasons causing the excessive sound.

These engines have a common tick tick noise when running. Maybe you got more attuned to your machine than ever before. If possible, you may want to record a video or audio clip of the bike running, upload it to YouTube or a similar website and post it here. With only 450 miles on it, you shouldn't be worrying about 'cam backlash' at this stage at all. Unless of course, the sound is quite different from what a normal UCE is supposed to sound like. So a video/audio clip would give us a more clear understanding of what you mean 

[Grant Borden]

Decker,

After viewing the video it is a simple procedure, I need to return it to my dealer, being a new bike that adjustment is warranty work in my opinion.

JVs,

I checked the exhaust first thing, no leaks. I will record the engine running both cold and hot for comparison.

The loudness may be normal as my dealer's tech said in his quote of "loud valves save lives".

[suitcasejefferson]

I doubt it is cam gear lash on a brand new bike. Also, that tends to change slowly over a long period of time, not all at once. If your engine started out quiet, then suddenly got much louder, something happened real quick. It would not be normal wear. To me the Enfield sounds and feels like a motorcycle should. Japanese bikes sound like sewing machines, and have virtually no feel at all. I still recommend taking the bike to the dealer. If there is a problem, it should be dealt with as soon as possible.

[FastDoc]

I am lucky because I got to ride 4 UCE Enfields before I bought mine so I know what 'normal' sounds like for them. If it were no for that experience, I'd have thought that sometimes mine makes too much mechanical noise.