Hub, bike has 2500 miles on it.
Been noticing for a while now, when start it after sitting overnight (& and its winter time here), there is a metallic clunk in the engine several times whilst warming up. You can feel it knock through the frame. Like something is catching.
Once warmed a bit (say a minute later) it goes away.
Dealer says he hasn't heard of this before.
Any ideas? Doesn't seem like cam chain rattle - which is constant.

You describe it much better than I did Blue.
Yes, only happens when starting engine from stone cold and in cold weather.
Scares the shit out of you when you hear & feel it happen in a new engine....
Hub, hope you are right - just a cold engine & fuel mix combo.

Nearly 6,000k's now and she's still making that catching noise last night (not that cold now).
Think I'll try a different brand of fuel.
Still sounds like its causing damage.

Thanks for the follow up Hub.
As best I can answer your questions (I'm not full bottle on all the techo stuff).....

2008 built ZX1400C9
Engine knock/noise - bike is stationary during fast idle warm up (never ride a stone cold engine).
No mods other than Staintune slip ons.
Been "catching" before and after pipes fitted - no difference.
Always run Mobil 98 Octane unleaded fuel.
Never catches once warmed up (idle dropped back to 1,000 rpm).
The other night road it to training, sat in night air 2.5 hours (say around 55 deg fahrenheit ambient), then catching when I started it. Always running on fast idle warm up when it catches (about 1900 rpm).
It is an instant noise that lasts a fraction of a second and repeats periodically (at random) during warm up. Other night was bad - happened say 6 times whilst running for 2 minutes on fast idle.
When it makes the noise you can feel it through the frame and the revs drop for that fraction of a second. Can see the tacho needle drop just a bit then come back up.
Some may describe the "catching" noise as a fairly loud "pop", but not an exhaust pop like when you back off in 2nd gear.

Not sure, but your earlier comments "cold misfire with a lot of compact fuel that is not atomized" seem to make sense.

Got the bike as summer was starting to end.
As best I can remember it didn't do it in the warmer weather.

Even in winter, if it is left standing, but doesn't cool right down, it won't pop.

Combo of cold night, cold chilled air & fast idle ???

* Last updated by: hercsz on 10/2/2009 @ 7:55 AM *

Thanks hub, duly noted re warm up!
Will do some investigating for air leaks.

i wonder if anyone listens to "hub" and if so, why? i have never heard such a myriad of sensless stupid bullshit in all my years. it's like listening to a patient at a mental hospital. and all the insanely contribed words used to diagnose mechanical or electrical problems happening with other people's bikes is something i find insulting. so here's my advice mr. hub; check yourself into the nearest assylum and tell the nurse that you talk insanity nonstop and you just cannot stop. anyone who is willing to use your unknowledgable rambalings to try to troubleshoot symptoms deserves what they get. a basket case to be parted out on ebay would be my guess. so on behalf of everyone, please shut your yappin' pie hole!

by the way, i would have the throttlebodies syncronized as they can cause the cylinders to fire unevenly. and maybe a new set of spark plugs because if you do short runs and the bike doesn't warmed up good, the computer will run the engine rich when it's not warmed up good which can soot up the spark plugs.

Didn't know that about the richening and plugs when cold.Thanks for the tip there-I always let my bike go through the cold start deal anyway-but that's good to know.Welcome BTW!!!

Did ya get it sorted out Hercz?Like I said before-mine did that exact same thing-early in ownership.But it just stopped doing it-although it didn't do it near as much as yours has.I never had to do anything to it to "fix" it,it just went away after a bit.Hasn't happened again since those first couple of times-27+K miles on mine now.It definitely had me concerned when it first happened.Did not switch fuels.Did not change timing-BUT-you said 98 octane-That's quite high.Wonder if she would do that on 91 or 87,89?I always use 91.And I've got a 4 degree timing advance on mine.Maybe it IS your timing combined with your high octane?Is it possible your timing at the high idle cold start operation could be fluctuating somehow during that cycle?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/15/2009 @ 9:06 PM *

Sure its not the cam chain? It will only rattle at start-up till it is pressurised. I had a mod done and mine is dead quiet. That chain can make a scary noise sometimes. If it was anything else mechanical, I think you would have seen the holes by now!!!

Nah Harley-I can probably safely say it's not the cam chain-I had that going on as well-fixed it with the APE manual tensioner.No-this "hiccup"that Hercz is talkin about is quite unnerving if you've never heard it.Almost like something INSIDE the engine is catching and cracking-feel it through the whole bike.But it's so quick that it's hard to think it could actually be the engine "shutting off" for just a microsecond-but that's what it feels like!!!Or something metal catching on something in there....with the accompanying "crack".ONLY occurred on mine in first COLD(temperature)startup of the day.NEVER when it was warmed up or ridden.Scared the SH%& outta me first time I heard it."That DOESN"T sound right?What the hell was that?"Looked around my bike to see if it was leakin oil or something.Afraid to leave it running on it's kickstand-sucker might jump into gear.That's what I was thinkin!Then one day I just noticed-it wasn't and hadn't happened for a while.That was it.I still think it was parts in there-maybe the clutch basket or somethin,hitting something or not mating correctly for just a split second.Maybe it WAS a misfire?But it certainly was pronounced for just "not firing" if that's what it was.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/15/2009 @ 8:56 PM *

Blue, hope its nothing serious. With my fairings off, my bike also makes some 'what the heck was that' noises but nothing has exploded, yet. Quiet(er) with fairings on. The clutch basket clatters like a demon when the bike is hot, but that is standard, I suppose. Both of mine have done it. 06 and 07. Quick solution: Kawasaki should put a sticker on the tank: Put helmet on before starting motorcycle in case for incorrect noise at startup!!!. Ya ha. Cheers.

Engine noise-valves-cam chain-clutch basket.Transmission.Lots of stuff going on in there.Long as she's not knocking or anything like that,I don't worry anymore.Runs very strong and smooth.I guess after a while you start noticing things differently.What may have been there all along,suddenly,you notice it and it sounds "strange".I still say that my engine did not fully break in at the 1000 mile mark.As it went along,it got better and better.As your confidence increases,so does your riding style,which probably puts even more demands on the engine that weren't happening previously.That's my guess.But ya-that "hiccup" definitely wasn't "normal".I'm pretty sure of that.Having fun in South Africa there Harley?Sounds like a great place to ride.I noticed as well,as the oil cycles through it's useful life,noises occur that sometimes aren't "there" when the oil's fresh.And my shifting feel changes as well.I can usually tell when it's time to change oil-she definitely runs "different".Not bad,just different.

Fantastic place to ride. Can do maximum speeds in lotsa places without worrying about the man. But very different from area to area. Yeah, a great country. I live in Cape Town and traffic is a bit of a problem, but thats y I like riding long distance.

Hey Blue
Great to hear from you again.
Your earlier posts got deleted some how!

Where's "ask hub" gone ???

Bikes only done the catching shit once since my last post on this topic.
That time it was a warmer night - who knows?

Definitely 100% not clutch (that noise is there to - after she's warmed up) or timing chain (had that on other bikes).
I think hubs on the right track re fuel/air.

Any way, she still pulls like a train and most other bikes look me over at the lights then don't even try - BASTARDS !!!
Spoils all your fun

Got a real blast out of watching Casey Stoner win at Phillip Island the other week.
Just made me go out and ride the local hills and scare the shit out of the 4 wheel motorists; then cruise home...

Ya-hadn't heard from ya for a while-wondered if that all worked out.Sounds like it's "going away"-like mine did."scare the shit outta the 4 wheel motorists"-another "Mad Max" there?WoHooooo!!Hub took off.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/29/2009 @ 7:39 AM *

It seems a lot of guys want to read my ramblings.

You got that right... -bg