The Tick: FJR1300 exhaust valve guide wear

This section contains articles about The Tick, a degenerative condition that afflicts perhaps 1% to 7% of Yamaha FJR1300 motorcycles from (at least) model years 2001-2005.

Important note:
2006 and newer FJR's do not have this problem!
This is about "Gen 1" FJR's, not "Gen 2."

The chief symptom is an audible ticking sound that gets louder and more prominent as the problem worsens. It results in reduced power and in unburned oil getting into the exhaust system, which damages the catalytic converter and ultimately starts coming out the backs of the mufflers.

Update August 2006: somebody at the Butt Lite IIII captured the tick on video and audio! See the link below.

Yamaha FJR1300 ticking - quick summary
Yamaha's Advice for Ticker Owners
The Yamaha FJR1300 "Ticker" Problem in Depth
Diagnosing a ticking FJR1300
FJR1300 Ticking Audio Clip

This page was last edited September 17, 2008.