What is the Sabre ‘Tick’
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The tick is a reasonably loud sound, like smacking the backs of two spoons together. If you have it you'll know it. Oil starved top-end is mostly the culprit, but a "tappet" has been known to go bad, or from some crap blocking it's little oil passage too. (If you have a new bike CHANGE THE OIL AT 50, 300, and 600 miles.) If you have a persistant tick see the dealer to report it immediately, there is a Honda bulletin about it where they can remove a freeze-plug, and with compressed air, attempt to clear the oil passages in the head as a possible fix. The obstruction hopefully makes it to the oil pan or filter to be removed at the next (immediate) oil change. Some speculation about a gasket hole being several millimeters smaller than the machined oil passage as a possible reason for this condition. It is now being argued (or at least contemplated) that this could be a function of oil pressure regulation (to have a smaller hole in the gasket). My opinion is whether it is a function or not, IT IS a reduced size in a passage and that alone would be a logical place for a foreign object to become lodged. (metal shavings, gasket scraps, manufacturing debris).
Other possible cures:
- Add an oz or two of Seafoam to the crankcase and let it run about 10-15 minutes at idle.
- Run bike at high revs for a few miles on the freeway.