What grade/brand of gas and location?
Engine knock?
Hot day today with my 2021 DCT.
Normally I'm very gentle on the throttle but I had to give it some medium high throttle to scoot away from a traffic situation.
Major detonation knocking heard from the engine occurred, which has never happened before in my 1k miles of ownership so far.
Anyone know, does this motor have a knock sensor so it won't grenade or melt itself?
Normally I'm very gentle on the throttle but I had to give it some medium high throttle to scoot away from a traffic situation.
Major detonation knocking heard from the engine occurred, which has never happened before in my 1k miles of ownership so far.
Anyone know, does this motor have a knock sensor so it won't grenade or melt itself?
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
More likely it was the traction control.
It definitely was not traction control and it definitely was engine knock/detonation.
BP 87.
So anyone know if a knock sensor is in use on the newer bikes?
BP 87.
So anyone know if a knock sensor is in use on the newer bikes?
I cannot find a knock sensor in either the service manual or wiring diagrams. Looks like it’s not equipped with one.Hot day today with my 2021 DCT.
Normally I'm very gentle on the throttle but I had to give it some medium high throttle to scoot away from a traffic situation.
Major detonation knocking heard from the engine occurred, which has never happened before in my 1k miles of ownership so far.
Anyone know, does this motor have a knock sensor so it won't grenade or melt itself?
Much thanks for looking!
Looks like I'll need to force a downshift or go harder on the throttle so it automatically downshifts instead of lugging the engine.
Yeah, premium fuel is an option but not worth it 98% of the time IMO.
Looks like I'll need to force a downshift or go harder on the throttle so it automatically downshifts instead of lugging the engine.
Yeah, premium fuel is an option but not worth it 98% of the time IMO.
The Africa Twin engine does not required anything above regular octane fuel. Like its other non-high performance models, the lump is engineered and optimized to consume regular octane.
Were you in stop-n-go traffic or mostly traveling less than 35mph in this heat you mention? Were your radiator fans kicking on?...
Yeah, premium fuel is an option but not worth it 98% of the time IMO.
BP (Amoco) is generally good stuff but I don't know what additives are mixed with their 87. Regular grade fuels may lack the additives that higher grades contain. These additives can make the difference between an engine that eats sparkplugs, leaves deposits in/on intake/exhaust ports and valves as well as deposits in injector nozzles. For these reasons, definitely do not buy 87 from discount fuel outlets.
Regardless what the "sticker" says, I personally don't run regular in ANY of my vehicles, lawn equipment or other power sports engines. I never have fuel related issues, which is what you seem to be having.
35mph is generally the speed radiators meet their highest efficiency. They don't cool any better above that speed but will cool less efficiently below it.
YMMV
(Your Mileage May Vary...an all-inclusive phrase to indicate that your usage of equipment, tires, fuels, lubricants, service techniques, etc. won't necessarily be the same as other user's, despite following the same generally adhered to guidelines/practices...variables are factors).
Yes, it was city traffic and occurred at about 30mph in 5th gear (DCT). It lugged and knocked.Were you in stop-n-go traffic or mostly traveling less than 35mph in this heat you mention? Were your radiator fans kicking on?
I can see knocking presenting itself, given you also mentioned it being a hot day.
If this were a situation in which I might find myself regularly, I'd bump up to the next grade of fuel.
If it's a situation where you are traveling fairly open roads before encountering the "traffic areas" on hot days, take the open roads at a less spirited pace so you limit the amount of heat that saturates the engine prior to entering the broiling gauntlet.
Another option would be to install an on/off switch for the radiator fan(s), but it can be increasingly difficult to add simple electrical modifications to these increasingly complicated systems.
If this were a situation in which I might find myself regularly, I'd bump up to the next grade of fuel.
If it's a situation where you are traveling fairly open roads before encountering the "traffic areas" on hot days, take the open roads at a less spirited pace so you limit the amount of heat that saturates the engine prior to entering the broiling gauntlet.
Another option would be to install an on/off switch for the radiator fan(s), but it can be increasingly difficult to add simple electrical modifications to these increasingly complicated systems.
You may have picked up contaminated fuel or low quality fuel by accident. Occasionally stations get a bad shipment. Try another gas station and see if that helps. If the engine still pings, try the next higher grade of fuel. My 1973 CB-750 used to ping on regular fuel from certain gas stations even though tuned exactly to the specs in the manuals. I eventually just ran premium grades in it to avoid the pinging. Choices at that time were premium or regular as not many stations had mid grade selections. At that time premium was only 5-10 cents per gallon more than regular, not the 20 cents per litre you see now. New tech has its advantages. My Africa Twin at 998cc used less fuel than my old 750.Much thanks for looking!
Looks like I'll need to force a downshift or go harder on the throttle so it automatically downshifts instead of lugging the engine.
Yeah, premium fuel is an option but not worth it 98% of the time IMO.
Gas stations with low volume customers (top and bottom tier gas brands) tend to turn over their fuel less often, thus having a higher content of water in their underground holding tanks. They have to manage the water level in the fuel and pay extra for the service to remove any amount that is in excess of an acceptable maximum. Of course, they shouldn't be pumping water into your tank, but who knows with the lonely stations.
It sounds like you were in D and if you then go for acceleration in too high a gear the engine will labour sounding almost like a single cylinder bike . The trick is to press downshift then open it up and you go woosh.
I agree with Mr. Thompson above...I never run the bike in D...way too sluggish. If you didn't this time, try using at least S1 or S2. S2 works well for me in pretty much all traffic situations. Bad feeling when you need the "oomph" and it ain't there...
Ride safe!
Ride safe!
Dropping a gear in an S Mode and adding a fistful is well handled by the Honda lump.
It almost
It almost sounds like chain slap. Could that be?Yes, it was city traffic and occurred at about 30mph in 5th gear (DCT). It lugged and knocked.
I would have thought the idea behind the rather low compression ratio was partially to manage lower octane fuel. That was one of the pros on my list while comparing several ADV's.
Yeah, not feelin' like burnin' high octane dino anyway. 
If you were in 5th gear at 30mph and attempted to throttle up hard, I would think that the knocking you heard was simply pre ignition.Yes, it was city traffic and occurred at about 30mph in 5th gear (DCT). It lugged and knocked.
Is that BP 87 octane determined by Moto Octane Number (MON) or Anti Knock Index (AKI)?
Here in Europe we determine octane by Research Octane Number, marked as RON at the pumps. Octane can also be determined by Moto Octane Number, marked as MON at the pumps. Anti Knock Index, marked as AKI or (R+M)/2 at the pumps, is an average of RON and MON (RON+MON)/2.
The point of note here is that there is a compromise when you try to compare RON, MON and AKI because RON is determined at 600 RPM, MON is determined at 900 RPM and AKI is neither one nor the other. All of which means that MON and AKI are more prone to knocking at low RPM's than RON.
The bottom line here is one of the down sides of DCT is that it gives you less control than a manual clutch.
Here in Europe we determine octane by Research Octane Number, marked as RON at the pumps. Octane can also be determined by Moto Octane Number, marked as MON at the pumps. Anti Knock Index, marked as AKI or (R+M)/2 at the pumps, is an average of RON and MON (RON+MON)/2.
The point of note here is that there is a compromise when you try to compare RON, MON and AKI because RON is determined at 600 RPM, MON is determined at 900 RPM and AKI is neither one nor the other. All of which means that MON and AKI are more prone to knocking at low RPM's than RON.
The bottom line here is one of the down sides of DCT is that it gives you less control than a manual clutch.
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Honda Africa Twin Forum
A forum community dedicated to Honda Africa Twin motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about troubleshooting, maintenance, performance, modifications, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
