SEM - Scanning Electron Microscope EDS - Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) Basically, when combined, they enable precise material identification and a highly magnified image of the debris surface, to help quickly identify where the debris came from in the machine, and if its release is from normal, or abnormal, operation. Generally quite expensive and requires the involvement of a boffin in a while lab coat.
If its magnetic its iron, fizzy with a drop of acid its aluminium, shiny chrome plating. Non magnetic and a bit dull then probably bearing metal. Or in my case, bit of gold and its bottom end shells
Nothing wrong with taking advice. You just have to know what is the correct advice and what isn't. I have no solution to that problem. Well, only to go to Spain. Thirty years since I last went, maybe. Or it might be more. The first one was on a Honda CX500 - maybe 1980-ish. I went there maybe 20 years ago by plane to . . . . Can't remember. That it! It was Denia! Dunno what the airport would of been, Bristol to . . . . Does Alicante have an airport?
Sorry. European travel is the only subject to interest me now. After Spain on the CX500 that always let me down. It was a puncture in Spain on the first day and then cam-chain after cam-chain in the years after, in the UK. Then, I got my first Ducati. A Darmah SD the was brilliant and then we started going to the Bol at the Paul Ricard circuit, Not that the the Ducati was brilliantly reliable. I remember Mr Sprag-Clutch retiring once at the Bol. That time, me and a mate in a Suzi gs750 (I think it was ) tode all the way back to the ferry port (Dunkirk, mebbe) in one go. Got a freight ferry back that left France maybe 2am and got into wherever it was at around six in the morning. God, I was tired! As well as maybe a couple of Bols, I did a European tour of maybe France, Germany (to see my younger brother who was living over there) and then Austria, Italy and back to France. I think on that one, I got done for Speeding by the Austrians. You just opened your wallet and they helped themselves, but that was it, Done. Finished. Forgotten! One day, I would like to do another European adventure by bike, but the trouble is that I don't think that I could just shrug off the tiredness like I used to.
Had similar with my Monster (twice!). This; Turned out to be a knackered bearing on the gearbox shaft; Obviously engine needs to be split to change it. Then a few years later, I had a gearbox failure where the 6th gear shed some teeth so, another engine split for a new gearbox; With the gearbox failure it was obvious something was wrong as it was banging and cracking in 6th gear and, even pulling away in 1st was a problem but with the bearing failure there were no noticeable symptoms other than the bits in the oil. Good luck.
Maybe worth dissecting the oil filter? When the gearbox bearing failed on mine (as per above picture), there was also plenty of debris that didn't get stuck to the magnet and the oil filter was fairly choked up with shards. The amount of metal on your magnet looks excessive for just normal wear and tear, IMO.
Well, the Multistrada is back with me. There is a distinct unhealthy and unnatural noise coming from the area of the water pump. Oil drained, it’s in good condition, nothing untoward in that but again the sump plug magnet has caught more swarf. Coolant drained, water pump cover removed, nothing untoward there. Alternator cover removed and there’s more swarf, not too much, stuck to the magnet of the flywheel and inside the cover. But, so far, the water pump bearings seem ok and there’s no play in the water pump shaft that I can discern. Boy, is the circlip that holds the impeller in place difficult to remove or what? Mostly because it was obscured by the washer underneath. Anyway, got there in the end and the impeller is now out. Time to drift out the bearings in the morning, although tbh I’m not sure it is the water pump. I checked the flywheel and that’s not loose so not sure what was making a racket on that side of the engine, or where the swarf is coming from yet but something’s definitely breaking down in there.
This surface looks like it's been rubbing against something. The slots' edges are sort-of burnished over...
That's a good spot from @Keith_P I had an issue with an RD350YPVS once where the washer and lock washer under the flywheel nut had been put in the wrong way round by a previous owner. A couple of weeks after buying it there was a mad bag of nails type rattling from that side of the engine but only when on the overrun. Every time I took the engine cover etc off the nut appeared tight and as a spotty 18yr old had to enlist my Fathers help to understand that the nut was coming undone under engine breaking but doing itself up again when power was applied. It wasn't until my Father showed me with a Torque wrench that it wasn't that tight that I understood and noticed the washer/lockwasher problem. But, I'm sure @West Cork Paul wouldn't be fooled by that.
I’m certain that’s just the way the light was reflecting off it. Here’s a couple more with a different light source. Also there’s nothing at the back there which could rub off it as the stator is fixed to the alternator cover and doesn’t sit against the flywheel nut but away from it. However, there are some witness marks on the inside of the flywheel but no corresponding marks on the stator’s outer edges. And, yes, the flywheel nut is fully secure
There’s definitely nothing untoward visually but the thought has occurred to me that, although he’s not reported any issues starting the bike I’m wondering if the sprag clutch behind the flywheel is breaking up? So, while I’m in here I may as well pull the flywheel off.
That's definitely been rubbing at sometime. Heat marks and sharp edges. We will be interested in what you find.
How's the bearing in the Alternator cover? Be easy to pull the cover off and put it to one side without noticing it's knackered.
