Knocking sound, Suzuki 10W40 OK?

2008 VFR, 9100 km, 6000 km since last oil & filter change, 95% highway travel

I'm a cheap bastard and am always looking for a way to save a few bucks. Suzuki 10W40 and Yamaha filters are at least 25% cheaper than Honda stuff. Is this a false economy?

The noise: Started about 7000 km. It's a knocking noise (hollow, metallic) and not a ticking or flapping. Happens when engine is hot and only when I release the clutch to get going first. Two or three knocks that I can also produce by slipping the clutch. No noise at idle or when pulling. Not sure if it's there as I move through the other gears. Probably not, changes are quicker and I'm usually hauling some ass.

I'm going to change the oil, hoping it's a something simple like that.

Question one: anyone else experience this noise before
Question two: anything wrong with using the Suzuki oil and Yamaha filter? Shouldn't be much difference between OEM Suzuki oil and Honda oil right? I've heard that Moly-whatever is bad for Honda transmissions, but damned if I can find out if the Suzuki oil has any. And as long as the filter fits...

Thanks!

 

Moly is bad for the clutch plates as it will make them slip. How's your chain adjustment / sprocket condition?

 

My bike only has 650 kays on it, it's booked in for its 1st 1000 kay service next week. Because we are just coming out of winter & I've found the VFR to be a cold blooded beastie (mine any way). So I start the bike & let it warm up while I'm put on my gear. This previous Monday I noticed it do what you described, just as I took off in 1st it gave a couple of knocks (3-4), but it went away when I put it into 2nd & hasn't happened since. It didn't worry me, as I'm hearing a lot of noises going on, different from my previous bike, an in line 4. To me it sounded like the sort of noise you get when you change up from a lower gear & don't have enough revs.
Suzuki oil I would not expect to have any of the nasty crap that usually goes into cars (friction modifiers etc), the oil would be used across the board for all their bikes & can't see them wanting to lose profit by having to fix problems caused by an inferior oil. Honda sources their filters from another 3rd party manufacturer, just like Yamaha, Suzuki & Kawasaki & if the Yammie filter fits & takes the same volume of oil then I can't see it being the cause. On that, my last oil change on my previous, I couldn't get the usual filter, but the Honda dealer sold me one that could be used, same diameter but about 2 inches shorter & had no problems.

 

My '05 makes a noise like you are talking about. I read somewhere here that it is the flapper valve in the air box or the clutch basket. Bike starts fine + runs fine = I never worried about it.

 

Yeah I know the flapper valve (pop) & clutch basket whine, but if its the same thing that michael is talking about, it definitely knock.