the hawk actually exploded...
 

So lastnight, I'm in the driveway at my buddies shop chatting before I head out for the night. Bike started same as always and was idling good while I was talking. About 30 seconds after I had started it, it made a deafening bang that left my ears ringing (and probably a bit of color in the boxers) and a cloud of white smoke enveloped the bike and I immediately, pouring out from between my legs around the rear head/valve cover. There was a rough tumbling idle for a split second after the BANG before I reached through the smoke and turned everything off before hopping off and running for a fire extinguisher. Turns out there was no open flame so I didnt need the extinguisher but it continued to smoke for 3 minutes or so. After I was sure that it was done, I took the seat and tank off to have a look. The valve cover seal on the rear cylinder is completely blown out and ruined, leading me to believe that I lost a valve and the compression stroke just popped my top end. Towed it home. End of night. End of riding season on the Superhawk.

Its a 2000. 40k on the clock. Clearances checked a year ago. No hiccups of any kind what so ever all season until the big bang. I'll be tearing in sometime next week but for now I'm legalizing my rat bike to finish the season. Any one ever experience this? Any thoughts or recommendations? Thanks fellas, hopefully your hawk luck stays better

Keep us posted mate. A BANG and smoke does not bode well but pretty much everything is fixable.

Wow, yes, keep us posted, this is very interesting, I have seen connecting rods blow up through the engine block in real time, fires and other weird shit, but this is a first top engine blow up of this magnitude... something very funky is going on in your motor!

it almost sounds like the timing chain snapped but what do I know

sorry to hear about your loss and I hope its worth fixing

Does the bike have MCCTs? If not were the CCTs original?
Not necessarily suggesting this is the cause, just looking for supporting evidence for my non scientific OCD theorys.
How much during the time you owned the bike did you idle it on the side stand?

His Sig says So Id say not a CCT issue.. but who knows.

Not unheard of for a MCCT to undo if not properly tightened.

At least nothing ejected up through the seat.:eek:

Subscribed. Sorry about your misfortune. Very curious to hear the reason.

OK so going to go out on a limb. Have nothing better to do as it's raining and can't ride.
So it goes something like this: MCCT on rear set way too tight. Cranked hard. Tensioner, the arm that actually bears on the chain, had all the slider material wear down to metal and then grind through some of the metal creating enough slack to let the chain jump. Boom!
Or the cam snapped in half. Boom!
Or the cam cap gave up because of the excessive tension on the chain. Boom!
Or OP didn't use the latest, greatest oil. Boom!
Or running a tire that starts with M, D, C, S, P and mixing the letters. Boom!
Or not doing the pair delete. Boom!
Or non FET R/R. Boom!
Or running 15/43 gearing. Boom!
Or earning the ire of one of the important members. Extra Boom!
I know there are many more. Boom!

Funnily enough this Boom! recently happened to partygirl at the IoM

Attachment 21947

www.vtr1000.org ? View topic - Congratulations tony.mon and partygirl

Sorry to hear this happened to you thielb! Let us know the cause once you finish your diagnosis.

Well there it is. That would explain the smoke the OP described.
Guess it wasn't the wrong tires after all.

Hey thanks for chiming in fellas. I checked out that link from the other site. That excessive backfire sounds pretty reasonable, especially since I get carb farts pretty regularly for the first few minutes after a cold starts. I havent dug in yet but will be sure to update you guys as soon as I do.

Yes I'm using MCCTs, yes they were set the right way the careful way, and neither of them is backed off or loose after the big bang. CruxGNZ is the one that helped me with that job actually and he did superb work. I actually sit on it and hold it upright when I let it idle to warm up now after reading some opinions on that last season. I think it may be useless but whatever, its just what I started doing.

Thanks for the knowledge support guys. Ride fast, take lots of chances.:wheelie:

Well diagnosis is complete! Much better of a situation than I initially anticipated. If you take a look at post 10 from wicky, I believe this was the exact same situation. After tearing everything open front and rear: timing still correct, valve clearances are still in spec, cam chain tension still in spec, healthy compression (just using feel mind you). Everything is in order so I'm concluding that this was just a carb fart of a lifetime as wicky suggested. Everything is going back together tonight and I'll let you know if everything remains in working order. Gives me a chance to do some small things that I've been pushing off anyway. TPS, 1/4 turn richer, sync, etc...

I've always had a carb fart or two on cold idle during the first 10 minutes of riding or so which i believe is a lean condition so the 1/4 turn richer and a much needed sync should help prevent the mega-fart from happening again. If anything else comes to mind as far as what to take a closer look at or double check, let me know. Thanks fellas!