Do belt tensioner's give a warning?

[HarrysToy]

Just the last few cold days I have riden the bike, ive caught the sound of what to me might be a belt tensioner failing.
Its a very intermittant sound of dry roller bearing (noise speed seems engine dependant vice rolling speed).
It last's less than a second and doesnt make the noise unless im riding her/it generaly at steady throttle or when slightly slowing down for a stop light (maybe happens 4/5 times in an hours ride).
At 37K miles I cannot fathom one going bad and yet she is 21 years old...

Has anybody else here experianced this noise, sounds like its coming from front right of engine (right about where the tensioner resides.....)

[SIR tricky]

Low mileage, it shouldnt go, if you havnt changed the belts it wouldnt harm to go in and take a look though.

[HarrysToy]

Low mileage, it shouldnt go, if you havnt changed the belts it wouldnt harm to go in and take a look though.

Previous owner already had the belts changed about 3 years ago.
The reason im guessing tensioner is from my experiance with my 1000 and how the tensioners sounded when running the motor with the covers off.
Same type of sound except dry, (I'm a mechanic {cars} and have had the same type of noise from idler pulleys on serpentine belt systems) and thats what it sounds like to me.

Just very curious if others have caught this noise before complete failure happens.

[SIR tricky]

Never having a failure 210,000k (touch wood) so I can't say about the sound. Mine were running nice and smooth a couple of weeks ago when I had the covers off.

[exavid]

Considering the damage done if a tensioner failed, I'd be taking a look at them pronto. May as well because they are going to be a constant worry until you do. Might even be a tensioner that's worked loose and letting a belt flap.

[Guest]

Hi,

I Did a poorboy Alternator upgrade a few months back, now I was out about a hundred miles into the cascade mountains and I noticed I was hearing a whur, whur, whur, sound like a bearing that was dry, coming from the engine timing belt cover area.

The noise happens at about 1300-1500 rpm. If I hold the throttle right at that RPM makes the noise all the time, if I let it go back to Idle at 1000rpm you cannot hear it. I heard more often during this ride as it was 96deg. out.

EDIT:
I found that I did not tighten two lower bolts that hold Radiator in, Also might have been to many keys on the key chain, any who, the noise has been remided. Now it's just a whole lot of awesome.

Thanks

Westwing