25th Jul 2014, 17:48

I just bought that same bike and noticed a rattle. I fixed it by tightening the three bolts and the spark advance. When I took off the left hand starter gear cover, I could see they were loose. Try and save the gasket. I did and it didn't leak again. Loosen them as much as you can, and drop some Loctite in and tighten them up again with an open end.

29th Dec 2021, 00:21

I have a 1983 CB1000 with 11000 miles; it rattles at an idle as many of these bikes do. Most of your rattle is in the drivetrain, even at idle. If you pull your clutch in at idle, you will notice it gets much quieter. I had a 1981 CB750 that did the same thing, but it is normal for these bikes.