1999 S3 955i Loud Knock Or Clatter

Hello everyone. Someone on the triumph rat forum recommended I try this place out. I'm the proud owner of a new to me 1999 speed triple 955i @ 21k miles, that has sadly and very suddenly developed a loud knocking sound yesterday morning as I exited the interstate. The engine will still crank and run. I didn't want to run it under load so I trailered it home. There are no visible particles in the drained oil. I hope its not a spun bearing. No shops within 100 miles will even look at it. I'm sad but ready for the challenge with assistance from you folks. I need some advice for diagnosing the issue. Are there things i can check other than the oil, with the engine still in the bike or should i go ahead and start disconnecting it from the bike? Check out this short video clip of the sound after the bike cooled off and i breifly restarted it..

 

Well that sounds like the engine may not be toast. Great! Can that be diagnosed with the engine mounted on the frame?

 

Okay, well if valves may be making contact with the piston or bearings are possibly being pummeled into delicate surfaces, I don't think I should run it long enough to get it warm enough to idle without throttle assistance (cold start issue before all this) so that i can figure out if i trust my ears enough to hear whats going on inside a box I can't visualize. I was thinking I might remove some easily accessible covers and have a look but wasn't sure if I would see anything or if some magically folded collection of springs and gears may fly out and never go back in if the engine wasn't on its side. LOL. No service history

 

Thats two votes for checking the plugs. Standby.

 

I don't currently possess such wizardry.

 

Tail, tank and airbox out.
Fuel lines and coil wires marked.
Off to find either an18mm deep well, thin wall socket to release these plugs.

 

All 3 plugs are fully intact. Only place open Autozone had what I needed to remove the plugs thin wall deep well 18mm 6 point socket @ $5.49 US. Also used a magnet to extract once loose.

 

Anyone have any idea why the previous owner would have capped off the throttle body connections to the stepper motor? Would this have caused the cold start issue? Since I've owned the bike I had to supply some throttle to start & until warm so that it would idle.

 

Thank you.

 

Okay all the bolts are out and marked in the sequence the manual suggested the order of removal. Next the manual simply says remove the cover. It won't budge and I suspect it is soft magnesium so I haven't tried prying. Tips?

 

Its off nothing obviously grenaded. I'm getting the fear