Oops I killed it,, I think?

Ok, I did this a few months ago, the bike has been pretty much dumped in the garden ever since.

I was coming home, and kind of showing off a bit.

My bike is a VX800 based ... thing! - I call it frankenstein cos its heavily customized and has yamaha, Kwak and Honda bits, I have cut the back end off completely and so now its a much lower bike with zero bakc end and also forward controls, and raised bars. This is because I have a smashed up body and so I need to get my leg around rather than over the bike and then I cannot bend my right leg for long hence the forward controls, and the bar are for my wrecked arm... Basically its well customized for me.

I have my trike and so its not been a big rush for me to try getting it sorted, but the moment a bike shop sees it, they kind of go... AH, NO!

I also have 2 other bikes, but they are both off the road too!

So, I might have a looksie inside it, but here is the deal...

I was riding along, minding my own business, riding it like I stole it, as you do, I was coming up a steep hill and then a tiny knock started... after a second, the volume doubled... I knocked the throttle off and the sound doubled again and again and it got louder with every fraction of a second, and I slowed down and pulled over and turned the key to switch it off, and steam was pouring out from it... It had overheated like hell, and the pressure had blown a small hole into the pipe and it was squirting all over the place.
Now, I let it cool down and just sat there sulking for a fair while, and some time afterwards, the engine had cooled down significantly, so I checked the water level in the rad and it was still fairly full, I checked the oil in the engine and ok, it was low ish but definitely not too low... It was still just above the low level.

I started it again and it started straight away loike it always has, but that noise is seriously worrying.

I was about 2 miles from home, the RAC said they wont be able to come for about 4 to 5 hours and the ONLY person around these parts that has a bike trailer... is ME!

So, I thought I will see how it goes to get me home.

It did, and it ran absolutely fine, still,. pulled very well but that noise was just ridiculous!

The thing is, that I am no mechanic.

A couple of people have said that something might have just come lose and others are saying to get rid and some are saying to get another engine.

What could possibly be the issue?

Do you think it could be somehting that maybe a rank amateur like me can sort out, or...

I understand that its a silly question, but I really would prefer to get it fixed.

It's difficult for anyone to accurately diagnose something like that without actually being there to see and hear what's going on. My best guess as there is a noise and overheating, it might be the bearing on the water pump has gone but it's nothing more than a guess.

Bearing on the water pump?

Sure, I can see why you would think that, however, the noise is most definitely too loud and hard to be a bearing.

Not that I know what a bearing sounds like from the waterpump???

I do know that on my Gullzi Cali3 many years ago, the bearing went on teh front wheel and weirdly, it made such a weird horrible sound, that I honestly did not think it was the wheel bearing, but I think that because the mudguard was metal, that it made it kind of amplify, and I honestly did not think the bearing could make that sound, so who knows?

What I will do, is take the pump off and start it to see if the noise changes????

I really need to get it inside though.

Thanks bud.

Hi.   Does it start up ok from cold and is the noise there then, on tickover?
The RAC are shit by the way, second only to the AA.  I use MAG breakdown cover.

Starts up just fine as it always has.
The noise is there right from the start yes, and it is definitely a mechanical soubnd that is as if something has either broken or come loose inside.

Take a video of the bike on tick over and we can listen to the noise.  Home in on the noisy area.
This is a a great site but is very quiet now, as these bikes are no longer sold in the UK. 
The VX even less so.  However, there are a good few VX owners active here.
You could try the American site, Volusia riders.   I'm on there as well.   Good luck with the bike butt.