Cam Chain Tensioner Problems - Anyone Else?

Has anyone encountered an issue with the cam chain (timing chain?) tensioner failing?

One of my CRF's has a knocking/rattling noise coming from the engine. Rather subtle, but noticeable enough to bug me. Online searches indicate it is the tensioner that has failed, and that it's a rather common issue.

Anyone else have this? How did you resolve it?

See video.

 

I had to replace them on another Honda bike at 50,000 kilometres. They are not considered defective and are a wear-and-tear item on the bike. I think replacing two on the other bike was about $200 CDN, so is likely cheaper on our CRFs.

 

I observed a similar rattle on my low-mileage CRF250L which had done only 600 mls.
As the tensioner is about EUR 110 in Germany, I bought one in the UK for only 28 EUR including tax and shipping.
Unfortunately it hasn't arrived yet so I can't tell wether it solved the issue or not.
The price in Thailand is 402 BHT (10,80 €) by the way...

 

My experiences, with every 4 stroke motorcycle ever built that has a spring tension cam chain devise, is that they are all junk. Not designed for the abuse they get. Abuse meaning the every day rpm loading, unloading variation. I have seen failures on every type of bike. When we buy any bike, we change it as a matter of duty, for a manually adjusted one and check it like it is underwear. A properly adjusted chain will last a long time.

 

I do not have many issues with the tensioners. I rode three CRFs by now (starting with 164, 952 and 3800 kms) and they all sound similar. I swapped one of the tensioners (as written above) with no effort at all, so I don't think that the rattling is caused by that part.
By the way, I rode some XL185S in the past and they are equipped with manual tensioners. There are some guys around which destroyed their engines while ignoring the need for adjustment. So I would call the automatic tensioner an advantage