should have mentioned this earlier really. its true, it is a common problem. well i say problem, it isnt really a problem or caused by a fault, its simply a characteristic of that engine. they're all like that in my experience.
the issue is that the tappets are hydraulic, but they drain when the engine is switched off. dry tappets do not adjust valve clearances correctly, so they tap until they fill with oil.
how quickly and how much the tapping stops tells you a lot about the engine's oil circulation. first start of the morning it will tap, but it should become much more quiet fairly quickly. if it is still tapping loudly after 2 mins then you have a problem, either the oil is too thick (should be 10w40) or the oil ways are blocked leading to less oil circulation to the head.
the best way to deal with it is to use engine flush at every oil change, use fully synthetic oil, and change the oil every 12k. if that is obeyed you will have a much quieter engine (also quicker and uses less petrol)
you dont know if/when this engine was last flushed, so if it was my car i would stick 2 bottles of engine flush in and keep it at high idle (2000rpm) for 15 mins. sounds extreme, but it gets things clean. then dump the oil, replace the oil filter, and refill with synthetic oil. it usually does the trick.
i have in the past helped people to make it quieter on a cold start by using 5w40 oil instead. the only difference is that it is thinner when cold, but exactly the same when warm, so its safe. i wouldnt be surprised if other people on the seat forum are doing this. maybe you should ask them and see if anyone else has done it, and what their experience was.
