Gas Tank Rattle

[jonsamson]

This inspired me to write from the other post about finding the mystery noise.

I have a 2008 Nomad, bought brand new. Since the first day there has been a noise inside the gas tank. Like nut or something rolls around inside of it.

Speed, hot, warm, or code, empty or full tank, doesn't make any differnce and usually only heard when my lean angle changes like off kickstand or when going into a corner, but it isn't consistant.

Any suggestions? Do I need to be concerned about my tank blowing up some day back in the moutains?
-Jon

[glwilson]

Don't have an answer other than you may want to have someone with you so you can lean the bike back and forth while parked to hear more specifically where the sound is coming.

While it may be nothing to worry about, obviously, any noise such as you describe shouldn't happen -- thus it would be best to fix what it is before something serious does happen when you least need it to.

It appears that several members have been posting noises/rattles that are nothing more than a loose nut or something fairly simple -- however this does give rise to the concern that everyone needs to take time once in a while to check their bikes out more closely for "loose" items to prevent a potential disaster at speed.

Post what you discover so we'll know.

[dabull]

could it be between the speedo and the tank....a loose screw or nut or bolt rolling around between the two?

[VulcanE]

The next time you can get home with an almost empty tank, remove the tank from the bike and hold it up, and roll it around to see if there is something inside the tank. If there is, maybe you can get it around to where it'll be under where the gas cap is, and you could use a pencil magnet to get it out? It's worth a try.

[jonsamson]

When I go to work tomorrow I will ask a couple of other guys help me lean the back from one direction to the other. I hope to be able to tell for sure if it is in the tank or under the speed cluster assembly. If it is in the tank than I will use VulcanE suggestion and remove the tank and see if anything falls out or I can see anything.

I guess this is unusual, that was what I was wondering. I didn't know if something with the fuel pump, float, gas filter all inside the tank would be normal to make a noise inside the tank. I guess not.

Once I go through the steps I will update the post so if everyone else can know what I found.
Thanks,
-Jon

[dogdoc]

I agree with VulcanE: i would remove the tank(drain mostly first) then roll tank around for sound. Somebody might have dropped a bolt, screw, etc in your tank at the factory(Ah-so).LOL
Should be able to roll it out the filler hole.

[kenb]

I have the same problem. However, I think I have the answer. I am suspecting small stones are stuck in the tread of the front tire and when they come loose, they are sent against the front fender and they "slide" along the inside of the fender, making the sound of something in the tank. It made more sense to me as I traveled a gravel road and heard the noise quite a bit. It went away as the road went to pavement and the rocks finally dislodged themselves. I would NOT dis-assemble anything until you are sure. ;)

[jonsamson]

The sound is coming from the tank area, that I know for certain. Could be underneath, under the bezal, or in the tank that I don't know yet. I almost had my tank down with little gas, but actually I didn't make it home, I ran out of gas. Now I know I can get 187.6 miles on a tank. Anyway I put in gas but since it was for my lawnmower from the beginning of last summer I went and filled it back up with higher octane new gas. Well it has been too cold or rainy since last weekend to burn out another tank to try this again. Might wait another week first.
-Jon

[kenb]

I have an 08 Nomad as well. The noise from the fender, I swear, sounded like it was from the tank. When I heard it, I would weave side to side, brake hard, accelerate hard, do whatever I could do to get it to do it again. To no avail. With all that movement, something should move a little. When I rode the gravel road, it sounded like the tank was full of BBs. I know that a sound in one area can sound like its in another. Now,when I hear that sound of "something in the tank", I am not concerned. It could be the bridgstone tire that holds on to the pebbles. You can test the theory, or tear the bike apart. If you do the latter, I hope you find something. You know your bike better than anyone. Just passing on my experience with what seems to be an identical sound as yours. JM2C-part 2

[dantama]

If it is in the tank, and at the kick stand side, you can put a couple of pieces of cardboard, or scrap carpet etc where the engine and bag guards touch down and lay it over on the right side. Hopefully the "thing" would then move over to the right side and you would be able to fish it out like VulcanE was suggesting.

when they touch down on the guards, if you are on level cement nothing bad touches.

[jonsamson]

Thanks guys for the suggestion. When my tank is now down low again I was going to do the leaning thing first before removing anything than if it is there get one of those maginets on a flexiable thing and see what I snag.

I like KenBob suggestion of driving down a gravel road to see if it is only then. Thus an excuse for a ride, which will have to be a long ways away as I don't know of any local gravel roads, and this would burn down my tank also so if this doesn't work I can go to the leaning thing. Still too cold for me to get up on the freeway I am expecting warmer weather next weekend.

[zoom45]

Many, many years I heard of a car at the dealer that had a bumping noise which no one could find what was causing it. After many hours of troubleshooting, they finally found a coke bottle inside the frame tube that would slide back and forth when you started and stopped. It had a note in it that said I bet you had a hard time finding this noise. LOL.

Maybe someone drop a marble in the tank.

Zoom45

[kenb]

Hey jonsamson, any updates on the noise?

[dogdoc]

guess he's in the can looking for the rattle,LOL

[Cajunrider]

You never know what you will find rolling around in any type of container. About 35 years ago I opened a can of Budweiser, took a swig and heard something in the can. Poured a perfectly good beer on the ground to find a shiny silver dime in the can! Some cheap skate at the brewery tipped me.

[faxxxy]

I've seen studs on a tank bib cause this.. Or something in the sunglass pocket..

[jamiep24]

Just keep eating your Wheaties and just pick the thing up, turn it upside down and it will probably fall out. If it doesn't it's not in the tank. Hmm. Surprised nobody else thought of that.

[watchman]

Just a thought, do you have extra keys or a key chain fob on your motorcycle key? They might be falling around when the bike is tilted. If so try riding with the key removed from the switch and see if you still have the noise.

[dogdoc]

I did back on page #1 jamie. :-)

[jonsamson]

Sorry guys I sort of forgot about this posting when I first put it up on it. I did the almost empty tank thingy and 3 of us shook the dickens out of the bike. This was not a fun experience as to having 2 other people tilting my 800 lb bike back and forth at my request. Well that produced nothing. Next was a gravel road. I found one, but I didn't go down it last weekend. There was lots of loose gravel on a steep down grade around a corner. I am not that good of a rider.
However I did find it this weekend. I went to a bike rally in Forkland AL, called Bamabike Fest. This was a blow out, of rain that is. 3 days of rain until today when we didn't get any. I will post a summary of this later.
Anyway once I did get out of the muddy muck, and started down the brown highway (covered in mud for about 1/4 mile) it sounded awful, like someone opened up a few shot gun shells of shot in my tank. I had never heard that much noise. I am now convinced the rattle is nothing more than stated before of stones getting picked up by the tire and hitting the inside of the fender.
I guess to be a Kawasaki engineer you have to be musically inclined given all the noises that will ring out on this bike. I bet if it could be timed just right there is a whole orchestra built into the bike.
I do appreciate everyone waiting on me to report back and the private message I forgot to update the thread.
I am leaving in the morning for Texas to see my family; unfortunately my wife wants me in the cage. She just doesn't get it, a few hundred miles more and I would have driven a iron butt ride. She can't understand how driving a 1000 on a MC, in the rain from cold climate to a warm Texas climate that would be painful, tiring and uncomfortable just to get a patch. She just can't seem to understand.
-Jon