harmonic noise

[zmerrick]

I am a new nomad(2006) owner and love this bike but coming back from the first big trip.( 1100 miles round trip to cape cod MS) I now have a harmonic like noise in the bike at 45mph to 55mph. I don't feel a lot of vibration feels like it in the trans. but not sure.It seems like its only in a cruise configurations is this a normal thing or am i in trouble. help please.sorry if this is a question that has already been posted.

[trosco]

Well Nomads make a lot of odd noises.
Could be something as simple as a worn tire with a little cuping but we need some more details about the noise and a little more about your bike (miles, condition, etc..)
Are you "hearing' A WHINE OR IS IT A METAL TO METAL RATTLE or are you "feeling" the vibration. Is it varying with engine speed or bike speed? Is it the same when you are in 3rd gear doing 50 mph as when you are in 5th doing 50mph? Have you done anything to the bike recently like new tires or brake work?

[AlabamaNomadRider]

And I thought Cape Cod was in Massachusetts and not in Mississippi. I learn new things every day. Just poking some fun at you as MS is the Mississippi abreviation and MA is for Massachusetts.

Like Tosco said it could be your tires if they have some wear on them. Cupping is a problem some have had with their front tire. I didn't have any with my original Bridgestones, no cupping. I did with the 2007 Honda VTX1300 I owned. It is possible it could be your brake calipers. There are several things it could be. You did say you feel a vibration?

[ringadingh]

It could be a tire, U joint, or even the pavement you were riding on. Does it make this noise every time at that speed regardless of where you are riding, or did it happen only on that stretch of road.

I have had a 2004 and 2008 Nomad and now a 2010 Voyager, harmonic like noise is part of Kawasaki motorcycles. It seems to be poor engineering but you should have it checked at an authorized Kawasaki dealer to be safe.

PS, How did you like the Cape, I lived on Cape Cod for 13 years.

[macmac]

How many miles on this 06? What brand of tiires are on it now?

If you have 28,000 miles it might be cam chains, and or depending on the tires it might very well be that.

We need better details. Could even be the radiator cover buzzing.

[zmerrick]

Sorry I must have fat fingered the S for A .You got me on that one. I did mean MA. Anyway I appreciate the info. And to answer some of the questions. Yes I do need 2 new tires both front and rear tires will be close to pass inspection in the spring. I don't see any visible cuping but they are worn. I'm not sure if they are original or not. The bike has almost 10,000 miles on it. The noise starts at about 45 mph and get worse up to about 55 mph and then slowly goes away at almost 60 mph,(4gear is most noted) engine speed does change it some, you don't notice it when acceleration and not as much in deceleration. It's the worst at cruise with thotal in one position (55mph). As for the noise its like a whinn I guess but harmonic like it almost travels from the front to the back and repeats. It almost always does it on any road condition. There is not a lot of vibration in the bars ,but I do feel it more in the seat, my wife even said whats that noise. I hope this helps in the troubleshooting .Thanks guys I am going to the shop tonight to let them ride it, and i hope its just tires. ::)I can deal with that.

[ringadingh]

It sounds more and more like a bad tire to me, possibly a bad belt in it, or a slight bulge somewhere. look real close and even them you may not see anything wrong on the outside of the tire.

[macmac]

10,000 miles probably if the rear tire is oem it is deader than a door nail, and the ft tire isn't far behind. Only a few guys get 10,000 miles out of a rear oem brick.

This is the time when the rear should be deader than a door nail too.

I sure don't have a good opinion on brick stones either. I agree with Ring your tires are dead, and probably the cause.

I will go one more step, and say you hear it most in corners leaned over just a little.

It is pretty typical for a lot of mc tires to whine with some several thousand miles wear on them.

In your case I bet the rear is more worn than you think, and the ft is worn more than you think too on left side of center.

Another thing to contemplate is the 7,500 swing arm service not mentioned in the book for the 1600, but has the same parts as the 1500, and IS mentioned in the book.

I would be thinking real hard on that service, since you are 1/2 way there just swappin' a rear tire.

[zmerrick]

Sorry sometimes I over think things,thats what A&P mechanics do. But I think you guys may have called it. I just got back from the shop where the owner rode the bike he said he couldn't feel what I was feeling ( Don't understand that) but he said front tire is definitely cuped , I couldn't see it but you can definitely feel it. So I guess I am going to do tires first thing. Do you all have a common consciences on the the best tire for the nomad. I know there is a lot of posts on tires so if i am being a pain just let me know and i can read the posts. I do want to thank you for the the advice, and i will keep you posted after a double tire change.

[ivan]

Your engine mounts may be loose. Mine started having weird vibration. All engine mounts were loose. Tightening 3 bolts cured the problem. Your results may vary.
These bikes are full of weird noises. Sometimes it feels loke the whole engine is about to get unglued. Using full synthetic motorcycle 10W-40 Amsoil seems to cure a lot of engine noises. I would have never believed an engine oil can make such a difference. 20w-50 Mobil was the worst of all oils I tried. The engine sounded like a tractor and was much hotter. Go figure.... ???

[AlabamaNomadRider]

As for tires most people have their own favorite. I recently had Dunlop Elite 3s installed on my Nomad and with about 1,500 miles on the rear and just under 1,000 on the front I like them a lot. Some have complained they make too much noise but mine are quiet to me. I see no visible wear on either tire yet. I would definitely purchase the same tire again. And they are made in the USA.

[VulcanE]

The best set of motorcycle tires that I've used is the Avon Cobras. Size is 150/80VR-16 for the front, and 180/70HR-16 for the rear. I can't comment on the Elite IIIs, but I can on the Bridgestones, and Metzelers, and the Cobras are by far superior. These tires are radials, and they will make you think you've got a new bike because of how much they improve the ride, handling, and performance of the bike. I thought it couldn't get any better, until I went "Darkside" with a Goodyear Assurance TripleTred 205/60R-16 on the rear (still running the Cobra on front). A car tire isn't for everyone, and I'm not trying to talk you into one, just giving you some more options.

[VulcanE]

Oh, BTW, I had that same type of "harmonic noise/vibration" as you describe, worse in 4th, but improved when shifting into 5th, and it turned out to be a severely cupped rear tire. It didn't look or feel cupped until it was deflated, then there was no question about it.

[macmac]

Ft tire choices probably end with Cobra at the top, but I haven't run that tire myself yet. I chose a Dunlop radial F 251 in the stock size. It is wearing now at apx 6,000 miles naturally, and howels in corners but not so loud or as often as the brickstone junk.

Metzlers need to be eye balled for country of manufactor, which will be Brazil or Germany. You only want the German made tires. If metz isn't carefull they will ruin a great rep.

The Dunlop E III is a popular choice fore and aft.

Nomads tend to eat rear tires right up, and a lot of us run a cat or light truck tire. I do and have 10,000 on a Dunlop SP 5000 in 195/60 R 16, and it isn't any where near replacment time for that yet. Chances are I will need another ft tire first.

This is the oem stone side by side with the SP 5000, and I wouldn't be at all surpprized to find your brick rear looks like this one, as this one is at 9,000 miles and was dead at 8,000, but I rode it in late Fall to wait and replace it in Spring the following season.


The new tire is mounted and aired up, other wise they would be closer to the same, and i didn't get the screw driver really leveled well when my wife pressed the shutter.