Still learning....noises and vibrations

vf24renegade · 08-09-2010, 06:03 AM

Hi All,
Now that it's been 1000 degrees here in the sunny south, I have noticed something. Having read about the 'normal' noises, I am a little paranoid as to what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Also, I have V&H pipes, so it's hard to hear some things.

In the afternoon, when the bike and the roads have had a real good opportunity to heat up, I have gotten the tire growl when leaning and turning. However, sometimes I get the same feel (vibration/grinding feel) when I am in a gear lower than 5th. 99% of my riding is at highway spped, but in slower areas, riding in a lower gear (30 -40 in 3rd or 40 - 50 in 4th) I'll feel that same affect with varying intensity and it will be on for a few seconds, then off for a few seconds. It goes away when I pull in the clutch and it seems to also go away when applying power but I'm not sure. I thought it may be the fan coming on, but the clutch affecting it kind of makesme rule that out. I don't get this in the morning, when everything's cool (bike or roads). Sorry, I don't have more empirical evidence but I am a little concerned. The bike shows no performance degradation that I can tell. Getting 38 - 40 mpg. 99 Nomad 1500.
Thanks

**billmac** · 08-09-2010, 08:50 AM

Tough to help with noise and feel issues over internet. My first thought is V-Twins are noisey and vibrate. I assume you mean more usual. But why in the afternoon? Maybe the oil has less viscosity? Is it time for an oil change?.

My second thought was my bike acted similiar when I made the mistake of putting a Metzeler ME880 tire on the rear. Anytime I leaned there was an annoying growl. The tire is now laying out in the yard somewhere collecting water where it belongs. I keep it to remind me not to buy another one.

My last thought would be did you just recently put the back end of the bike back together. Could be something is in a slight bind. I felt this one time and it improved when I lifted up the rear and loosened the axle, moved and jiggled parts, and re-tightened the axle nut with slightly less torque.

Just guessing here. Trying to diagnose is difficult over the computer. I thought I would offer my two cents before the good mechanics on this forum wake up. :)

vf24renegade · 08-09-2010, 09:11 AM

Hey Bill, Thaqnks for the ideas. I changed the oil recently just after I bought it with Rotella T6. This may be a wait and see if it gets worse or more definitive.

macmac · 08-09-2010, 11:05 AM

How many miles on what ever tires do you have and what are these tires? Tire noises leaned over are very common on Nomads with some thoudands of miles on them The stock oem bricks are the worst for howeling. metz run 2nd to them in howeling with some miles on, even ny dunlop ft whines now with 5,000 miles on it in courves and iot sounds like someone at a distance is honkin a car horn which scares me as it is at random.

If you have 45,000 miles on the bike or more and never looked and inspected the wheel bearings it might be a good time to to sych them out too. Lock the ft fork and see if you can make the wheel wiggle with opposing forces. Same deal on the rear.

vf24renegade · 08-09-2010, 11:18 AM

Hey Mac, The bike has 23,500 miles on it. The tires are Dunlops and I do get the roar in curves and leans sometimes which I attribute to the tires because it stops when I straighten up. The growl/grind I refer to happens in turns, straight, whenever. I hope it is the tires. They were on the bike when I bought it so I don't know how many miles are on them, but they have a good amount of tread depth left. That may be something else for me to change but I hate to when there's so much tread and just to mollify my paranoia when there's life left inthem. Thanks

**MAS Tequila** · 08-09-2010, 03:03 PM

Run your hand over th tire. I'll bet you that one or both are cupped.

My front is cupped and howls like a banshee.

MT

danleb75 · 08-09-2010, 03:14 PM

Is it correct to say the all improper tire wear can be attributed to improper tire pressure? I installed ME880's this spring and have no complaints yet. I run 36psi in the front and 42 psi in the rear. On the OEM Bridgestones, I was at 36 and 40, and did get the howl in leaning corners. Since the new tires, there are no howls anywhere......yet.

**ringadingh** · 08-09-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danleb75

Is it correct to say the all improper tire wear can be attributed to improper tire pressure? I installed ME880's this spring and have no complaints yet. I run 36psi in the front and 42 psi in the rear. On the OEM Bridgestones, I was at 36 and 40, and did get the howl in leaning corners. Since the new tires, there are no howls anywhere......yet.

Some tires seem to cup even if you do keep a close eye on the pressure, my Me880's were bad for it and my current Dunlops are fine so far. But it doesn't hurt to keep your eye on the pressures.

macmac · 08-09-2010, 05:19 PM

Heavy cupping? I don't like straight. Of course road surfaces can create noises straight as well.

If I must err, I tend to try on the conserivitive side of things. It is hard to make a judgement call on something no one but you can hear.

AlabamaNomadRider · 08-09-2010, 09:20 PM

The tires can make a lot of noise especially if they are cupped. Do you actually here a grinding noise as in metal? If so I would definitely get it checked out.

sneedvegas · 08-10-2010, 09:30 PM

The previous owner put the Bridgestones back on. They have about 8k on them and are cupped. They make the same noise as everyone else describes. Its interesting that I have more movement and noise in a left hand turn though. Gadget's page has an article about why tires wear quicker on the left. I also have a rattle when on gravel or bumpy roads at slow speeds. I think its the radiator bushings, but who knows. I don't feel it in the handlebars, so its not in the forks. Bottom line is that the front ends on these bikes seem to produce alot of character in the tires and connected parts.

bobcat · 08-13-2010, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vf24renegade

Hi All,
Now that it's been 1000 degrees here in the sunny south, I have noticed something. Having read about the 'normal' noises, I am a little paranoid as to what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Also, I have V&H pipes, so it's hard to hear some things.

In the afternoon, when the bike and the roads have had a real good opportunity to heat up, I have gotten the tire growl when leaning and turning. However, sometimes I get the same feel (vibration/grinding feel) when I am in a gear lower than 5th. 99% of my riding is at highway spped, but in slower areas, riding in a lower gear (30 -40 in 3rd or 40 - 50 in 4th) I'll feel that same affect with varying intensity and it will be on for a few seconds, then off for a few seconds. It goes away when I pull in the clutch and it seems to also go away when applying power but I'm not sure. I thought it may be the fan coming on, but the clutch affecting it kind of makesme rule that out. I don't get this in the morning, when everything's cool (bike or roads). Sorry, I don't have more empirical evidence but I am a little concerned. The bike shows no performance degradation that I can tell. Getting 38 - 40 mpg. 99 Nomad 1500.
Thanks

VF24 is the vibration you refer too like running your fingers down a washboard that you feel in the floor boards and its intermittent if so i have felt this too and would like to see the results.

vf24renegade · 08-14-2010, 08:07 AM

I don't hear a sound because the pipes are too loud, or the sound is soft and non-threatening. I don't know which. Have you ever had your disc brakes on a car wear down to the metal and grind against the rotor when you put on the brakes? That's what it feels like to me. Before anyone writes about the brakes, it was an analogy.

08-09-2010, 06:03 AM	#1
vf24renegade Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Davisboro, Georgia Posts: 56	Still learning....noises and vibrations Hi All, Now that it's been 1000 degrees here in the sunny south, I have noticed something. Having read about the 'normal' noises, I am a little paranoid as to what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Also, I have V&H pipes, so it's hard to hear some things. In the afternoon, when the bike and the roads have had a real good opportunity to heat up, I have gotten the tire growl when leaning and turning. However, sometimes I get the same feel (vibration/grinding feel) when I am in a gear lower than 5th. 99% of my riding is at highway spped, but in slower areas, riding in a lower gear (30 -40 in 3rd or 40 - 50 in 4th) I'll feel that same affect with varying intensity and it will be on for a few seconds, then off for a few seconds. It goes away when I pull in the clutch and it seems to also go away when applying power but I'm not sure. I thought it may be the fan coming on, but the clutch affecting it kind of makesme rule that out. I don't get this in the morning, when everything's cool (bike or roads). Sorry, I don't have more empirical evidence but I am a little concerned. The bike shows no performance degradation that I can tell. Getting 38 - 40 mpg. 99 Nomad 1500. Thanks __________________ 1999 Nomad + 2000 Drifter 800 Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

08-09-2010, 08:50 AM	#2
billmac Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,472	Still learning....noises and vibrations Tough to help with noise and feel issues over internet. My first thought is V-Twins are noisey and vibrate. I assume you mean more usual. But why in the afternoon? Maybe the oil has less viscosity? Is it time for an oil change?. My second thought was my bike acted similiar when I made the mistake of putting a Metzeler ME880 tire on the rear. Anytime I leaned there was an annoying growl. The tire is now laying out in the yard somewhere collecting water where it belongs. I keep it to remind me not to buy another one. My last thought would be did you just recently put the back end of the bike back together. Could be something is in a slight bind. I felt this one time and it improved when I lifted up the rear and loosened the axle, moved and jiggled parts, and re-tightened the axle nut with slightly less torque. Just guessing here. Trying to diagnose is difficult over the computer. I thought I would offer my two cents before the good mechanics on this forum wake up. :)
	0

08-09-2010, 09:11 AM	#3
vf24renegade Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Davisboro, Georgia Posts: 56	Still learning....noises and vibrations Hey Bill, Thaqnks for the ideas. I changed the oil recently just after I bought it with Rotella T6. This may be a wait and see if it gets worse or more definitive. __________________ 1999 Nomad + 2000 Drifter 800
	0

08-09-2010, 11:05 AM	#4
macmac Sr. Contributor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tamworth New Hampster 06 1600 Posts: 12,484	Still learning....noises and vibrations How many miles on what ever tires do you have and what are these tires? Tire noises leaned over are very common on Nomads with some thoudands of miles on them The stock oem bricks are the worst for howeling. metz run 2nd to them in howeling with some miles on, even ny dunlop ft whines now with 5,000 miles on it in courves and iot sounds like someone at a distance is honkin a car horn which scares me as it is at random. If you have 45,000 miles on the bike or more and never looked and inspected the wheel bearings it might be a good time to to sych them out too. Lock the ft fork and see if you can make the wheel wiggle with opposing forces. Same deal on the rear. __________________ 06 1600 Nomad Just call me Mac molon labe come and get it
	0

08-09-2010, 11:18 AM	#5
vf24renegade Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Davisboro, Georgia Posts: 56	Still learning....noises and vibrations Hey Mac, The bike has 23,500 miles on it. The tires are Dunlops and I do get the roar in curves and leans sometimes which I attribute to the tires because it stops when I straighten up. The growl/grind I refer to happens in turns, straight, whenever. I hope it is the tires. They were on the bike when I bought it so I don't know how many miles are on them, but they have a good amount of tread depth left. That may be something else for me to change but I hate to when there's so much tread and just to mollify my paranoia when there's life left inthem. Thanks __________________ 1999 Nomad + 2000 Drifter 800 Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

08-09-2010, 03:03 PM	#6
MAS Tequila Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Psychiatric Ward FL Posts: 3,429	Still learning....noises and vibrations Run your hand over th tire. I'll bet you that one or both are cupped. My front is cupped and howls like a banshee. MT __________________ MT 2016 FLHP Psychiatric Ward FL VBA 936
	0

08-09-2010, 03:14 PM	#7
danleb75 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Grand Falls, NB Canada Posts: 83	Still learning....noises and vibrations Is it correct to say the all improper tire wear can be attributed to improper tire pressure? I installed ME880's this spring and have no complaints yet. I run 36psi in the front and 42 psi in the rear. On the OEM Bridgestones, I was at 36 and 40, and did get the howl in leaning corners. Since the new tires, there are no howls anywhere......yet.
	0

08-09-2010, 05:19 PM	#9
macmac Sr. Contributor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tamworth New Hampster 06 1600 Posts: 12,484	Still learning....noises and vibrations Heavy cupping? I don't like straight. Of course road surfaces can create noises straight as well. If I must err, I tend to try on the conserivitive side of things. It is hard to make a judgement call on something no one but you can hear. __________________ 06 1600 Nomad Just call me Mac molon labe come and get it
	0

08-09-2010, 09:20 PM	#10
AlabamaNomadRider Sr. Contributor Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Boaz, Alabama Posts: 13,742	Still learning....noises and vibrations The tires can make a lot of noise especially if they are cupped. Do you actually here a grinding noise as in metal? If so I would definitely get it checked out. __________________ Gene Cross, Jr. Boaz, Alabama KawaNOW/VBA #1181
	0

08-10-2010, 09:30 PM	#11
sneedvegas Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morristown, Tennessee Posts: 123	Still learning....noises and vibrations The previous owner put the Bridgestones back on. They have about 8k on them and are cupped. They make the same noise as everyone else describes. Its interesting that I have more movement and noise in a left hand turn though. Gadget's page has an article about why tires wear quicker on the left. I also have a rattle when on gravel or bumpy roads at slow speeds. I think its the radiator bushings, but who knows. I don't feel it in the handlebars, so its not in the forks. Bottom line is that the front ends on these bikes seem to produce alot of character in the tires and connected parts.
	0

08-14-2010, 08:07 AM	#13
vf24renegade Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Davisboro, Georgia Posts: 56	Still learning....noises and vibrations I don't hear a sound because the pipes are too loud, or the sound is soft and non-threatening. I don't know which. Have you ever had your disc brakes on a car wear down to the metal and grind against the rotor when you put on the brakes? That's what it feels like to me. Before anyone writes about the brakes, it was an analogy. __________________ 1999 Nomad + 2000 Drifter 800
	0

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