Sounds like a Cicada at certain speeds

[Monkeyman]

All the cicadas I've heard have more of a chirping sound than a rattling sound. I'd check your brake pads/rotors. If a rotor is even slightly warped, it can barely touch a brake pad every time the wheel rotates.


Just a thought.

[miltonsain]

speedo housing on mine rattles, sounds awful, but i'm learning to live with it, I just turn the music up a little louder, lol

[Chuck A.]

Originally Posted by Radmod

……………………….
I did install the cam chain extenders but I had a lot of problems with front left side tensioner. I could not get the back bolt tightened the way I would have wanted it.

It seemed to me it could have used one more quarter turn, but I could not get the allen head seated correctly.

Also as i recall I had to use a little bit of lock tight or super glue on to keep the main spring in the well of the cap.

I would check the tensioner. If you didn't get the bolts tight it can suck and blow air from around it like a crankcase vent. Glue on the spring itself? You may have some restriction in the tensioner now, not letting it put the correct tension on the cam chain.

[recumbentbob]

Originally Posted by miltonsain

speedo housing on mine rattles, sounds awful, but i'm learning to live with it, I just turn the music up a little louder, lol

If you know what it is why don't you fix it?
A little foam rubber or weather stripping should do the trick.

[Jllm02199]

Originally Posted by Radmod

Hello, Im hoping someone can help me diagnose a sound coming from my bike that is driving me crazy.

2006 Kawa Nomad 1600 FI
32,000 miles, installed cam chain tensioner extenders from Chucksters Customs a few months ago @ 30,000 miles.

The sound started about a week ago a little over 32,000 miles
It sounds like a cicada at 20 Mph in first gear, shift to second still makes that sound until about 35 mph and if I cruise between 35 and 50 mph there is no sound. It starts again at 50 mph. In those speed ranges it occurs while accelerating, while cruising and while decelerating. One constant is that when I pull in the clutch the sound stops.

The sound seemed to becoming from the front.
I made sure everything was tightened down but the sound still occurred from time to time. Loud enough to be heard over cobra pipes and a full face helmet.

I took off the windshield and lowers to rule out wind noise but the sound still persisted.

Any insight would be much appreciated.

On mine that vibration was the headlight. Check the plugs inside and the mount.

[miltonsain]

I put the new bushings, and it still rattles, after $100.00 and 5 days of trying to get it to shut-up, I'll live with it til winter

[denny 606]

Look at your heat shields and the little slots the clams go through. I had one separate from the shield on the little pinch weld, it was tight to the pipe it just wasn't attached to the heat shield.

[flavor]

I had a noise that drove me crazy. It was the bunched up wiring in the headlight bucket.

[andyvh1959]

My 03 VN1600 Classic is new to me since mid-July this year. It had 30,000 miles on it when I rode it home 300 miles to Green Bay. It has all the classic mods right down to the blocked off reed valves. At least I assume the reed valves were properly removed, all I see are blank block off plates with no hoses attached.

But mine too has this persistent cicada rattle/buzz sound in every gear, right around 2300 to 2700 rpm, in every gear. To me the noise seems to be coming from under the front of the fuel tank. Next time I ride it and hear the sound I'll rest my hand around the bezel on the fuel tank or headlight bucket to see if it dampens out the noise.

For certain I have to find it and get rid of it as it drives me bonkers, its one thing I don't like about my Vulcan.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by andyvh1959

My 03 VN1600 Classic is new to me since mid-July this year. It had 30,000 miles on it when I rode it home 300 miles to Green Bay. It has all the classic mods right down to the blocked off reed valves. At least I assume the reed valves were properly removed, all I see are blank block off plates with no hoses attached.

But mine too has this persistent cicada rattle/buzz sound in every gear, right around 2300 to 2700 rpm, in every gear. To me the noise seems to be coming from under the front of the fuel tank. Next time I ride it and hear the sound I'll rest my hand around the bezel on the fuel tank or headlight bucket to see if it dampens out the noise.

For certain I have to find it and get rid of it as it drives me bonkers, its one thing I don't like about my Vulcan.

Under the bezel,there are 2 bolts holding the speedo onto it,They have rubber grommets/washers,working as dampers,.I put all kinds of lubricants on mine,and around the speedo.Never worked,So replaced them.Then i fitted a rubber seal all around the outside of the bezel,thinking it was rattling on the tank.No joy.Took the tank off,and fitted a 1 inch layer of carpet underlay,all over the shop,so i know there is no metal contact.Poxy thing is still rattling 6hyrs later.If you ever find the cause,i will send you a carton of whatever you are drinking.

[andyvh1959]

WOW!! A carton of Jim Bean Black???!!! I am ALL over that.

Heh, heh, thanks for the reply. Guess I'm on a more involved cicada search than I thought. At least I'm not the only one hearing it.

Maybe I'll take it for a ride without the tank bezel in place. If the noise is gone, its a start to solving the noise issue. If the noise is still there, at least it will indicate the bezel isn't making the noise.

[andyvh1959]

Well, it wasn't the bezel, so the search continues. Next, the headlight and wiring inside. There is no grill on the radiator so its not that. The horn was replaced with a Stebel that mounts behind a fake left side air filter. So the search goes on.

Up here in Green Bay it got up to the low 50s last Saturday. I went to my rental storge unit to get the bikes out since last November. The Vulcan cranked over fine and fired right up, so it got about 30 miles of exercise. My 07 BMW R1200RT, barely cranked. I jumped it on a lawn tractor battery and got it going for a 120 mile ride. Was a good day back in the saddles.

[andyvh1959]

Well, I killed the cicadas. Actually, I got into the headlight shell and found the relay and wires laying loose inside the shell. I zip tied the wires into a tighter pack along with the relay, and then wrapped the pack in a shop rag. Back together and on the road, and the cicada buzz is gone. Ahh,.....now just the sound of the bike to enjoy.

[burly]

Originally Posted by andyvh1959

Well, I killed the cicadas. Actually, I got into the headlight shell and found the relay and wires laying loose inside the shell. I zip tied the wires into a tighter pack along with the relay, and then wrapped the pack in a shop rag. Back together and on the road, and the cicada buzz is gone. Ahh,.....now just the sound of the bike to enjoy.

I had exactly the same symptoms - cicadas at the same speeds and gears. Mine was a loose speedometer cable connector. Tightened it up at the speedometer, and silenced the cicadas. Weird problems...