New E3 Tires, New Problem

[Kirby]

I've been reading all the posts and everyone seems to have asked all the right questions. It's kinda hard to tell about the bushings that the clutch pins ride in but, are they all pressed in equally?? Looks like some may need to go a little bit deeper?? Like I say it's kinda hard to see in the pictures. Also , what's this in the enclosed picture? Looks like a piece of metal from a bearing cage??

[MikeWa]

Ok this is a very long reach but maybe. Some time ago after having a routine service done on my RSV I noticed it was suddenly very loud. I could hear the transmission wine and when leaning on turns the tires just screamed. Every little lean would screech the tires an I got a clear whomp whomp whomp. I put up with this for several hours on a trip but I was resolved to return to the dealer as soon as I got back and find out what the heck they did to my bike. Must have used water for oil or something. As luck would have it I was negotiating some twisties and trying to adjust the CB (talking to a friend) at the same time. Somehow I ended up on the com volume. It was at max. When I turned it down the stray noises went with it. Since I use helmet speakers my microphone was picking up every little sound and amplifying it into my headset even though I was riding only one up. When they say always on they mean it. Glad I found it before I went back to the dealer. Like I said before, a long reach and maybe dumb to bring it up but it is easy to check.

Mike

[V7Goose]

Appreciate the ideas on final drive gear oil and road testing the tires.

 

RE; final drive oil, I checked the level, its fine but I didn't change it. 11K miles, it should be changed?

 

Ive tested the tires plenty on Saturday when I thought that was the prob. Again this noise can be isolated by working the clutch.

 

thx for the ideas.

andrew

Your final gear oil is not due to be changed until 16,000 miles. However, since you are having strange noises you cannot find, it would be a good idea to change it now, just to take a look at the magnet on the drain plug..

Goose

[ablumny]

Folks, before I tell you how this problem has been solved, I want to once again thank you all for your support. This thread got a lot of action and I appreciated everyones input. When you read my explanation, try and go easy on me !

 

So I wake up this morning with the answer to the problem. It came to me in a dream! I thought about the one thing I did the same every time I removed and reinstalled the wheel. The one thing I didnt change, I didnt do different. I had cleaned, greased and fit this back together many ways but the one thing that was always the same was the torquing of the main axle nut to 110 ft#'s every time with my 1/2" drive torque wrench.

 

I had questioned my torque wrench in the past but now I know to chuck it. I load up my bike with the tools and take it out until the noise returns. On the side of the road, I take the muffler off, loosen the pinch bolt, then the axle nut, re-tighten the axle nut as tight as I can with a regular socket and re-tighten the pinch bolt; muffler back on.

 

Get back on the expressway, same distance as before I get of fan the noise is gone. Continue riding the local roads, then back on the expressway, total ride time after fixing the axle not was 1.5 hours...no noise.

 

Even sadder is that I question my torque wrench because I did the SAME THING to my VStar axle a few years ago with this thing!! I had forgotten all about that!

 

So there you have it.

Thanks again.

Andrew

[gibvel]

Excellent!!!! Glad you found the problem!!

[Seaking]

SWEET!

 

Finally... now get out there and RIDE!! =)

 

Don't you hate it when it's the simplest of things? I usually take my torque wrenches and pressure gauges out to be calibrated every 2 years..

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Wow....so what your saying is that all of our advice was worthless and you figured it out on your own?

 

Dang.

 

Maybe you can get a refund on your membership fee here!

 

 

 

 

 

[V7Goose]

Well, I'm certainly glad it is fixed, but I have my doubts...

 

From your explanation, the only thing you think you found was the axle nut OVER torqued. I say this because I do not believe a normal person can approach 110 lbs with a standard 1/2" ratchet. I routinely tighten my axle nut to max with the normal ratchet, then get a lot more movement on it with the long torque wrench. True, I've never tried to REALLY Magilla that nut with just the ratchet, but it still seems unlikely to me.

 

Frankly, I can't see how this would possibly cause any noise since everything is metal to metal contact and you said you have always been torquing the axle nut before the pinch bolt. The only way I can imagine noise from an over-tight axle nut is if one of the spacers is damaged or installed wrong so that you are putting too much pressure on one of the wheel bearings, and THAT doesn't bode well for the life of the bearing!

 

Anyway, it's good to hear that it is now running quiet. Enjoy, and

Goose

[ablumny]

Well, I'm certainly glad it is fixed, but I have my doubts...

 

From your explanation, the only thing you think you found was the axle nut OVER torqued. I say this because I do not believe a normal person can approach 110 lbs with a standard 1/2" ratchet. I routinely tighten my axle nut to max with the normal ratchet, then get a lot more movement on it with the long torque wrench. True, I've never tried to REALLY Magilla that nut with just the ratchet, but it still seems unlikely to me.

 

Frankly, I can't see how this would possibly cause any noise since everything is metal to metal contact and you said you have always been torquing the axle nut before the pinch bolt. The only way I can imagine noise from an over-tight axle nut is if one of the spacers is damaged or installed wrong so that you are putting too much pressure on one of the wheel bearings, and THAT doesn't bode well for the life of the bearing!

 

Anyway, it's good to hear that it is now running quiet. Enjoy, and

Goose

 

My torque wrench is a 1/2" drive with easily an 18" arm. Easy to get alot of force going. I have no idea what 110#'s feels like so I crank it until the thing clicks on what I belive to be an uncalibrated or damaged device. If I hadnt also destroyed my vstar axle using this wrench I might not be so confident but I did and after tightening the ventures nut only as far as I could with a regular driver, this noise has disappeared. Im also imagining a ton more then spec 'd pressure on the spacers of the shoulder of the axle where the threads are.

 

Im not taking it apart again to see!

andrew

[Condor]

My torque wrench is a 1/2" drive with easily an 18" arm. Easy to get alot of force going. I have no idea what 110#'s feels like so I crank it until the thing clicks on what I belive to be an uncalibrated or damaged device. If I hadnt also destroyed my vstar axle using this wrench I might not be so confident but I did and after tightening the ventures nut only as far as I could with a regular driver, this noise has disappeared. Im also imagining a ton more then spec 'd pressure on the spacers of the shoulder of the axle where the threads are.

 

Im not taking it apart again to see!

andrew

 

OK... Listen closely.. Go take the wrench and put it in the dumpster....

[ablumny]

OK... Listen closely.. Go take the wrench and put it in the dumpster....

 

DONE!

[ablumny]

Well, I did another 50 miles after slippign in my new brake pads, still no noise. While it might not make sense, the overtightened axle nut fixed the prob.

 

....and Im liking the E3's!

 

thx everyone

andrew

[OB-1]

Thanks for the learning experience. I will try not to make this mistake when working on my bike; besides, there's plenty more mistakes I can do on my own.