Sort of a whistle sound

[chag67]

I hear sort of a high pitch whistle sound from the engine when it is in gear and I'm cruising at any speed above 30 mph or so. It may make the noise then too but I can't hear it over my pipes.

 

Any one know what this could be and how to make it stop? It is getting annoying.

 

I read somewhere that it might be from straight cut gears used on the clutch basket. This said to take it to a dealer and have them swap out the clutch basket for the "I" clutch basket. I have no clue what that means.

 

Does that sound right? If so, how much should that cost me?

[chag67]

After reading more, I'm not so sure it would be the clutch basket. The clutch basket rattle is when the bike is in neutral and the clutch lever is released.

 

The whistle I am talking about is a whistle that happens while its in gear and I'm cruising at 30+ mph. My M50 Boulevard made a similar whine/whistle. I am confused.

[steamer]

This is the most common complaint about the RSV. It is the straight cut gears on the clutch basket. most RSV have this problem, some way worst then others. Most commonly know as clutch whine. You can change out the clutch basket to the "I" basket and hope it corrects the problem. I believe Yamaha will change it out under warranty. Or do what most of us do and turn up the radio.

[SilvrT]

sounds more like a driveline noise ... probably the gears in the pumpkin. Clutch basket will whine at a specific rpm in most gears ... generally around 2800 - 3100 rpm if I recall correctly.

[cowpuc]

Hey Chaq, take a close listen in this video, if you fast forward to :36 and then play till I shift gears at :46 you can get a little bit of an idea of clutch whine. Is that the kind of sound you are talking about? I have never owned a 2nd Gen but have been told that the "whine" is even a little more noticeable on them BUT, I have also been told that the rpm range when it happens is about the same on both - all my 1st Gens have had it, so does my V-Max, right up to about 3100 r's when it instantly goes silent - if you watch closely in the vid you can see that when I shift right around 2600 its starting to get pretty high pitched..

 

[chag67]

Cowpuc - that is exactly what it sounds like but not as loud. It also makes that noise when I let go of the throttle and slow down.

[SilvrT]

Cowpuc - that is exactly what it sounds like but not as loud. It also makes that noise when I let go of the throttle and slow down.

 

That is definitely the "clutch basket" sound. I had that on my '85 as well as my 2006. I installed the " I " basket ... made a bit of difference but not enough to satisfy me. It's actually the gear on the basket meshing with the primary output gear off the crankshaft. If I remember correctly, the standard basket is a " G " .... next is an " H ", then the " I " .... it has to do with how the gear on the basket is cut and the tolerance between the teeth on it and the primary gear.

 

This is a well known and documented "fault" (for lack of a better word) that Yamaha recognizes and thus came out with the " I " basket to rectify it. That said, it doesn't always work because the gear set is not and never was a "matched" set.

 

As for the cost... approach the dealer and request Yamaha replace it under warranty. They did it for me and many others. That is not to say they are still doing it though. If not and you can do it yourself, you should be able to get the " I " basket for under $200 I believe. It takes appx 1/2 hr to do the job if you know what you're doing and depending on how many beers you go through while doing it will only increase that time exponentially LMAO!

 

If you search the site for "clutch basket" or I-basket or I basket you should find all the info you need.

 

I think I did a writeup on this so I'll go look for it.

[SilvrT]

Here's a thread showing what to look for that denotes it as a "G" or an "I" ...

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?42428-Clutch-Basket-Do-you-have-a-pic

 

Pics I posted are a "G"

 

Further down Freebird posted an "I"

 

I couldn't find any writeup that I did.

[cowpuc]

I too would have to agree with the others, if that is the sound and it is limited to the rpm range - then indeed, clutch whine. I have a hunch (maybe others with Gen 2's who are reading this will take a listen to the vid and give us an opinion of whether they agree) that if yours is not as pronounced as my 1st Gen in the Video than yours is actually on the lower end of the "Whine Scale" of a lot of 2nd Gens.

I have no idea if the "I" basket will rid your scoot of ALL of the whine - it seems like someone mentioned to me at one time that their 2nd Gen's original clutch whine was wayyyyyyyyy worse then Tweeks (the bike in the Vid) and that the "I" basket repair they had done brought the whine down to about her level.. I only point that out because, if that is true and if yours is already less verbal than Tweeks is than I would have to question whether its possible for an "I" basket repair to actually make things worse - make sense?

We need to get some folks involved in this with more experience on these scoots than I have,, lets see if I can perk up some lop eared varmint ears that just popped into my pea brain for you..

@Squidley , @Freebird , , @Skydock , @GeorgeS , @Eck , @MiCarl , @dingy , @Venturous Randy, @Carbon_One , @Condor , @ragtop69gs , @Yammer Dan , @DragonRider , @bongobobny , @StarFan , @BigTom , @videoarizona and @allyouotherfolkswhoImissedcausemybrainwentblank =

 

Stick around Chaq,, this could get interesting

Edited November 21, 2015 by cowpuc

[cowpuc]

And before that gang of hi-way men come on here and start I have a question to toss out to em.. Years ago I had a Virago 750 that had some really bad starter issues (sounded like it had rocks in the starter drive). Checked around a little and found out that this ailment was common on a lot of Virago's.. I got the bike for free (mainly because of what I am referring to) so I figured what the heck - I'd tear her down and see if I could come up with a fix.. I ended up taking my dremel tool an cutting some relief on the starter gears (beveled their leading/ meeting edges back to about midway of the gear face). WOW did that work awesome!!

I have never really minded the clutch whine on my 1st Gens (been around gear driven superchargers a little - always LOVED that sound of POWER - another flaw in my charactor) and never tried this but I wondered if cutting some relief in the basket and mating gears might just quiet way down - any of you geniuses ever try it?

Edited November 21, 2015 by cowpuc

[rbig1]

Try a different oil. Made a difference on mine. But had to put fiber discs and main spring. It still has a whirring sound but that is normal as far as I'm concerned. Sound a lot like tweeks. Its a lot like the old 13 speed roadrangers in big trucks. Sound of a steady heart beat. lol almost forgot puc I have two viragos that sound like loose marbles when starting. I just put up with it as it still turns over. Gives ya a sense of is it going to work. Or puke parts

Edited November 21, 2015 by rbig1
add reply

[MiCarl]

Try a different oil.

 

I wonder.... chaq67 - you've been a member for over 2 years. Have you had that bike the whole time? Is the sound new recently? Did you just change the oil? Perhaps the different oil makes the sound more pronounced.

 

One of my neighbors at the shop has a 2nd gen and he says the gear whine is driving him nuts and one day he rode it to the shop. I told him that I didn't hear him coming which is unusual because I can generally hear Yamaha primary gears a block away. His really is not as bad as many.

 

If you're hearing the same sound as in cowpuc's video there is no cause for concern, it's normal and typical. Your bike is not self-destructing. If it's annoying you turn up the radio or try a different oil.

[MiCarl]

...Or you could do like cowpuc and just pretend you've got a turbocharger.

[vzuden]

It's the sound of a high quality machine!!! Just keep telling yourself that and the noise won't seem as bad?????????

 

My 2007 had it pretty bad and just before it went out of warranty I had the dealer install the I basket. I don't think it helped much. My current bike, 2012 model, has no whine or very little. So I am wondering if maybe Yamaha changed something for the last two model years.

[chag67]

I've had the bike over 2 years and I've always heard the whine since I bought it used. I honestly thought that it was just how motorcycle engines sounded because my M50 Boulevard did the same thing. I bought it used as well.

 

I only brought it up because I was looking at the specs of my bike online to get the exact dimensions. I'm looking to buy an enclosed trailer to hold my bike and the wife's CanAm Spyder F3S. There was a comment on the page I was visiting that talked about the whine. Only then did I realize that I was hearing the same thing with my bike.

 

I'm gonna try a different oil. It's due for an oil change now any way. I currently use the Yamalube. Any suggestions of oil that might help?

[cowpuc]

...Or you could do like cowpuc and just pretend you've got a turbocharger.

 

Supercharger Carl, Supercharger:big-grin-emoticon:.. A Turbo sounds ok when its spooling up but nothing like the gear whine of a scoot after ya drop a gear driven Supercharger on her!!

 

 

Try a different oil. Made a difference on mine. But had to put fiber discs and main spring. It still has a whirring sound but that is normal as far as I'm concerned. Sound a lot like tweeks. Its a lot like the old 13 speed roadrangers in big trucks. Sound of a steady heart beat. lol almost forgot puc I have two viragos that sound like loose marbles when starting. I just put up with it as it still turns over. Gives ya a sense of is it going to work. Or puke parts

 

 

I wonder.... chaq67 - you've been a member for over 2 years. Have you had that bike the whole time? Is the sound new recently? Did you just change the oil? Perhaps the different oil makes the sound more pronounced.

 

One of my neighbors at the shop has a 2nd gen and he says the gear whine is driving him nuts and one day he rode it to the shop. I told him that I didn't hear him coming which is unusual because I can generally hear Yamaha primary gears a block away. His really is not as bad as many.

 

If you're hearing the same sound as in cowpuc's video there is no cause for concern, it's normal and typical. Your bike is not self-destructing. If it's annoying you turn up the radio or try a different oil.

 

It's the sound of a high quality machine!!! Just keep telling yourself that and the noise won't seem as bad?????????

 

My 2007 had it pretty bad and just before it went out of warranty I had the dealer install the I basket. I don't think it helped much. My current bike, 2012 model, has no whine or very little. So I am wondering if maybe Yamaha changed something for the last two model years.

 

:lightbulb:Or, maybe Yamaha is instructing its latest model of the Gen 2's owners to use a different oil - a LOT has happened over the years in synthetics and all that.. @vzuden, what are you using for oil in the 2012 and what are you using Chaq? If the noise bothered me and I was thinking of swapping out clutch baskets and all that, I would at least try an oil change first.

Edited November 21, 2015 by cowpuc

[chag67]

I use the same Yamalube that the Honda/Yamaha service dept here in Montgomery uses. I have an extra bottle in the shed. I check tomorrow. Too late and don't want to wake up the wife. Bad things happen when I do that.

[cowpuc]

I've had the bike over 2 years and I've always heard the whine since I bought it used. I honestly thought that it was just how motorcycle engines sounded because my M50 Boulevard did the same thing. I bought it used as well.

 

I only brought it up because I was looking at the specs of my bike online to get the exact dimensions. I'm looking to buy an enclosed trailer to hold my bike and the wife's CanAm Spyder F3S. There was a comment on the page I was visiting that talked about the whine. Only then did I realize that I was hearing the same thing with my bike.

 

I'm gonna try a different oil. It's due for an oil change now any way. I currently use the Yamalube. Any suggestions of oil that might help?

 

I use the same Yamalube that the Honda/Yamaha service dept here in Montgomery uses. I have an extra bottle in the shed. I check tomorrow. Too late and don't want to wake up the wife. Bad things happen when I do that.

 

Definitely sounds like your headed in the right direction Chaq, hopefully it all comes down to as simple as swapping oils out to get her to the point where its to your liking. It will be interesting to see if Vzuden is using something different in oil than what you have. Thinking about it, it seems like if it were that easily solved that they would have sent a memo to all Gen 2 owners to swap to the new oils:think:

Very interesting thread my friend!

[Venturous Randy]

My 83 with 160,000 miles on it had what I suspect was the typical 1st gen whine. It was a little noticeable, but not to the point of being irritating. Before I replaced the engine, I ran some Rotella 15-40 for a while and it did seem to make a little difference. Since I had picked up another 83 engine with 30,000 miles, I decided to put the 2nd gen trans I had bought in it and see how I liked it.

I did not have the original clutch basket that came with the 2nd gen gear set, so I used the one from the low mileage 1200. When I got it together, I was surprised at how loud the whine was from about 2,500 to 3,100 RPM,s. I then pulled it apart and used the clutch basket from the high mileage engine. The noise was reduced noticeably, but is still too loud for me.

The amazing part to me is how much change there is from 3,100 to about 3,200 RPM,s in how much quieter it is. It just does not make sense that it could change SO much, given that the same set of gears are still in operation.

I did some research on gear whine and read a lot about frequencies and stuff, but not anything that I found as useful that I could use. And yes, I have also thought about sacrificing a clutch basket to a Dremil grinder to see if it made any difference.

Randy

[MiCarl]

I honestly thought that it was just how motorcycle engines sounded because my M50 Boulevard did the same thing.

 

All straight cut gear sets are inherently noisy and most Japanese motorcycles use straight cut gears in the primary drive (connection between the engine and transmission). How the various tolerances stack up will make a difference in how noisy they are, that's why switching clutch baskets (the driven gear is part of the clutch basket) can make a difference in the sound. The oil coating the teeth can quiet them thus the suggestion a different oil might make a difference.

 

Sounds like it didn't bother you until you read about it. Your best course is probably to forget what you read and move on to other things.

[Du-Rron]

You want some whistle and whirr.... check out the Honda CTX1300

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl0CQrqdOpI

Edited November 21, 2015 by Du-Rron

[vzuden]

@vzuden, what are you using for oil in the 2012 and what are you using Chaq? If the noise bothered me and I was thinking of swapping out clutch baskets and all that, I would at least try an oil change first.

 

i have used the same oil in both bikes - Yamalube from the local dealer. I had about 40,000 miles on the RTSD when I traded it in on the 2012 last year. This one has around 15,000 miles now

[SilvrT]

So I am wondering if maybe Yamaha changed something for the last two model years.

 

I don't believe any of those components were changed ... seems to me from 1999 on up it's a "hit and miss" whether you get a whiner or not.

 

Similarly for the 1st gen's. My '85 had a whine ... my '87 didn't... granted, the engine was different (1200 vs 1300)

[slowrollwv]

Mine has a whine in 3 rd gear. The good thing about that is I am not in it very long.

[bongobobny]

Want to eliminate the whine?? Leave her home next time...