Ok so I admit I don't know as much as you folks here, so I can only learn as much as I can. I had my bike out heading back from the flea market on the other side of town... Absolutely a beautiful day to go riding. Early that morning I had checked the fluids and all the other per ride stuff, found nothing out of order. Got all the way over there with no problems, but as we were coming home I was just getting in tune with the motor and started hearing a slight grinding sound coming from the right side of the engine or tranny but I only notified it when I gave it a little more fuel. Talked to a good friend of mine that rides a Wide Glide and asked me if the oil was at the proper level. Even after I got it home with no problems I let it sit for 15 mins and checked and the oil was right where it was supposed to be. So here is the question... What I was hearing, could the motor still be going thru some break-in? During the first 500 miles I really didn't push the motor at all, but since have been on the throttle a little harder, but getting the rpm's above 4000. I have to take it in for it's first service next week but plan to see what they tell me then.

 

Breaking in the motor shouldn't cause it to make new noises. Does the noise change when your speed changes? Does it do it in all gears or just one (or more) in particular?
The answers might be helpful when you bring it in for service. You want to be sure that whoever road tests your bike knows where to look for the problem.

 

Was the kick stand up? Thank god for warrenty's.

 

Had the same issue when I was breaking in my 11 FXDC. Everytime I got on the gas when making a right-hand turn, I was scraping the rear heatshield bracket on the lower muffler. I dialed up the rear shocks, they were on 1 out of 5, and now I no longer drag my ride...

 

It was in 6th gear on the interstate when I heard it. Something else was that I only heard it when I got into the throttle

 

Best guess is your lugging it. That's being in too high a gear for the speed, or more precisely, the load you're putting on the drive train. That sixth gear on a Harley is an overdrive gear and meant for high speed cruising not for accelerating. Think about cages with automatic overdrive transmissions you've driven. At speed when you floor the gas pedal to pass someone or climb a hill the transmission (all by itself) drops into a lower gear.

I have the same style transmission as you in my bike, but it's a different brand, and if I get into sixth gear too soon I get a sound I'd characterize as a clattering more than a grinding noise, but that's just a subjective description. Generally on flat ground with a light load (solo) you can stay in 5th gear until around 70-75 mph or so. But cruising in 6th gear at say 55-60 mph the bike won't accelerate without complaining and it will voice that complaint with weird noises.

Btw, during break in, yes, you want to vary the RPM and not over-rev it, but lugging the motor is the absolute worse thing you can do. And that goes for anytime not just during break in.

 

That throws my idea out the window. There have been a number of post over the years about the noise 5th gear makes. Appearently all the gears in the tranny are angle cut except for the 5th gears, they are straight cut. That makes them louder than any other gear.

I don't know why 5th gear is different from the others.

 

Maybe it was your teeth!! Lay off the crank yo!

 

Nick we were running 70 to 75 mph when it was heard. But now I was looking at another thread about the Switchback and now wondering if it might be a vibration I was hearing. Rpm range was about 3000 to 3500. I was behind my buds WG who runs drag pipes on his

 

Gee, I don't know then, except to say Harleys are a lot like woman. They all sort of work the same way but they all make different noises. Another thing to consider is something everyone that learns to fly a airplane knows. When you begin your first solo cross-country flights (not really across the country but from one airport to another) you're at altitude just cruising along and because you're new to flying you're just hoping like hell nothing mechanical goes wrong. Then you start hearing things. It's called auto-rough. And usually it's nothing more than your imagination as every little sound gets magnified into you thinking the engine is about to fall off its mounts.

The only other thing I can suggest is something is indeed loose. An exhaust pipe mount, the bags if you're running them, etc, and the only way to find that is to go around the bike pulling, pushing, and trying to shake every part on the bike. Also a tire, wheel, brake disc assembly being out of balance can be very speed related and cause unusual vibrations.

If it's something obviously loose the dealer may stumble across it, but if it's something else (and once they peek at the critical fasteners) they probably won't spend much time tracking it down.

Since you mentioned you were a bit new to bikes one good tip is most folks find stuff amiss on their bikes while cleaning them. Going around the bike with your cleaning rag forces you to focus in on things both visually and physically.