Hey guys - hope to find the source of my troubles here! Running my '86 bagger over the summer, started noticing a weird noise kind of like a bearing squalling - usually at speeds over 50 mph. Today took the OL for a ride and had it occur even more noisily (maybe because we were two up?). First tried swinging the bike side-to-side to see if it was maybe a front wheel bearing - nope.

Pulled over and disconnected the speedo cable - sound WAS somewhat like a bad drive cable inside the sheath (also since I am having some trip odo issues (chipped tooth on one digit)). Take off again, same problem over 50.

Run it back up to 55-60 and shut the engine off - clutch in - noise still there until we drop below 40 - figure that eliminates the engine side of things.

Decide maybe I'm looking at a trans issue - run up through the gears - in 5th at 50 noise getting worse - drop back down to 35 so noise abates - downshift to 4th and accelerate back to 60 - NO NOISE!

Do this routine up to 60 down to 30 - each time no noise in 4th - squalling noise even worse in 5th.

Decide to head home and keep it in 4th and putt along at 45-50 - by the time we get back to our neighborhood (about 15 miles) the noise is starting to come around in 4th gear too!

I'm figuring the added loading on the trans riding two up made it worse today - 5th gear also most stressful on it as well.

Anyone run into this issue in the past? I am not looking forward to a teardown, but the season is coming to an end up here as fall rolls along - anyone with any insight or experience with this - please chime in - I have ridden this bike since it was new and expect it to last me until this graybeard can't swing a leg over!!

Thanks all - hope to hear from ya!

 

Sounds like tranny output bearing to me....its in the right speed range.

 

Ditto Spanners ., its probably the trans. but try raising the bike up and check both wheel brgs. first .
If the noise is as noticable as you say i would not do anymore riding until you fix it . You dont want to have a wheel go nuts at 60 mph. or do anymore damage to your trans.

 

Thanks guys for the replies - and thanks for the confirmation - I will check out the wheel bearings as suggested, but my gut feeling is it IS the trans - I've got the manual out and working out how much of this I can do myself - got a friend who has tools for the compensating nut and some others - will post up my progress - have a great weekend!

 

If yah have the tools and the time then do it yourself, it's not an overly complex job. Make damn sure you have a manual handy as well.