I did a search but could not find one just like this. I'm not new to Sportsters, so I know about the noises they make. I have about 3500 trouble free miles on so far this year. For about the last 2400 miles or so, my 06 1200-C with a total of about 8500 miles on the bike. I started to notice this just after I let out the clutch in first gear and the bike starts to move at normal take off speeds and is completely in gear, around 10 or 15 mph it makes kind of a high pitched moaning noise with a kind of hollow sound to it, last for about 2 seconds as soon as I speed up it starts to fade away. I can just hear it a little in second gear at low rpm sometimes, It don't seem to do it when downshifting. I have no slippage, and no other odd noises, for a Sportster. Shifts in to gear just fine, just this high hollow moaning sound. Other then this I love the bike. If I take off really slow it don't do it at all.. About 1500 miles back I adjusted the chain and the clutch and the clutch play. I think I did it right. Just to make sure I went out and redid the clutch adjustment, and feer play, about 1000 miles ago,still doing it. Then I loosened up the chain a little and that didn't help. So I put that back to spec. so I don't think thats the problem. My old 1200 didn't make this noise and my Brothers 2000 1200 and a guy I know with a 03 1200 dont do it ether. One last thing when I go over any kind of road that makes the bike vib, I think I can hear the noise just a little. I have spent a lot of time trying to find something loose on the bike but I cant. I cant tell for sure where it's coming from, kind of sounds like it's more from the front and a bit to the right, but it's just to hard to tell. Could this just be a new or normal Sportster noise for the 04 and up I haven't noticed befor ?...
Thanks for any advice you guys may have...

 

hmmmm. Yer right though, that is a bit odd.

 

Sorry, but you lost me with "high pitched moaning". I always thought by definition, moans are low pitch.

 

This sound don't fit any definition that I know of. Just take a low pitch and make it high and you got it. I cant think of any other way to put it. But it's driving me nuts. Tomorrow we are going to the Fowlervill mi, Bike show, and I know that sound will be with me. I wish I could describe the sound better, but I just don't know of a way to make it more clear...

 

its a harmonic vibration that sounds like it is coming from low speeds rather than rpm, check your brake pads and calipers and fender and gas tank mounts. the fenders and tank are prone to making noises like that just becuase of their sheetmetal design.

check anything and everything that is a external moving part or vibrates that is not inside the engine

wheel bearings too!


harmonic vibrations are hard to track, but if you can keep a steady speed and the sound stays until you speed up or slow down then you already have narrowed the list.

 

You say you adjusted your primary chain... and you "think" you did it right... if that is the only thing that has been done recently... then I would recheck that part... I guess you kept rotating the rear tire to find where the chain is the tightest, marked it and then rotated again to verify that it was indeed the tightest point...

Only then can you get correct deflection on the primary chain...

Just a thought...

Charlie D.

 

Mine started to make a Whine at 1500 miles...when i Crack the throttle it goes up and down with the RPM's...like a whirling sound. Almost sounds electric in a way.
Weird.

 

I'd check your primary chain tension for sure, plus your gear oil!

 

I thought the same...but it happens in NEUTRAL as well....coming from the motor itself then right?

 

No, your primary chain still spins while the tranny is in neutral.