Dropped the bike today making a u turn. I was barely moving when it fell. Picked it up and took off. As soon as I got up some speed, I felt the vibration. It's a buzzing vibration I feel on both the floorboards as well as both highway pegs. My wife could feel it in her floorboards also. It's not as bad when I get up to around 65-70 mph but it's still there.

I can be riding along and close the throttle abruptly and the vibration is very noticeable.

I've been hearing a squeaking noise from the front part of the bike for a month or so. Today while inspecting for the cause of the vibration I found I could put pressure on the motor mount that goes from the frame across the top of the front cylinder(heim joints) and the squeaking would stop. I can twist the mount back and forth with my fingers. I don't think I should be able to do that.

I just had the Screaming Eagle compensator installed a week ago and I'm wondering if there could be something going on with that.

I can hear a heck of a racket coming from the primary- Most of the noise is coming from the clutch area-maybe transmission bearing? The noise sounds like the sound made by the inner primary bearing before it was replaced.

When I'm traveling down the road and I pull the clutch in and drop the throttle to idle the bike is smooth as silk.

I've checked all around the frame to see if anything from the motor or pipes was touching but didn't find anything.

I find it hard to believe that dropping the bike, especially at such a slow speed, would cause the vibration. I think it is coincidental but I don't know.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

To the top.

 

Not sure how mechanical you are but if you do not do your own work and drop a bike you ought to get someone to look it over. You do not say which side you dropped it on. Thats important to know. I'm sure it put a big load on your rear bag which could have pushed in something directly behind it or actually broken something. When my friend had his King the nut actually was missing on the engine mount you described (on his the nut and bolt were in a vertical plane) and his motor was rocking back and forth a good inch and he assumed it was suppose to do that.

 

+1 I'd agree with that.

 

Right side driver floorboard bracket and exhaust pipe?
Is there a dry bearing noise in neutral with the clutch out?

Mark

 

Thanks for the replies

Sorry, it went down on the left side. The bike never got far enough over to hit the bag or the bag guard. I've checked all around the saddlebag area and engine/primary to see if anything was touching the frame and found nothing.

There is a noise coming from the back end of the primary cover. Sounds similar to the noise that I heard from the inner primary bearing when it went bad. I could hear the noise with the clutch lever out but didn't think of pulling the lever in to see if the noise changed any.

Well, I took it out for a ride this morning rode it about 30 miles and ran it pretty hard. Stopped to get a drink and saw transmission oil dripping from the bottom of the primary. Oil was on the frame towards the rear wheel, on the belt and rear tire and rim. I rode it to the dealer and got a ride home.

I'll know more tomorrow and I'll keep you posted.

 

Best I can tell from reading the clutch hub bearing only makes noise when you pull in clutch since it only spins then. There is a lot on main shaft transmission bearings articles with some good pictures on the forum. From what I read when it goes it takes out the seal on the transmission side also from the flaking of the inner journal. My bikes make a lot of primary noise with 40K. Been in primary once when the alternator rotor spline failed (in my albums) but was not aware of the inner primary bearing thinking the transmission supported the shaft and did not check bearing. Just do local driving and been ignoring the racket. How many mile on your bike? What did your inner primary bearing sound like?

Guess when you "When I'm traveling down the road and I pull the clutch in and drop the throttle to idle the bike is smooth as silk" are isolating the transmission from the engine meaning the vibration/noise is coming from transmission at speed?

 

>>Best I can tell from reading the clutch hub bearing only makes noise when you pull in clutch since it only spins then.<<

That piece of info is backwards....The clutch has to be engaged to turn that shaft. It makes a terrible racket in neutral with the clutch engaged.

Mark

 

Bike has 41,000 miles. The noise I heard when the inner primary bearing (crankshaft, from what the tech told me) was making a roaring noise like a dry bearing-no clanking, clunking or squealing. The noise coming from the clutch area of the primary
sounds similar. The oil leak is probably like you said (bearing taking out the seal). Makes sense.

I'm going to search for those pictures of the main transmission shaft to try and understand what goes on in there.

 

I had a vibration on my road king at about the same speeds you do. What I did is loosen the motor mounts and started the engine in my driveway for about five minutes, then tightened them back up and the vibration gone.