New Noise

[Jim Bronson]

I'm noticing a new noise coming from the left side while cruising. At first I thought it was air going through my helmet vents, but I've ruled that out. It is a pulsating woosh-woosh-woosh with each woosh about every 1-2 seconds, and it varies with speed. The bike runs and starts fine. It is definitely coming from the left side and seems to disappear at idle or when blipping the throttle.

Does this sound familiar? 2015 RK

[HogMike]

I'm noticing a new noise coming from the left side while cruising. At first I thought it was air going through my helmet vents, but I've ruled that out. It is a pulsating woosh-woosh-woosh with each woosh about every 1-2 seconds, and it varies with speed. The bike runs and starts fine. It is definitely coming from the left side and seems to disappear at idle or when blipping the throttle.

Does this sound familiar? 2015 RK

Maybe check your belt?

[Hossamania]

Varies with speed or varies with rpm?

[Rockout Rocker Products]

Tire/wheel bearing?

[motorhogman]

Long shot.. For the second time in recent history I chased a noise that was intermittent and it turned out to be a loose muffler baffle. 

[Ohio HD]

I'd lift the front wheel and check the wheel bearings. Front wheel ABS bearings can die earlier than a non ABS bearings will.

[Jim Bronson]

Varies with speed or varies with rpm?

That's a good question. I'll take it on a straight stretch of the interstate and check. It does seem to vary more with speed than RPMs though. I'll check everything mentioned and report back. Thanks everyone.

[PoorUB]

I might get it off the ground and spin the wheels before I spent much more time on the road. It might be a wheel bearing about 5 minutes from total failure!

[Jim Bronson]

I might get it off the ground and spin the wheels before I spent much more time on the road. It might be a wheel bearing about 5 minutes from total failure!

Point well taken. I'll do that tomorrow

[Jim Bronson]

Still no conclusion. I spun and wiggled the front wheel, listening for odd sounds from the bearings. The tire and belt look good. I still haven't gotten a chance to ride it and listen with a critical ear while I vary speed and RPM. Maybe tomorrow.

[les]

How many miles on the engine?

[Appowner]

Just a SWAG here but could the belt/pulleys/wheel be ever so slightly out of alignment?

I'm thinking the sound could be the result of the belt periodically rubbing against the side lip of a pulley.  That would change with bike speed and stop when the bike is stopped.

Get the rear wheel off the ground and slowly rotate it while watching the side to side movement of the belt on the pulley.  I would think it doesn't have to move much to produce something like this.

Like I said, just a SWAG.

[nibroc]

what's a swag?

.............

[rigidthumper]

Scientific Wild Ass Guess

[Leed]

Well I hope I'm wrong but it could be your main drive bearing starting to go. Mine had me going crazy trying to find where the noise was coming from. It was quiet until about 15 or 20 mph. I replaced the front wheel bearings and cleaned the front calipers without any luck. Well with a stethoscope the front bearings were just starting to fail
Finally put my bike on the lift and raised the rear wheel. Still nothing obvious until I started it up and ran up the wheel to some speed.  Then I heard where it was coming from.

[Jim Bronson]

I started it on the service jack today. I can hear noise, and it is coming from the chain case. I don't know enough to know exactly where it is coming from, but it kinda sounds like some chain slap, the same noise as when the chain is rubbing against something (sort of a grinding sound). It is present with the bike in neutral or in gear. I ran it  up to 30 MPH (on the jack), and it gets a little louder. Does this sound familiar?

[Ohio HD]

On the lift, pull the clutch in while running. That isolates the transmission from movement.

[Jim Bronson]

On the lift, pull the clutch in while running. That isolates the transmission from movement.

In neutral with the bike on the ground, there's no difference in the noise with the clutch in or out.

[Ohio HD]

Has to be in the primary or motor then.

[Jim Bronson]

Has to be in the primary or motor then.

Thanks. That means the primary cover comes off tomorrow. 

[Jim Bronson]

I removed the primary cover, and everything looks OK to me. I didn't remove the tensioner, but the material is hardly scuffed at all. There were no shavings on the magnetic plug, but the chain looks a bit tight. I'm not sure what the deflection of the top strand should be. I measured it halfway between the sprockets, and it deflects 1/4". Does that seem normal?


Thanks.

[Ohio HD]

Chain, cold, about 1/2" to 5/8" up to down at the loosest section. The auto adjusters can over tighten the chain.

[Jim Bronson]

My mistake  . With better lighting and a rigid scale, I can deflect it 5/8" with only moderate effort. I don't see anything else wrong, so it's time to button it up. Thanks again OhioHD. It needed new primary fluid anyway. 

[Ohio HD]

Before putting the cover back on, I'd check the chain deflection at various rotation of the crank, look for a tight spot. Also look to see of by chance the clutch is oscillating when rotated, just in the event (not likely} that the transmission input shaft is bent. If it is, you may see a mark behind the ring gear where it's digging into the inner primary. Not likely, but your there.

Check the compensator bolt for proper torque, probably fine, but your there.

Try to rock the clutch back and forth, grip the clutch basket at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. try to move it, pull with the right, push with the left, switch, repeat. Also with your grip the same, try to push the basket in and out, just to see that the clutch assembly is loose, or the clutch hub bearing isn't shot and loose. I know that with the clutch in the noise went away But your there.

[Jim Bronson]

OK, I'll get those done today.

[Jim Bronson]

I got everything done except for checking the compensating sprocket bolt for proper torque. I don't have the proper tools to do it. I did call my friend, who has been working on HDs for many years, and he said he has never seen one improperly torqued.

I didn't see a trace of metal grains on the plug, so I don't think there's any chafing going on.

There's no evidence of abnormal wear anywhere, so I guess the chase continues.

Thanks again.

[Tacocaster]

As Leed suggested, it could be your Trans. Main shaft Bearing has finally STB. My buddy had one go. He couldn't figure out where the "whrrrr-whrrrrr" sound was coming from when he shut his radio off one day. I found no sound from it while idling or sitting so I took it for a ride on a quiet street, With a little speed on, I pulled the clutch and shut it down. "Whrrrrrr-whrrrrrr".
If you had a way of spinning the rear wheel (belt on)  while off the ground, you could diagnose this pretty quick.

I've replaced two now (both were '07 Touring) and in both bikes the only trans fluid used was good ol' HD Fish Oil! So either the belt was adjusted too tight or that oil was just not lubing the bearing as needed.

[Jim Bronson]

Thanks TC. It's not a whirring sound but more of a pulsating hissing noise. I use Redline Shockproof in the tranny (AKA Pepto). Since that is a popular oil, I doubt it is related to lack of lubrication. I'll listen for it again with the bike on the jack. Maybe I can isolate it further. I appreciate the input.

[Tacocaster]

Yeah, I see I was late to the party and you'd already ruled it out - that's a GOOD DAY!

I liked what Ohio suggested. I've found hub splines half-gone and wear from the ring gear on inner primary's. I realize you don't see these on yours but they are good indicators for other members doing similar research.

[Jim Bronson]

I rode for the first time today since starting the post.

Good news: I can't hear the noise anymore. I listened carefully going down the freeway at various speeds. I didn't replace or adjust anything except the primary gasket and the primary fluid (Spectro). 

Bad news: When I pulled into the gas station (1 mile from my house at the start of the ride), neutral was easy to find. However when I pulled into the garage at the end of the ride, neutral was impossible to find. Regardless of the force, the shifter wouldn't move up into neutral. After I shut down, it went in easily. I added 44 oz of fluid, since it was dry from having removed the cover/gasket and wiping it out. The manual calls for 45 oz. Did I overfill it? It is almost impossible to see the level at the bottom of the clutch basket because the VPC obscures the view. Did I overfill it? I'll check it again with the bike still warm.

Thanks!

[kd]

With the bike upright use a piece of coat hanger or something similar as a dipstick measured to the centre pushrod adjuster.  Check it against the upper portion where you can see the edge of the basket where the clutch discs engage.  Ideally your oil level should not touch those dogs. There is plenty of oil flying around in there to provide lube to those lugs.  Sitting in the oil it can contaminate the discs and surface tension prevents them from being fully disengaged when released.  I think you may have too much lube because the Spectro 80 or 85 is premium primary lube that works flawlessly for me and others.

[Jim Bronson]

Thanks KD. According to the dipstick method, it appears to be way overfilled. I'll just drain a few ounces at a time until it gets back to normal. I wonder how HD defines 'dry'. It must mean removing every molecule of oil before refilling because I removed the primary cover and wiped the inside pretty well, and I still overfilled it using 44 ounces. The manual specifies 45 ounces. I wonder how they came up with that number. Now to figure out how to drain only a small amount at a time.

[kd]

How about mama's turkey baster.     Seriously, you can suck it up a piece of hose and get a couple of ounces each time easy.  Measure it and re-dip it with your stick.  Don't be afraid to be 1/4" or more below the basket.  If you haven't used that Spectro  before you'll like it.  I get a full release filled to below the basket with the Muller arm which barely makes the minimum release travel. It may take a ride to spin those plates clean.

[truck]

Yup, turkey baster with a small plastic tube attached to get past the clutch assembly if needed.

[Jim Bronson]

Thanks guys. I'll get busy tomorrow morning. The Thanksgiving turkey is gonna taste a little 'funny' this year.

[jmorton10]

If you haven't used that Spectro  before you'll like it.

I agree 100%. Thats all I've used since Baker recommended it for the GradgeBox I was installing.

The GB shifts so smooth & quiet I'm not sure I kicked the shift lever far enough at times but it never misses a shift.  I only run 14 ounces of Spectro in my primary because that's what Bandit recommended (& with a solid engine sprocket I don't have a compensator to worry about) for my Sportsman clutch. Once it warms up, I can click into nuetral at a dead stop with no drama 100% of the time.

Once I got my air shifter dialed in right, air shifts are a fun option to pull on my buddies at times 😁

~John

[Jobie]

A new noise........ somebody just shoot me.  Who hasn't heard a new noise on their Harley?  Just ride it and watch your oil levels.

[Leed]

I'm glad you've got it sorted out and it wasn't the MDG bearing!

[Jim Bronson]

More work to do. I removed 4 oz this morning and went for a ride. (gorgeous day BTW). In the garage, I still can't find neutral, but it is better than before. Yesterday the shifter wouldn't budge. Today I can move the shifter from first to second but it always skips over neutral. Since I originally added 44 oz, There should still be around 40 oz left. Can I safely remove another 4 oz? Thanks.

[kd]

IMO absolutely.  I know I do.  It may take a while to clear the plates. 

Try holding the clutch in for a few seconds (first gear) and give it a light blip to break the tension between the plates and then shift to neutral.  Another method that seems to work is from first gear and clutch in, apply light pressure from below with your toe and then blip the throttle lightly.  If the pressure is light enough it should click up to neutral and not beyond.

[Ohio HD]

If the only change was the type of fluid, and if the amount in the primary before the oil change was the OEM specified amount, I'd go back to the fluid you were using before. You have an OEM clutch, both of the guys saying they have no issue have non OEM clutches, and are using less than half the fluid you use. I suspect if you were using the OEM HD primary lube that it's less viscosity than the Spectro. Keep it simple.

[kd]

FWIW I run about 3/8" to 1/2"  below the basket which is way more lube than John.  I also seem to remember the Formula one is very close to the same viscosity.  I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water yet.

[Jim Bronson]

IIRC it had Redline MTL before. I'll need to check my records. I'll drain another 4 oz and check it again. Thanks.

[Jim Bronson]

I'm back from the second test run of the day. I drained a little less than another 4 oz. That leaves a bit more than 36 oz total. Shifting is great, and neutral is easy to find now. Thanks again everyone. Hopefully this thread will be of help to others.

[Tacocaster]

Good to hear you got it.
On that neutral hunt issue, anyone ever note a (too) tight belt causing that?