"My motorbike's making a funny noise!"

Well I rode down to Sydney yesterday to visit the importer and when I got back I stopped at the pub for a beer before riding home. On the short hop home I didn't bother puting my ear plugs back in and when I got home I found that my bike has developed yet another weird knocking noise from the top end! a low pitched 'Bonk, Bonk, Bonk' noise at about a 1/2 second interval, it sounds like it might be cam chain related but I really don't know as I think the period is too long for that

Anyway it doesn't affect performance and is probably only really noticeable by me over all the other squeaks, groans, rattles and knocks that my bike produces! It really is by far the most mechanically noisy of any motorbike I've ever owned! A sort of rolling, two-wheeled cacophony! How they ever got the A5 motor through noise emissions I have no idea, they must of filled it up with sausages and banana skins or something! When I do finally get round to puting the roller top end on I'll probably end up all paranoid because it'll be far too quiet!

Pete

Bang, bang, chitty-chitty-bang-bang we love you...

Should have worn the earplugs, then you would be oblivious!!!!!


Stevie

I have a loose something in the front of my bike. I can't notice with my earplugs in. Which I wear very religiously

DM

I never got the ear plug trend...
I cannot for the life of me, ride with my ears plugged (especially with such a good sounding mill), it freaks me out.
I've installed a radio on my helmet so I can talk to the wife when we ride but she's the one doing the talking really. lol

Wow. Now I NEVER ride without earplugs. (Mill still sounds great.) I learned years ago that for me (and by that I mean - I'm speaking for myself here) wearing earplugs made for less fatigue when riding. 4 hours without plugs and I had a headache and was tired and cranky. Earplugs allowed me to ride for 6+ hours without a complaint. YMMV

by all meens earplugs 95% of the time. Today I rode about 5 miles without them with an open face Shoie RJ air and the wind noise has my ears ringing. I was a an MC mechanic getting something and he commented that my valves sounded noisy. Well it's almost due for adjustment, so perhaps it is abit loud. Of course he's not a Guzzi mechanic so....

Earplugs are compulsory for me now. Many moons ago, I used to listen to bands such as ACDC before they became famous - position? right in front - maximum ear damage. I need to protect what's left of my hearing.

I use re-usable silicon plugs that keep the noise down 28dB. When you first put them in it's like you have gone deaf, but after a few minutes you ears/brain adjust and the music is still there (as is all the other noise) but down in level somewhat. I can't stand it now when I don't have plugs in - sometimes they break and I don't have a spare set...

Hearing protection. Absolutely. I have been wearing earplugs while riding for YEARS and my hearing is very good.

DM

What did you say?

We're all different and that's a good thing...
If I was to ride with an open face helmet at above 60mph for example sure, it'd be too noisy for too long.
But I'm paranoid if I can't hear what's going on around me at all times.
If a squirrel farts, I wanna hear it. Not smell it though

big plus 1 on hearing protection...i use the foam type , buy them buy the box of 200 $ 25.00 cdn
Best to follow the instructions as there is a right way and a wrong way to insert them.

Grisonut wrote:

We're all different and that's a good thing...
If I was to ride with an open face helmet at above 60mph for example sure, it'd be too noisy for too long.
But I'm paranoid if I can't hear what's going on around me at all times.
If a squirrel farts, I wanna hear it. Not smell it though

Your paranoia is unfounded in this case. Try earplugs some time. They don't eliminate noise, they just lower the decibel level. Makes for a much more enjoyable ride.

Well I worked 10 years with rock music, (between 20 and 30). now 53 and since 6 years I have tinitus, that is you have noise in your ears all day, 24/7. And I hear bad, wearing hearing aids now else I can't understand people. Damage to your ears never repairs, and is cumulative, so whats not bothering today can still be damage. And once you go over a certain level of damage, it's to late.
If you ever have noisy ears after riding, you got a piece of damage. Damage depends on how long and at what loudness you were in the high level sound.

DungeonMaster wrote:

I have a loose something in the front of my bike. I can't notice with my earplugs in. Which I wear very religiously

DM

I've had an annoying rattle and vibe that sounds like it's coming from underneath the tank. I managed to fix a tinny rattle by welding up the broken exhaust hangar under the gearbox ( do they all break here ? ) but that didn't cure the harmonic rattle up front, if anything it made it worse.
So while admiring her beauty over a beer or 3 yesterday I did a tap-test of everything on the bike, and found the plastic ECU cover rattled against the  frame at the outer edges and the tongue at the top. Screws were tight, so that's not the problem, took him off to put a Small amount of silicon on the touching parts and found a small stone up in there, that wouldn't be helping.
Test ride later today to see if I've cured it.
I've been playing with inserting photos, might have it sorted now

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