grinding or scraping noise

[Jimi X]

My Bonnie is a 2001 I have had from new. Over the past year I have felt a small vibration in the bars when slowing or going off throttle. Of course not every time,...That would make things waaaay too easy to figure out!

Last night returning home I heard a grinding sound from the front end while slowing as I approached my home. This time I felt the vibration and heard it! WTF??

I have checked the brakes, lots of pad, no dragging. I removed the speedo cable core and lubed with moly grease and reinstalled. I lubed the speedo drive on the front wheel. The speedo needle moves smoothly. I jacked the bike and spun the front wheel, turns freely with no noise.

Any ideas? This sounds crazy,...But is there anything in the starter drive that can be hooking up and making a noise or causing a vibration? My starter works perfect with no unusual noise, it never misses,...Bike starts first try,.. starter disengages.

My bike as most of you know is very well maintained. This is driving me mad...............

[davidc]

Hmmm...after carefully examining the brake parts, I'd examine the bearings in the wheel, the fork movement, and bearings in the steering head.

[Jimi X]

Dave, I removed the caliper and disassembled it. The pins were a bit gummy so I cleaned all parts lubed with moly, and reassembled. I sprayed a little 12/34 or WD40 into the front wheel bearing and behind the speedo drive. I don't normally use this stuff because they are more of a cleaner than a lubricant. but I am getting desperate. Who wudda' thunk it.....After all these years of wrenching, something this goofy gets me going in circles. :-) I can't think it is anything serious because it has been happening for such a long time. Since moving to Mexico, my bike is almost a daily rider 12 months a year. Still,...The fear of something spinning coming to a sudden halt concerns me. Parts are expensive and I don't bounce so good anymore. :-) I will test ride for a bit but I will check the head bearing tomorrow. Suspension seems quiet when I bounce the front end up and down. fork seals are tight, no leakage.

Thanks for the prompt reply. This site isn't very active but we are a very seasoned group. Replies from the members here are worth 10 replies at any other site.

[gumpt1oo]

Hi Jimi, Is the noise more noticeable when the bike is leaning/cornering? I am thinking maybe the wheel bearings have some wear and the grinding noise is a combination of the bearing noise and the pads dragging the disc? Not trying to tell you how to suck eggs, but if you get the front wheel off the ground, grab the wheel at the top and the bottom and try pull/pushing to see if you have any movement.

[Jimi X]

Gumpt, at this point I am looking for any suggestions! I have rode about 80 kms since removing the brake caliper.. No scraping noise,...But that effin' little vibration is still there,...just when you come off the throttle,..just when the suspension relaxes from forward thrust. I am going to change my fork oil next. It has been in there since 2001,...Maybe it is low and I am passing air bubbles through the valve opening? Time will tell........

Well, it is going to be a bigger job than I thought. Remember the good ole days when there was a drain screw at the bottom of the fork legs? Well NO MORE! I guess Triumph saved the cost of drain screws. I know most guys never change their fork oil but it sure makes the job simpler if you can just drain and refill. So I guess it means removing each leg, one at a time and pouring the oil out. OK,...OK, I could also remove the caps and invert the entire motorcycle and pour it out that way!!! Hey!,...Then I wouldn't need to remove the wheel and fork legs! ;D

[Jimi X]

Gumpt, checked for play in the wheel,...Spins quietly, (slight pad noise, no biggie) and no play in any direction. Tight as a Gnats ass! I am going to take it for a ride around the neighborhood without a lid on. No one gives a $hit here and I can hear better.

Got to go to Auto Zone and pick up some ATF for the forks.

[Jimi X]

Well, This is one for the books,...The vibration I was feeling just after coming off throttle was not coming from the front end at all. The scraping noise I heard one time was unrelated,...Probably a pebble under a brake pad. The vibration was coming from my chain! My chain and sprockets need to be replaced. I knew I was near the serviceable limit for the set. The last ride I took really stretched the chain. It was excessively slack and the sprockets are worn. I lubed and adjusted, almost to the limit of the adjusters to remove the slack. Vibration gone.

I guess with being a daily rider, chain adjustment crept up on me. Who wudda' thunk it,...The effin' chain!

[davidc]

Makes sense to me. Was it the original chain and stuff?
I changed all that at 38k. miles, and the improvement of shifting, smoothness, and quietness was very noticeable. We'll add that to our collective wealth of knowledge!

[Blackston]

hey Guys, just picked up on this post...without wanting to sound like a know it all and especially after reading all the posts I was going to mention transferred or referred vibrations...this has happened to me in the past with similar symptoms but with shaft drive...turned out that the vibration feeling in the front end was actually being transmitted through the frame and appearing in the front end more so when turning at slow speed left or right...had me fucked for ages...did the wheel bearings and fork thing even the steering head and it turned out to be diff related...it wasn't till I started feeling the vibration through the seat that it twigged...so yep, it happens...well found Jimi and well done to all the bro's for there input...family experience and passing on knowledge is the key...

Cheers guys,

Bret....

[Jimi X]

Yep Dave, original equipment. There is 34,000 Kms on my bike. The info I am getting says the sprockets & chain have a life expectancy, with proper maintenance of about 20,000 miles. That puts me at ground zero. I found a chain here in Maz for approx. $200.00 American. The sprockets,...well that is another story.

Guys in my club are encouraging me to have them made here. They claim the sprockets made here will last the life of 2 chains! Hmmmmm,...? I have talked with my buddy Chuy, who actually makes the sprockets, and he says this is true. He says the original sprockets are made of 2 different alloys. The smaller front sprocket being of stronger stuff while the rear metal is softer. He claims that is how they are designed, to both wear out together.

The original sprockets have the teeth removed and new teeth bonded using a special process he has used for re-manufacturing sprockets for commercial equipment. The new teeth are stronger and more durable than original equipment. Other members in my club swear by Chuy's sprockets. Probably 30% of the bikes have re-manufactured sprockets by Chuy's process. If the original sprocket has large cut out areas, then a metal disk is cut, teeth are bonded, the center original piece is bonded if necessary, drilled and the disk cut-outs are made, using the factory sprocket as a template.

Being fancy costs more, (cut outs, less weight and Stainless steel) but anything is possible if you have the pesos! AND they guarantee it will be much cheaper than buying factory replacements.

Blackston, What do you think? What I have seen looks identical to factory sprockets except for a blue line in the metal where the teeth are attached (rear sprockets) and another around where the center component of the original sprocket was re-used on front sprockets. There is no lump of a weld line, just a blue line,...Like gunmetal blue. These are on sport bikes,...right up to HD's and other large cruisers.

I have asked Chuy how the "bonding" is done, but with my Spanish language skills and his protective nature about what he calls a "secret" process, it remains a secret. :-) Small Businesses here in Mexico, when they have a captive market, are very protective about how they do things.

All feedback always appreciated!

[Blackston]

Nov 27, 2013 14:14:25 GMT -5 Jimi X said:

Yep Dave, original equipment. There is 34,000 Kms on my bike. The info I am getting says the sprockets & chain have a life expectancy, with proper maintenance of about 20,000 miles. That puts me at ground zero. I found a chain here in Maz for approx. $200.00 American. The sprockets,...well that is another story.

Guys in my club are encouraging me to have them made here. They claim the sprockets made here will last the life of 2 chains! Hmmmmm,...? I have talked with my buddy Chuy, who actually makes the sprockets, and he says this is true. He says the original sprockets are made of 2 different alloys. The smaller front sprocket being of stronger stuff while the rear metal is softer. He claims that is how they are designed, to both wear out together.

The original sprockets have the teeth removed and new teeth bonded using a special process he has used for re-manufacturing sprockets for commercial equipment. The new teeth are stronger and more durable than original equipment. Other members in my club swear by Chuy's sprockets. Probably 30% of the bikes have re-manufactured sprockets by Chuy's process. If the original sprocket has large cut out areas, then a metal disk is cut, teeth are bonded, the center original piece is bonded if necessary, drilled and the disk cut-outs are made, using the factory sprocket as a template.

Being fancy costs more, (cut outs, less weight and Stainless steel) but anything is possible if you have the pesos! AND they guarantee it will be much cheaper than buying factory replacements.

Blackston, What do you think? What I have seen looks identical to factory sprockets except for a blue line in the metal where the teeth are attached (rear sprockets) and another around where the center component of the original sprocket was re-used on front sprockets. There is no lump of a weld line, just a blue line,...Like gunmetal blue. These are on sport bikes,...right up to HD's and other large cruisers.

I have asked Chuy how the "bonding" is done, but with my Spanish language skills and his protective nature about what he calls a "secret" process, it remains a secret. :-) Small Businesses here in Mexico, when they have a captive market, are very protective about how they do things.

All feedback always appreciated!

So Jimmy have you run these things yet dude? Like fitted them up and ridden on them for a while now?? Im just catching up on posts mate so id be interested to know how they are fairing with wear and are they reliable? like no teeth have sheared off or anything??

Cheers Jimmy

Bret...