noisey normal?
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14,564
Likes: 9,223
From: the 50s & the 60s
RE: noisey normal?
98fxd, hmhmnh, where to start??
"this thing sounds loud to me"
Yesss, you are sitting on top of a 96 cubic inch VTwin motor.
"i hear what sounds like chain noise"
There is a steel chain runnin around two steel sprockets at about 4-6000 rpms
and producing 60-70 ftlbs torque.
And this is all happenin about 12 inches below your ***.
"i find the engine pretty loud"
Don't worry here.
When you lose the engine pretty loud,
then you worry.
"the tranny clicks loud when changing gears"
"it actually clicks twice, once going into gear,
and again when i drop my toe off the shifter."
Your transmission clicks????
It clicks twice??
What is the question??
"not to mention its snowing again so riding is out anyway"
Cabin fever.
mud
"this thing sounds loud to me"
Yesss, you are sitting on top of a 96 cubic inch VTwin motor.
"i hear what sounds like chain noise"
There is a steel chain runnin around two steel sprockets at about 4-6000 rpms
and producing 60-70 ftlbs torque.
And this is all happenin about 12 inches below your ***.
"i find the engine pretty loud"
Don't worry here.
When you lose the engine pretty loud,
then you worry.
"the tranny clicks loud when changing gears"
"it actually clicks twice, once going into gear,
and again when i drop my toe off the shifter."
Your transmission clicks????
It clicks twice??
What is the question??
"not to mention its snowing again so riding is out anyway"
Cabin fever.
mud
ORIGINAL: 98fxd
guys, im in the process of breaking in my 07 street bob. im wondering what i should expect in terms of engine and tranny noise. this thing sounds loud to me. when i move my let leg out, away from the horn, i hear what sounds like chain noise. i thought primary but the fluid level is fine and supposedly the chain tension is self adjusting. in general i find the engine pretty loud, not sure how to describe it, kind of high pitched, not a whine, but maybe clicky? don't know if its bad or what. definately louder than my evo. also the tranny clicks loud when changing gears. when shifting under a littl ebit more aggressive acceleration (im still keeping it at like 1/4 or 1/3 throttle) it actually clicks twice, once going into gear, and again when i drop my toe off the shifter. anything sound alarming to you? unfortunately i don't know anyone with a twin cam to help me compare it.. not to mention its snowing again so riding is out anyway.
guys, im in the process of breaking in my 07 street bob. im wondering what i should expect in terms of engine and tranny noise. this thing sounds loud to me. when i move my let leg out, away from the horn, i hear what sounds like chain noise. i thought primary but the fluid level is fine and supposedly the chain tension is self adjusting. in general i find the engine pretty loud, not sure how to describe it, kind of high pitched, not a whine, but maybe clicky? don't know if its bad or what. definately louder than my evo. also the tranny clicks loud when changing gears. when shifting under a littl ebit more aggressive acceleration (im still keeping it at like 1/4 or 1/3 throttle) it actually clicks twice, once going into gear, and again when i drop my toe off the shifter. anything sound alarming to you? unfortunately i don't know anyone with a twin cam to help me compare it.. not to mention its snowing again so riding is out anyway.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
From: denver via chicago
RE: noisey normal?
i appreciate all the input, its been a relief for the most part. but i probabaly should have clarified, im not a brand new tothis.some do a lot more,but i put almost 20k on my last harley in under 2 years, and thats w/ going upsnowboarding in the mountains 20+ times a year, so its not cycle season year round for me (i take a min. of 5 months off from the bike, this year more due to shi^^y weather).i've had several other non-harley bikes too, nortons, and yamahas, etc.i havesome riding experience. so, and i know its hard to evaluate without hearing it, i am trying to get a read on the level of noise that is normal. my last bike i bought with just over 5k and put just under 20k on it.the einginewas not nearly as noisey as the 96ci. this was an 80ci evolution motor. now, do i think people on the sidewalk can hear the motor over the stock exhaust? no? but i sure as hell can! and i can hear it over the wind too. just wonderin if its cool... thats all. it sounds like from mostoff your replies, it is. but being 16 grand poorer im just looking for as much input as possible to put my mind at ease.
mud, yes, clicks, or pops, whatever you want to call it. i know your tranny makes a noise when it engages into adifferent gear from a previous gear... never heard a bike that didn't. and, yes, when switching from one gear to the next it clicks into the next gear and then clicks again after the gear is engaged. or i think thats whats happening anyway. ive rebuilt several tranny's,(1) np435, (1) t-5, (1) th400, and my evo 5 spd, so i have an incling of whats going on in there, but not real sure about the new 6 speed; so i wanted to see what the others had to say.
thanks again. im going to assume everything is cool until my first service. supposed to me nice this weekend, hoping to get at least a couple hundred on it.
you guys are great, thanks.
d
mud, yes, clicks, or pops, whatever you want to call it. i know your tranny makes a noise when it engages into adifferent gear from a previous gear... never heard a bike that didn't. and, yes, when switching from one gear to the next it clicks into the next gear and then clicks again after the gear is engaged. or i think thats whats happening anyway. ive rebuilt several tranny's,(1) np435, (1) t-5, (1) th400, and my evo 5 spd, so i have an incling of whats going on in there, but not real sure about the new 6 speed; so i wanted to see what the others had to say.
thanks again. im going to assume everything is cool until my first service. supposed to me nice this weekend, hoping to get at least a couple hundred on it.
you guys are great, thanks.
d
"Moderator"
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,640
Likes: 952
From: San Tan Valley, Arizona
RE: noisey normal?
I have the same issues as you and the same concerns. I took mine in for its 100 mile and they told me it was "normal". I think they all do it but some more than others. Nothing to worry about in most cases.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 24
From: Minden LA
RE: noisey normal?
That chain/ticking noise is the rocker arms in the heads and is normal for these old style engines. Try putting about 3 oz of good old fashion STP in the crankcase, it sorta acts like a harmonics dampener and won't hurt a thing. I have 73k on my 02 wide glide and it runs great. Rode around Arkansas last weekend and got 51.4 mpg with 2 up, unbelieveable but true. 2 tanks in a row were over 50 mpg but of course the guy leading was on a sik susie and ran at 55----jack
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: North Hills California
RE: noisey normal?
MY 06 ST BOB SOUNDED THAT WAY THE DAY I RODE IT HOME. SOUNDS LIKE A TOP END CLATTER, BUT ITS NORMAL. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, BUT ONCE I REALLY STARTED LISTENING TO OTHER BIKES I FOUND OUT THEY ALL SOUND LIKE THAT. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO MY OL' LADY'S IRON HEAD. (SCARY)
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Hanover, PA
RE: noisey normal?
ORIGINAL: jmpancoast
When I got my 06 Super Glide after riding Honda's fifteen years ago, I thought, "Damn, listen to this thing tap and clunk."
Had a woody ever since.
When I got my 06 Super Glide after riding Honda's fifteen years ago, I thought, "Damn, listen to this thing tap and clunk."
Had a woody ever since.
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
RE: noisey normal?
the double-clicking when shifting gear sounds wierd.
might wanna pay attention to that as you accumulate miles.
defenitly switch to a proper gear-lube in the tranny, and replace it often until you put some more miles on it, and notice if it will quite down. it should.
also try some mineral Jaso-MA rated 10W40 in the primary, and a descent syn engine oil in the crank. should do wonders to the noise level.
might wanna pay attention to that as you accumulate miles.
defenitly switch to a proper gear-lube in the tranny, and replace it often until you put some more miles on it, and notice if it will quite down. it should.
also try some mineral Jaso-MA rated 10W40 in the primary, and a descent syn engine oil in the crank. should do wonders to the noise level.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 770
Likes: 2
From: East NM
RE: noisey normal?
Get some decent pipes and most of that will go away. The second click after dropping the shifter is probably the ratchet pawl dropping into the next notch on the gear selection cam.
The auto tensioner on the primary chain carries some chain noise to the primary case, so you hear it more. You can't slide the transmission back to adjust the primary anymore, so you need that. I suspect that the inspection plug that was on the manually adjusted primaries probably dampened some primary sound too.
The 96 inch engine does tend to be a little louder in the topend. The power output makes me think it has more agressive cams than the 88s and EVOs, and that could contribute to this.
Another sound that you might not be used to is the fuelpump. That seems to be in the tank up where you will hear it the best. The injectors will make a clicking sound too.
The 6 speed gearbox may seem a bit noisy in some gears, but this is because a couple of the gears are straight spur gears rather than helical cut. The reason for this is that the rather tricky machinework needed to fit them with the thrust washers needed for helical gears would be too costly.
Another scary sound you will hear from time to time is that the starter will occasionally disengage with a bang that sounds like the starter drive gear was just launched through the primary cover. This is also normal and will be much diminished when you remember that the fuel injection does not require any manual throttle movement at startup.
The auto tensioner on the primary chain carries some chain noise to the primary case, so you hear it more. You can't slide the transmission back to adjust the primary anymore, so you need that. I suspect that the inspection plug that was on the manually adjusted primaries probably dampened some primary sound too.
The 96 inch engine does tend to be a little louder in the topend. The power output makes me think it has more agressive cams than the 88s and EVOs, and that could contribute to this.
Another sound that you might not be used to is the fuelpump. That seems to be in the tank up where you will hear it the best. The injectors will make a clicking sound too.
The 6 speed gearbox may seem a bit noisy in some gears, but this is because a couple of the gears are straight spur gears rather than helical cut. The reason for this is that the rather tricky machinework needed to fit them with the thrust washers needed for helical gears would be too costly.
Another scary sound you will hear from time to time is that the starter will occasionally disengage with a bang that sounds like the starter drive gear was just launched through the primary cover. This is also normal and will be much diminished when you remember that the fuel injection does not require any manual throttle movement at startup.