dickey....hey everybody is looking for you in another thread....the dickey date thread! Run very fast!

 

Do you have a gremlin bell?

89 octane is low....91 is better ........ 93 better still. But since you're going downhill, it wouldn't be that. Like Dickey said, try shutting down the bike, or at least pull in the clutch and go to an idle, and see if the ringing goes away.

 

I bet I know what it is - on my RKC, the (useless) spring clip for the windshield vibrates and makes a ringing/jingling noise.

 

Thanks everyone for the excellent detective work.

I'm thinking it's not the engine. Dickey, I'll try shutting off the engine next time, but it might be several weeks before I can try again. Our seasonal spring weather just came back.

In the mean time I will tighten the heat shield and when riding those roads again I'll grab hold of the windshield springs AND I'll tape up that gremlin bell, just in case. There has to be something that takes on a different orientation when the bike is tilted downward and the suspension is compressed.

I will definitely report back when I can test some of the suggestions.

 

I was thinking that if I had just stayed out of the steeper mountain roads, I would be none the wiser

I am actually looking to buy a dual-sport bike (second bike) in the next year or two. Then I can then dedicate my RKC for flatter terrain use. Still I'd like to find and correct the problem.

 

I just purchased a new 2012 Roadking and i hear the same ringing noise..just like an "old school" bell on a kids bicycle. Mine seems to go goes away when the engine warms up completely so i'm pretty sure its the heatshield but i just checked the ring clamps and they seem pretty tight. Next i'll put some rubber bands on the Windshiels spring clips and see if thats it. The other thing i see thats kind of loose is the trim ring on the headlight, its only held on with one screw at the bottom and the top is loose.

JG

 

A ping and a ring are distinctly different sounds.
I had a ringing sound that turned out to be the after market head bolt/spark plug covers were a loose.

 

Nirvana,

I was searching HDForums for a thread on the exact topic you describe. . . I bought a low mileage 2014 Ultra Classic recently and have experienced hearing "phone bells" - - but only on two occasions - - the first time during a long (200 mile) ride in high summer heat (95 degrees) over hilly roads. . the other time near the end of a modest 100 mile ride. . flat roads. . . modest temp (80 degrees). On both occasions, the noise did not recur . . i heard it once during the ride - - this freaked me out abit as had no clue what I was hearing or why - - so pulled over and listened. . the bell sound could no longer to be heard. . . (it only lasted a few seconds on both occasions, since I pulled over once I heard it) . . and did not hear it again on either ride, nor on any other rides.

Thoughts anyone?

Steve

 

You replied to a 9 year old thread, but put me down for Gremlin Bell? Lol

 

Nirvana taped up his gremlin bell and headed off to the mountains to see if that fixed his problem over a year ago, he ain't been heard from since...
On a serious note my spring clip on my detachable windshield vibrates at a certain rpm and makes a ringing noise...luckily it's not at an rpm I ride in alot.