Strange noise

[BlacktopTravelr]

Ok, I know what info we are suppose to supply when we ask for help, but I don't know just exactly what it was I heard. I will say I heard a noise coming from the front wheel when I turned the bike. I'm not sure if it was coming from the brake, the rotor or maybe it could have been the front wheel bearings. All I know is that I have to do some more checking before I can ask the board WTF was that noise I heard. Maybe I need to get the torque wrench out and check the front axle to make sure it is torqued correctly. The bike is a 1999 VS800GL with 112,000 miles on it. Don't remember when I changed the front or back wheel bearing. I would guess it was when I put the snowflakes on a couple of years after I bought the bike in '06.

Well, it could be any of a number of things. The back brakes, the back 1400 pumpkin, the rear spacer or any of the things to do with the 1400 rear end swap and then it could have nothing to do with the rear and it could be something wrong in the front wheel. I'll see if I can get it to do it again and I'll do my best to pay more attention to the strange noise and where it is coming from. Wish me luck.

[BlacktopTravelr]

Make sure you include your blood type and the name of your 2nd grade teacher. So many guys forget these things.

Seriously, does your trailer cause any specialized stress?

Well, the bike has never said it gets stressed out when it has to pull the trailer? But the day I noticed the noise I wasn't pulling the trailer.

[BlacktopTravelr]

I don't think pulling a trailer is a big stress thing. The load is down on the hitch and low so it shouldn't (to me) be a big deal. I don't see it any different than riding two up. You just put more weight on the bike for the motor to pull. I've been pulling the HF trailer for years now and the bike acts the same. I have no ideal what the noise was I heard it could be something loose or something wore out. Forgot to add: there are way too many bikes pulling trailer without problems for me to think there is a stress problem.

[Jolsen]

Long as a trailer is loaded correctly it causes almost 0 stress on the bike.

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[BlacktopTravelr]

Long as a trailer is loaded correctly it causes almost 0 stress on the bike.

That is what I was thinking. Now as for the noise, it could be anything from nothing to a rock next to the rotor, to a bearing since it happened when I was turning to the neck bearing going out. You have to remember this bike is 15 yrs old and not a spring chicken. I'll keep trying to hear what it is and get back to the board with my weird noise. :big grin:

[Jolsen]

My dad, uncle, and a few friends have been pulling trailers for over 20 years. Biggest issue that has happened have been flat tires and a broke leaf spring.

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[BlacktopTravelr]

The internet is filled with stories of guys pulling trailers behind their motorcycles for many many miles with no trouble. You can't put 1,000's of miles on a trailer without problems and say it causes stress. It just doesn't happen. Now you may load a trailer wrong and it cause stress, but that isn't because of the trailer. I hope it gets warmer and soon cause I need to find out what that noise is before next riding season gets here.