Hissing sound on right side of bike

[Jre257]

Hello,I am new to forum,and I am glad to be here,now that I have my,new to me,99 interstate.Just a beautiful bike
These bikes have always been a favorite of mine they are so refreshingly new to look at,and here other than the common house hold Harley that is every where,lol.Got a couple questions and maybe it is because I am used to my 03 Voyager ,engine sound,but here we go.
1. I notice a hissing sound on right side of bike sound like it is around air box.The sound pulsates like one thousand one..one thousand two...,etc.Not real loud but concerns me.I practically saturated the bike with propane to check for vacuum leak.Nothing,idled fine.

2.bike is a bit rough off bottom when accelerate,not bad ,but it may have been sitting for awhile,so seafoam.

3.noticed a bit of engine noise on left side ,like a small clunking,but seems to pop up when engine warm.Think it is at the back of motor near the shaft connection to drive shaft.My notes with bike show that the universal has been replaced.

Over all though,the bike runs really well,through all rpm ranges accelerates  very well,not bad shifting,nothing.Handles great. So...is it me,just different bike noise etc.Thanks for any response.

[hubcapsc]

Valkyries suck air centraly from under the tank, you'll see how the air box
sits and its intake the first time you take the tank off... I don't have a
guess about the hissing...

When I first got my bike I wasn't used to hearing all the sewing machine
noises from the engine, I was more used to hearing the noises from
my vibrating Harley and its exhaust :-) ... I remember letting Daniel
Meyer listen to it at one of the Johnson City InZanes and he just smiled
and said to go riding...

Look around on this site's Shoptalk link and check out valkyrienorway.com,
besides all the other stuff there you can find the FSM at the Valkyrie Document Center
link there.

-Mike

[Valkorado]

Make sure your intake hoses are properly seated and the screws snug, especially the top ones that connect to the octopus air box.  You will need to slightly lift your tank to get at them.

[rug_burn]

It might be good to take a mirror and a good flashlight and get familiar with the hoses under the tank going to the carbs:
  You got your drain lines at the bottom of all carbs, usually not a problem;  then the vacuum lines on the intake tubes by the head on 4 of the 6 carbs.  The other two will have plugs.  then you got the one unique one on the side of the #3 carb.    If any of these are cracked or missing, they'll be making a hissing noise, and the engine will run poorly.
 
   On mine, for some reason, it has started to make a chirping noise like an intermittent whistle from the right front of the engine, in time with one cylinder, around 1000 to 1200 rpm only when under a little bit of a load.   I need to get down there with the 1/2" hose-to-the-ear trick and figure out where it is coming from.    And that's something you may want to try, too for any strange noises you hear.

  But in general- I love your enthusiasm-  Valkyries are one of a kind, and you gotta love the look of them.   It's all about the engine, almost to the point of being insane.    But what a sweet, smooth engine it is, pulling smoothly from about 300 rpm all the way to redline.   You basically can't wear that engine out. 

[WintrSol]

The crankcase vent and drain are on the RH aft side of the air box; if they slipped off, you could hear air rushing there. Also, that drain tube is supposed to have a plug in it at the bottom, near the rider's peg; if that is missing, you may hear entering through there.

If all the other hoses are properly connected and in good condition, the roughness may just mean you need a good carb sync. If you provide your general location, one of use may have the sync tool you can use.

[gordonv]

Hello and happy riding.

1. I notice a hissing sound on right side of bike sound like it is around air box.The sound pulsates like one thousand one..one thousand two...,etc.Not real loud but concerns me.I practically saturated the bike with propane to check for vacuum leak.Nothing,idled fine.

Unless it's affecting the bike, just go out and ride. Meet up with someone else and hear how their bike sounds. Adding your location in your profile would make this easier, getting local help or meet ups.

2.bike is a bit rough off bottom when accelerate,not bad ,but it may have been sitting for awhile,so seafoam.

Berrymans B-12 would be better. 1/2 can in half a tank of fresh fuel. Run the bike in the RPM range that you think is the problem.

Mine is running fine, but I'm going for a 500 mile ride tomorrow, and just dumped a 1/2 can in my IS full tank. Not having troubles at all, but a good time to run it through the carbs.

3.noticed a bit of engine noise on left side ,like a small clunking,but seems to pop up when engine warm.Think it is at the back of motor near the shaft connection to drive shaft.My notes with bike show that the universal has been replaced.

I would research for u-joint, pinion cup, and rear roller bearing symptoms.

While you're at it, look up hydro lock and rear end maintenance. Something you want to know about, and something you want to make sure is done.

[Jre257]

Great info ,thanks folks,I live in northwest indiana,and I am going to look into all your input.I think I am on right path.Yea the bike is strong,went Bmv today for plate,kept laughing at how,when in 3rd gear I could pop throttle and bike growls to go lol.

Thanks,

John.