Metallic Banging Sounds

[DIGGER]

Just did a 2,700 mile trip on my 2001 Valkyrie and the bike performed flawlessly .    Today I rode 60 miles to my favorite place to eat breakfast and at slow speeds I'm hearing Metallic clacking and banging sounds I think in the drive train as when I am stopped I don't hear it.   It's not rythmic but just all over the place like maybe there is something in the rear end that is lying lose with gears turning hitting it.   Bike has 103,000 miles.   Had both wheel bearings replaced at 75,000 miles    it mostly does it at low rpm when stopping....some times taking off.    Sounds almost like a piece of metal on a string being drug on the pavement and it is bouncing up hitting the rear end.....but there is nothing there.     Don't hear it at highway speeds.........ujoint?......wheel bearing?.....no wobble that I can feel.

[Bighead]

Dont know but sounds like you need to jack her up and look under her Skirt.

[sandy]

Do a rear end service with a good look at the U joint. I heard those noises once and it was the U joint.

[gordonv]

I don't expect it to be this, but just saying.

That happened to me. Turned out to be my ignition key on it's key ring with other keys. So now I have a single loose key for the bike, one on my home key ring, and one loose on the bike as a hide-away.

[JimC]

Wheel bearing going out?

Jim

[Jess from VA]

Could you have dropped any exhaust header nuts?   Or rear mount bolts?

If you can't find it with the bike on the side stand, you can put the bike on the jack (just enough), and run it in gear (carefully).  At idle, the rear wheel will spin.  You can then look and listen for the noise off the bike, blip (not bang) the throttle, use a short hose to the ear, or wiggle the bike on the jack.  Find it before the fan noise starts.  Stop the wheel with the rear brake pedal before shutting the bike down.

I've lost both a Ujoint and (left rear) wheel bearing, and I felt both of them thumping the pegs under my feet (though both made noise too, but more grinding/squawking than banging).

(I thought this thread was going to be about staying in motels and having to listen to the people next door doing the dance with no pants.  After a few hours it can really get irritating.)

[Chrisj CMA]

Do a rear end service with a good look at the U joint. I heard those noises once and it was the U joint.

This. And don’t delay. I predict you will be horrified when you see how bad your ujoint is busted.

There is a procedure in Shop Talk to remove the ujoint without removing the swingarm

[DIGGER]

Could you have dropped any exhaust header nuts?   Or rear mount bolts?

If you can't find it with the bike on the side stand, you can put the bike on the jack (just enough), and run it in gear (carefully).  At idle, the rear wheel will spin.  You can then look and listen for the noise off the bike, blip (not bang) the throttle, use a short hose to the ear, or wiggle the bike on the jack.  Find it before the fan noise starts.  Stop the wheel with the rear brake pedal before shutting the bike down.

I've lost both a Ujoint and (left rear) wheel bearing, and I felt both of them thumping the pegs under my feet (though both made noise too, but more grinding/squawking than banging).

(I thought this thread was going to be about staying in motels and having to listen to the people next door doing the dance with no pants.  After a few hours it can really get irritating.)

Hrs????

[Jess from VA]

Could you have dropped any exhaust header nuts?   Or rear mount bolts?

If you can't find it with the bike on the side stand, you can put the bike on the jack (just enough), and run it in gear (carefully).  At idle, the rear wheel will spin.  You can then look and listen for the noise off the bike, blip (not bang) the throttle, use a short hose to the ear, or wiggle the bike on the jack.  Find it before the fan noise starts.  Stop the wheel with the rear brake pedal before shutting the bike down.

I've lost both a Ujoint and (left rear) wheel bearing, and I felt both of them thumping the pegs under my feet (though both made noise too, but more grinding/squawking than banging).

(I thought this thread was going to be about staying in motels and having to listen to the people next door doing the dance with no pants.  After a few hours it can really get irritating.)

Hrs????

Yes, several times it was hours (maybe with short breaks) (and thin walls, and sounding like a sack of cats in heat).  Twice I was with my wife (both of us laughing)..... but I mean how can I compete that that?   I couldn't go hours even at 18.

Thus the irritation.  

[DIGGER]

Could you have dropped any exhaust header nuts?   Or rear mount bolts?

If you can't find it with the bike on the side stand, you can put the bike on the jack (just enough), and run it in gear (carefully).  At idle, the rear wheel will spin.  You can then look and listen for the noise off the bike, blip (not bang) the throttle, use a short hose to the ear, or wiggle the bike on the jack.  Find it before the fan noise starts.  Stop the wheel with the rear brake pedal before shutting the bike down.

I've lost both a Ujoint and (left rear) wheel bearing, and I felt both of them thumping the pegs under my feet (though both made noise too, but more grinding/squawking than banging).

(I thought this thread was going to be about staying in motels and having to listen to the people next door doing the dance with no pants.  After a few hours it can really get irritating.)

Hrs????

Yes, several times it was hours (maybe with short breaks) (and thin walls, and sounding like a sack of cats in heat).  Twice I was with my wife (both of us laughing)..... but I mean how can I compete that that?   I couldn't go hours even at 18.

Thus the irritation.  

Toby Keith song.....it takes me all night long to do what I used to do all night long......or something like that

[h13man]

Brake pads get pretty noisy when they need replaced especially the front ones. Indiana roads kinda suck thus hearing this well. My ride has 44,000 mi. and still virgin in the mechanical wear department but... All is quiet as all the pads/brakes just got changed/serviced.

[DIGGER]

Put it in the shop at Honda of Houston....great dealership.....metallic banging turned out to be left rear wheel bearing had collapsed.   Told them to replace both rear bearings

[Ricky-D]

Get them to certify the thrust washer is in place after the work is done.

[DIGGER]

Get them to certify the thrust washer is in place after the work is done.

Dont know aboout a thrust washer.   Can they certify it to me when I’m pick it up after the work is done?

[Jess from VA]

Better just to call the service manager now and get him to ensure one is stuck in there on reassembly. (or rather not left out by accident, as happens from time to time)

[Chrisj CMA]

Put it in the shop at Honda of Houston....great dealership.....metallic banging turned out to be left rear wheel bearing had collapsed.   Told them to replace both rear bearings

Great or not. I would R/R the rear wheel, final drive and drive shaft immediately upon getting the bike off the trailer at home.

[Chrisj CMA]

When I bought BF’s bike it had just come from the dealership to get new tires. I immediately removed the rear wheel and drive train. Not  only was there no thrust washer as was mentioned frequently happens. There was no new grease on any splines. I’m sure they didn’t remove the drive and most likely didn’t loosen the four nuts on the pumpkin. They just popped the wheel off and slapped it back on.

I don’t trust any of them!

[..]

Put it in the shop at Honda of Houston....great dealership.....metallic banging turned out to be left rear wheel bearing had collapsed.   Told them to replace both rear bearings

Great or not. I would R/R the rear wheel, final drive and drive shaft immediately upon getting the bike off the trailer at home.

 

[Bagger John - #3785]

When I bought BF’s bike it had just come from the dealership to get new tires. I immediately removed the rear wheel and drive train. Not  only was there no thrust washer as was mentioned frequently happens. There was no new grease on any splines. I’m sure they didn’t remove the drive and most likely didn’t loosen the four nuts on the pumpkin. They just popped the wheel off and slapped it back on.

I don’t trust any of them!

We did Dale's (Yeah - Just Dale) Standard several years ago at an Ohio VRCC Tech Session. The bike had recently been serviced at a NEOH dealership and he was specifically informed that as part of the tire change, the splines had been greased and new O rings, etc had been installed.

Sometimes it pays to listen to one's Spidey Sense. I immediately told the crew to get the bike on the lift and we disassembled the rear end.

What was formerly splines in the final drive was now mostly powdered rust. I wouldn't have ridden the bike the 30 miles back to his place in that shape. Fortunately, our host (and my fellow coworker) Ike had a spare final drive in great shape. We put this on Dale's bike to get him home and a couple weeks later I helped him swap his rebuilt final drive, new wheel splines, seals and thrust washer back onto his bike.

Suffice it to say he acquired a rather dim view of that particular dealership.

[DIGGER]

What would be a symptom of no thrust washer?

[Chrisj CMA]

What would be a symptom of no thrust washer?

If you wait until the next tire change the wheel hub would be worn. But you will never know riding. Plus if the splines are very slightly mis aligned, you’ll never know until you tear it down and the teeth are gone.

I wouldn’t ride a mile without tearing it down and doing it right for sure. I know. It was the dealership. Yep. I know. You want to trust them. I’ll have to ask.  Do you feel lucky?

[DIGGER]

Gonna call dealership today and tell them to make sure the thrust washer is in place

[Chrisj CMA]

Gonna call dealership today and tell them to make sure the thrust washer is in place

From my experience this is the problem at many dealerships. They have one good mechanic that would probably know how to do the rear end stuff correctly. BUT, that good mechanic usually doesn’t like to do tires and wheels. On most bikes it’s grunt work so one of the less qualified associates does it under the “supervision” of the mechanic which doesn’t always end well for a Valkyrie.