Swing arm squeak?

[Randy3269]

When I ride two up my wife says that she can hear a little squeak when we hit a bump. Shock bushings are new and I was wondering if it could be the swing arm? Are there bearings or is it a bushing? How hard is it to grease?

Thanks,
Randy

[Jess from VA]

The seats often squeak. 

[Punisher]

I doubt it's the swingarm.

Are these OEM shocks?   What type of bushings did you put in there?

Polyurethane bushings last longer but can make a noise so use either some dry lube on them or the kind that have something blended in them to reduce friction/noise like these:

http://redeye.ecrater.com/p/18385698/rear-shock-bushings-polyurethane-teflon

I had a squeaking problem with one of mine years ago.  I determined that it was coming from inside one of the shocks, possibly the spring inside it.   As my OEM shocks were getting weak I just replaced them and the squeak was gone.   Don't know if some lubrication could be sprayed in them somewhere to stop the spring from squeaking (or take the shock apart and lube the spring seats with waterproof grease) but I don't think a spray lube would last very long.

As Jess mentioned, the seat has some pads that touch on the frame.  If you are heavy enough to really press the seat hard down on the frame you may even see the wear points in the paint.   I've had my seat squeak before and when I put a dab of lube on those contact points the squeak would go away.

[Chrisj CMA]

Nice guy Punisher, saying you have to fat to make a seat squeak.  His wife hears the squeak...LOL

Seriously, mine had a squeak too it was driving my wife crazy whenever we rode together, only at bumps, so I thought it was a shock as well.  Turned out the be the little "tongue" that goes into the hole that holds the rider seat down in the back.  A wrap of duct tape on that puppy and the squeak was gone.  I also noticed two or three places the seat had rubbed the paint off the frame so I taped those first, that didn't help

[hubcapsc]

When I got my Ultimate seat, I noticed its metal tongue was squeaking... I plasticoated
it and its receptacle...

-Mike "don't drizzle plasticoat on your nice motorcycle"

[Jess from VA]

My Ultimate drivers backrest squeaked in the slab-post mount.  I took a thin tight wrap with electrical tape on the post.  That stopped the squeak, but the tape kind of melted and ran over time and I about had to use a chain fall to yank the bastard out of the seat slot.  So I cleaned that mess off, and am not doing it again.  

I think a little Vaseline or grease on the seat base bumpers may stop the seat squeaks, for a while.

If you have riding music, turn it up and the squeaks disappear.     (Or cobra pipes)

I had a mouse nest in my Vtwin intake/air cleaner.  It didn't squeak, but boy did it smell nasty after the first spring ride BBQ.  Poor little feller.

[bentwrench]

My tourer did that once at around 80k.It was the right muffler rubbing on the end of the axle.I pulled the exhaust out a little and it stopped.I think the belly tank mounts may have pulled it in a little.

[Randy3269]

Thanks guys. Punisher is off the hook....I couldn't hear a squeak if my neck needed oil. Too many years blowing solvent off of clean parts in the machine shop. I'l have a look at the seat.

Thanks again,
Randy