Still have an undiagnosed "clank" in the left rear area.

[John Schmidt]

More pronounced when I first start rolling and hit a bump, then seems to taper off unless I hit another good bump. Almost sounds like the left shock, Prog. 412s on there, 12".  Does anyone know if one can break down internally so that when you hit something causing the shock to depress it will clank or clunk...scientific terns!  I've looked all over that side and can't find anything loose, had the bag off and checked the shock....seems ok but that's only external. I even looked at the left swingarm bolt area and it hasn't moved. Guess it could be bad internally and the original setting be undisturbed. Sure hate to have it come unglued at highway speed, that's what happened to Grumpy and really mess him up. I had one suggestion....the sidestand spring might be too weak to hold it up tight. So when I hit a bump it will bang against the stop. Time and weather permitting, tomorrow I might try tying it up and take a spin around the block. Be great if that was it, just seems to far forward for where the noise is coming from.

[Pete]

Broken baffle in a muflier???

[old2soon]

All the bolts that hang exhaust system to bike-are they intact? Bag mounts snug? Knowing you I'm spinnin yer wheels! Broken bag mount? Anything rattiling around in the bag? Hope you find out what ever is wrong the easy way. RIDE SAFE.

[Tfrank59]

Here's an idea, have you thought of taking off the rear bag left side and anything else that you can to see if you can eliminate the clank or Hear better where it's coming from?  And you have replaced your shocks with aftermarket ones – do you still have the OEM shock, could you put that on there and ride it?

[Patrick]

Hmmm, my first thought is a bushing. But, I'm sure you checked them first. Well, actually that was second. First I thought of something jumping around in the bag. But, I have an idea that you checked that too.
The caliper isn't bouncing around is it ?
The spring and baffle are good places to look.

[ValkISDan]

A way to potentially rule out a clanking shock is to wrap it in a towel to insulate it from noise. Take it for a brief spin and see if the sound is now muffled if not its probably not the shock. I would be willing to take her for a ride and help if your going to be at Inzane

[John Schmidt]

A way to potentially rule out a clanking shock is to wrap it in a towel to insulate it from noise. Take it for a brief spin and see if the sound is now muffled if not its probably not the shock. I would be willing to take her for a ride and help if your going to be at Inzane

Thanks Dan, but I won't be at InZane this year. I had a choice to make; do IZ or visit my daughters in Wisconsin. I hadn't seen my girls in three years and that was while I was in the hospital so Wisconsin won. Wrapping the shock is an idea I hadn't thought of....have to give it a try. It really does sound like it's coming from the shock but hard to tell while riding.

[indybobm]

Just make sure the towel does not get into the wheel while moving.
Can you swap the shocks from side to side?

[Tfrank59]

Just make sure the towel does not get into the wheel while moving.
Can you swap the shocks from side to side?

No because they're different at the bottom.  But he if he Still has the OEM Shock he can try that back on there

[Tfrank59]

Just make sure the towel does not get into the wheel while moving.
Can you swap the shocks from side to side?

No because they're different at the bottom.  But he if he Still has the OEM Shock he can try that back on there
[/quote

my bad..the shocks/bushing are the same on both sides, just the lower bolts are different--he can switch shocks and check that way.

[Moonshot_1]

Patrick might be on to something with the brakes. I once had a clanking sound on the front end though and it sounded like a shock problem. Clank when ever you'd hit a bump. And it was a rather loud clank. One day I noticed that when I had the brake on and hit a bump, no clank. It was a pad that the tension spring had not been replaced, let's say, properly.

So try and find some bumps to make it clank and then hit'em again with the brake on and see if it still clanks. If it doesn't then you know it is brake related, if it continues then it is not.

You make no mention of any handling anomalies and I would think that if it was indeed the shock you would be experiencing some handling difficulties.

[John Schmidt]

Re. handling I've not noticed anything obtuse. The rider is probably more so than the bike.    You would think something that clanks as loud as this does, it would be easy to find. So far it has eluded me, just don't want something to come undone while riding, that has a tendency to turn a beautiful day into a bad one.