The mystery noise

[Romeo]

Has anyone experienced a noise that sounds a little like baseball cards in the spokes of a bicycle and stones rolling inside your tire. The sound seems to be coming from the front of the bike, but I know how sounds travel through these bikes and can fool you. It also is present only when the bike is rolling. I have changed out all the wheel bearings. Front and rear.
I have inspected the driveshaft. Pinion cup, replaced the universal joint for no good reason, still the sound persists. I am suspecting the bearing on the rear output shaft, but have never heard of that being a problem. Help, this is driving me crazy. The other thing is this. I have been experiencing this for nearly a year.

[pancho]

Have you checked your speedo drive and cable to make sure everything is good there?

[big poppa pump]

Have you checked if any of the rubber flaps under the front fender has come off?

[mustang071965]

Buzz bolt? rad cross over bolt loose. mine did it for a long time till i found it. it was loose and made a clicking sound

[Valkorado]

Got a mystery sound in the Bullet, have checked all the aforementioned.  First noticed it late last summer.  I'm really thinking the worst noise is coming from under the belt cover, pretty sure I'm hearing a second noise from around the alternator.  Maddening.     I'm determined to track this chit down this summer...

[Beardo]

I had a speed related buzzing sound from my front end, replaced the EBC pads with OEM Honda pads, it fixed it.  Might be worth a shot, cheaper and easier than all the stuff you've tried so far.

While you're at it, maybe go through the proper sequence for tightening up the axle, fork, etc. Another thing that could cause issues and costs nothing to try.

[Firefighter]

Go to shoptalk at the top of the home page I think under tire change. I think your front axle is not adjusted correctly. Many of us have had that trouble. The front axle is not in far enough, left side needs to be flush with the fork. Will make a clicking noise.

[indybobm]

Front axle is probably in as far as it can go.  What people do not realize is that when the front axle bolt is tightened and the left fork bottom pinch bolts are loose, the left fork can be moved left-right along the axle. You have to make sure that the left front brake caliper is centered over the left rotor or you can get a clicking noise from interference between the caliper and the rotor.

If the the caliper is not centered you can loosen the left lower pinch bolts and move the left fork left-right to center it. You do not need to loosen the axle bolt.

When the caliper is centered over the rotor, the left end of the axle will be absolutely flush with the farthest left edge of the fork. If you hold a straight edge along the left side of the fork, the axle bolt should be in line with it.

[Romeo]

Ok, as far as the front axle issue. With the bike on the lift, the front wheel spins freely. I know what you guys are talking about when you dont get the axle all the way in, the rivets on the rotor hit the caliper. That's not happening.
I also ran the bike with the speedo cable completely off, still had the sound.
The rubber flaps are long gone.

[longrider]

I'm with the suggestion of brake pads.  Are they OEM  If not It's likely your noise

[Romeo]

Not the pads guys. I actually pulled the calipers off the rotors and hooked them up on the windshield, noise is still there. Its really hard to locate when riding down the road, but i think it may be coming from behind the tranny cover.

[Firefighter]

Might get up to speed and where you can hear the noise then shut the engine off. Maybe you could tell more, be carefull.

[Beardo]

Is it speed related or rpm related?  Would tell you if it's engine-side of the tranny or wheel side.

[Romeo]

Only hear when the bike is rolling. Don't hear it just pushing the bike though. I tried getting up to speed and killing the engine. The sound was there, it seems to be rotation related, as far a speed goes. I am afraid it may be the output shaft of the tranny or something related to it.

[Firefighter]

One time I did the rear maintenance and put it all back together, always using the manual, and on the test ride I had a noise, don't remember what I think more of a whine. I loosened everything up and retorqued again, axle, four nuts, etc. and noise was gone. Never knew what I had done wrong the first time just happy to have fixed the problem. You said this has been nearly a year, did you change or repair anything before the noise? Can you remember for sure when this noise started?

Not saying you did anything wrong, just trying to help.

[Romeo]

Apparently the mystery noise is coming from a defective output shaft bearing. It is being replaced as we speak

[Hook#3287]

Apparently the mystery noise is coming from a defective output shaft bearing. It is being replaced as we speak

How did you come to that conclusion?