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Front End Chirping/Whistle

10K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  Old Surf Dog 
#1 ·
My wee has developed an annoying chirping/whistling when I get above 30mph and is less noticable above 60mph, I have been reading that it is possibly the speedometer magnet on the wheel, Do I need to take off the wheel to grease it or is it something I can do without taking off the front wheel?
 
#3 ·
No, This is a brand new sound, It is quite loud.. I thought maybe I didn't put back some plastic correctly when I took the tank off to change the spark plugs but it is beginning to not sound like a wind whistle, It sort of chirps louder as the vibration of the road changes, The chirp/whistle almost goes away once I am up to 60mph.

If it was plastic that is whistling I would think it would be causing at least a slight vibration, No different vibrations even up to 110mph ( I just wanted to see if it still did it that fast and it doesn't seem to be, I can't hear it at least )

I am going to narrow down that it is not the plastic this weekend with a roll of masking tape and just sealing up every crack that I can find.

The noise has me second guessing my tank removal work, I am hoping I hooked everything back up, The tank has 2 hoses connected to it besides the fuel line, right?
 
#6 ·
I had that exact noise develop last summer. Greased the speedo drive and it went away. Yes you do have to remove the front wheel. At least to the point of pulling the axle and dropping it down to get at the drive.
 
#9 ·
Had the same thing 2 years ago. Remove your speedo sending unit, you will find the magnet has no grease on it, remove the collar (magnet) and grease it up. Chirp gone.

Cheers!
 
#10 ·
Well, I think I eliminated that it is the fairings/cowlings causing it, I taped off every crack in the front of the bike and down the sides and it still did the chirping..

I guess it is time to venture in to taking the front wheel off, I can't be much harder than all the crap that is involved just to get to the pair of spark plugs.

Any thing I should know before taking off the front wheel for the first time on a motorcycle?

Also, What type of lube should I put on the speedo sensor, Will the du-pont chain lube work or the silicone spray, or should I just use plain old multi purpose grease?
 
#12 ·
I like Bel-Ray waterproof grease. Besides being an excellent grease, it is compatible with just about any non clay based grease.
 
#13 ·
Fixed my chirping too!

I know this is an old thread but I ran into the same problem with my K5 Wee (68,000 km) this spring... an intermittent chirping/whistling noise coming from the front end. I checked for a loose hose or something but couldn't find where it was coming from.

Then I found this thread and immediately went out and jacked up the bike and spun the wheel... there were indeed a couple of squeaks from the speedo sensor unit so I pulled the front wheel, took apart the sensor and gave it a good greasing.

Went for a ride today and no more chirps! Thanks guys for posting this. :)

- Martin V.
 
#15 ·
Bringing up an old thread again but my bike has started making the same noise and I thought I had read about it being the speedo in the front wheel so I just did this search. It's so annoying that my wife turns off her headset so she can't hear thru my mic when she is riding next to me. I will pull my wheel and grease it up and see if that kills that darn noise! I'll report back when it's done.
 
#19 ·
That is something I will certainly do from now on because it did the trick. Cleaned and greased and no more chirping noise! I just would like to say to "yesbut" that my wife and I will be riding thru your beautiful country in one month! Renting motorcycles from Te Waipounamu Motorcycle tours and riding for two weeks from Auckland to Christchurch. We can hardly wait!
 
#21 · (Edited)
I copied this from the website:
14th February - 27th February 2016

Itinerary:


Week 1

Auckland

Rotorua

Hawkes Bay

Wellington

Nelson

Nelson

Hanmer Springs

Week 2

Franz Josef

Queenstown

Queenstown

Dunedin

Mount Cook

Christchurch

Tour Includes 13 night's accommodation in deluxe quality hotels, lodges and farm stays. airport transfers, 11 dinners, 13 breakfasts, Maori cultural evening, Larnach Castle, Interisland ferry tickets. Motorcycle with unlimited kilometres, luggage van and guide on motorcycle, full insurance. Maps and full itinerary/route guide.

Not sure exactly which days we will be in which towns. I will be riding a BMW F700 GS and my wife will be on a F800 GS. I know I want to do the Shotover Jet Boat Ride while we are there. We will be spending 2 days in Nelson. I think that means we have a free day to ride where we want. Actually we can ride where ever we want as long as we get to the hotel at the end of the day.
 
#23 ·
Take the sensor off and it pulls apart. Put the grease where the two parts touch.
 
#25 ·
It's on the front axle between the left fork leg and wheel hub.

 
#27 ·
That's how it's done. Prop up the bike with the front wheel off the ground, loosen the pinch bolt on the other fork leg, and you'll need a 12mm hex tool to take the axle out.
 
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