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Yep, can't help thing of the Mental as anything song, Looking for bird.
Bought a Hemi Pacer built in 74
It's got bananas in the gearbox
Rust in every door
better than the other way around I guess.
I had a 71 VG hemi pacer sedan - loved that car's characterful 245 - boy, it'd have some bananas in the doors by now though :jawdrop:
 
It is very interesting that when I talked with a Suzuki Rep on the phone, he said they don't pay any attention to or follow any forums. Too bad for them. It is like sticking your head in the sand. These forums are like gold to me and I have learned a ton from them. Suzuki could too, if they would. I would gladly pay for a fix like John Sykes developed, if I could just get it.
Cupar motorcycles people read whats on the UK V-Strom site. Whether that gets back to Suzuki I don't know. Social media is a powerful tool which business's ignore at their peril.
 
should be put this thread on hold till/unless a problem unfolds?

There is some heat building between a few who are concerned/ very concerned and others who consider constant posts about the noise as "moaning" or trying to garner support.
No-one will change his opinion unless a problem other than noise becomes apparent.


BTW, if anyone wants to hear illegitimate whinging go to "UK Vstrom" .... one guy lambasted Suzuki's new Strom 1000 as a "fail" because the screen buffeted him and his skinny ass got sore on that awful seat.
Most of us expect nothing to suit us perfectly and set about finding solutions, one of the great benefits of shared information on blogs like these - not him though.
You'd expect nothing else from the English...LOL...
 
well next weekend vp of suzuki in the us is going to be at my dealer i want to show up and let him hear it and see what he has to say
 
You'd expect nothing else from the English...LOL...
To be fair I think there's more than a few of us Aussies like this now too - getting soft, wealthy and feeling "entitled" perhaps? Not a pleasant characteristic!

The other thought I had was that there are trolls whose sport it is to sow discontent. That site seemed to have a lot of people blogging to say they had ridden the Vstrom and bought something else - and set about putting us all in our place about how silly our purchase was and how we should all trade them in now and buy a Aprilia Caponord, a Super Tenere etc
I mean, from a psychological viewpoint why would people do that?
 
I can't believe that Suzuki ignores what's said about them on social media. I work in that realm and every large business I know follows social media very carefully. It's become a new industry.
 
Recently, I was able to talk to the Canadian head of tech for Suzuki, through a media connection. I raised the issue of idle hammer. He said that they've torn into a few motors and the consensus is that it is a result of cylinder pressure and nothing to be concerned about if only heard at idle. No affect on engine lifespan. FWIW...
 
I bet the dealers wish they could wrap the engine in soundproofing like a modern car. My buddy owns a dodge dealer so we decided to have some fun and remove all the soundproofing and plastic covers on a magnum. People would come in look at the car go for test drive and buy a different one because there was "something different" about the one with no soundproofing. If you want to hear idle hammer go listen to a r1150 BMW engine. Those truly sound like they are coming apart.
 
hello to all. New to the site. I have a 2014 1000 ABS. The idle hammering I noticed first day I got it home. Not nearly as pronounced but after about 390 miles it started to sound worse. Not knowing that this model may or may not do this, I checked the oil and found it to be starting to turn dark. I figured I'd just change it with the recommended type, weight etc. This did help for a short period but eventually drove me nuts. I then opted, at the 600 mark to change it to a 20-50 blend. this helped a bit. The bike now has 1600 miles on it and the noise this machine makes is noticeable enough for people to turn and look as I come around the corner. It now sounds like a catalytic converter gone bad( think pieces loose in the cat rattling around) mixed with a paint shaker at idle and low speeds. The clutch growl is a completely different thing on my vehicle and clears entirely when the clutch is pulled in. So. am I part of the common issue as most people are stating or is there something amiss since I actually have what appears to be 3 noises occurring individually?.I gave up my DR650 for this bike because I wanted something with more legs on the open highway and more comfort. I look forward to any advice and hoping to put many worry free miles on this bike. Thanks.
 
It sounds like something is seriously not right with the bike. If it is still under warranty take straight back to the dealer. Even if not, you need to get an expert to check it out. It isn't normal.
 
hello to all. New to the site. I have a 2014 1000 ABS. The idle hammering I noticed first day I got it home. Not nearly as pronounced but after about 390 miles it started to sound worse. Not knowing that this model may or may not do this, I checked the oil and found it to be starting to turn dark. I figured I'd just change it with the recommended type, weight etc. This did help for a short period but eventually drove me nuts. I then opted, at the 600 mark to change it to a 20-50 blend. this helped a bit. The bike now has 1600 miles on it and the noise this machine makes is noticeable enough for people to turn and look as I come around the corner. It now sounds like a catalytic converter gone bad( think pieces loose in the cat rattling around) mixed with a paint shaker at idle and low speeds. The clutch growl is a completely different thing on my vehicle and clears entirely when the clutch is pulled in. So. am I part of the common issue as most people are stating or is there something amiss since I actually have what appears to be 3 noises occurring individually?.I gave up my DR650 for this bike because I wanted something with more legs on the open highway and more comfort. I look forward to any advice and hoping to put many worry free miles on this bike. Thanks.
you gave up the DR650 - Nooooooo! you need both :)
DR650s rule. Gem of a bike when modded to your own needs
 
The bike now has 1600 miles on it and the noise this machine makes is noticeable enough for people to turn and look as I come around the corner. It now sounds like a catalytic converter gone bad( think pieces loose in the cat rattling around) mixed with a paint shaker at idle and low speeds.
You won't hear Idle Hammer when coming around a corner. You just don't hear it ( nor will others ) when the vehicle is moving. Only heard at idle with zero load on the engine. Something else is making the noise if it is loud enough for it to turn people around to look at it! These engines make a lot of noise, don't know if that is part of what is going on or the bike just gets attention because it looks good!
 
Also, oil getting dark is natural with time and miles. If it didn't, that would mean the stuff that turns oil black would be coating the engine parts instead of being removed and dumped with the next oil change. It's fine to change the oil at the manufacturer's recommended interval regardless of color.
 
Could the noise be coming through something like a crank case breather hose? I ask because I accidentally started the bike with the oil fill plug loose and it was very noisy. Clearly because of crank case pressures, however the sound was very similar to what the bike sounds like when it idle hammers. I was going to dig around to see if the bike even has something like a crank case re-breather and if it could be the source of some crank case noise.
 
Discussion starter · #216 ·
You won't hear Idle Hammer when coming around a corner. You just don't hear it ( nor will others ) when the vehicle is moving. Only heard at idle with zero load on the engine. Something else is making the noise if it is loud enough for it to turn people around to look at it! These engines make a lot of noise, don't know if that is part of what is going on or the bike just gets attention because it looks good!
This can't be true RS cause I definitely hear it at up to 1500 rpm and even in second. And showing the shop mechs will just have them saying Idle Hammer so what can I do?:confused:
 
This can't be true RS cause I definitely hear it at up to 1500 rpm and even in second. And showing the shop mechs will just have them saying Idle Hammer so what can I do?:confused:
If the noise you are hearing is coming from the crankshaft, and is caused by the same thing that creates "idle hammer", then you are the first and only case where it can be heard at higher rpms, and/or moving. I have followed this for many years, had it in my bike as well.

That is NOT to say you don't have a noise. Some bikes, especially SV's for some reason, are known to have the nut that holds the crankshaft gear that turns the clutch basket come loose. This can and does make noise and can cause a bit of vibration. And it could be the clutch basket itself. They can make some noises when the internal components are worn. I have not been saying much about the 2104 and newer clutch baskets. I have already had them in the shop with the same wear as earlier generation V STroms. So, the chance of noise is there. But I don't think it likely you would hear any of that till above 10K miles or so.
 
Just picked up a 03 with 73,000 km on her for a great price.
In great shape other than I have the dreaded clutch chudder.
After reading the reviews, come this fall I'm going to get the Werk's clutch.
From what I've read on the forum quite a few people just live with the chudder and thats my plan for now.
So my question is, is it a safe thing to do or will I do more harm waiting a couple months?
 
vglider, realshelby is the clutch expert and he can answer that question. Just letting you know that this forum is for 2014+ DL1000's, there is a separate forum for prior years.
 
Just picked up a 03 with 73,000 km on her for a great price.
In great shape other than I have the dreaded clutch chudder.
After reading the reviews, come this fall I'm going to get the Werk's clutch.
From what I've read on the forum quite a few people just live with the chudder and thats my plan for now.
So my question is, is it a safe thing to do or will I do more harm waiting a couple months?
I hear this all the time. Probably why the bike was sold! While this is a 2014 DL 1000 thread, the subject is exactly the same in both generations. So, the short answer is "NO" it won't hurt to ride it. The long answer is that anything that vibrates more than it should is not good for other parts around it. Specifically I suspect the chudder plays a part in the rotor magnets becoming loose. There is no proof, just my opinion.
 
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