If you think it is your chain you might try propping the bike up so the rear tire is off the ground. Take the front sprocket cover off and spin the rear wheel by hand to see if the chain is running smoothly or kinking and/or contacting anything. If the rear sprocket is looking reasonably worn then the front sprocket is REALLY worn, it may be hooking on the chain. I like to start with the simple easy to check things first.
Loud Tapping Noise and Low Fuel Economy (2012 Glee)
Hello All,
I've noticed a worrying noise coming from my 2012 Glee.
Any idea what this could be? I thought it may be the drivetrain, as the sprockets and chain are looking reasonably worn (done about 20k miles year round in all weathers) but surely this would have been flagged at the MOT? Am I OK to keep riding it until it's sorted, or should I stop and get it into the shop ASAP?
4 new items by Albert Brennan
I've noticed a worrying noise coming from my 2012 Glee.
- No noise when running at idle, or revving the bike in neutral (so not the engine?)
- Worst in gears 1, 2, and 3, at lower revs.
- Loud tapping at maybe 3-4 times per second, coming from either directly below me, or from the back end.
- Can feel it through the footpegs.
- Fuel economy has gone down from ~55 mpg to ~45 mpg.
- Bike is at 62k miles, service and MOT just done a month ago, everything but valves.
Any idea what this could be? I thought it may be the drivetrain, as the sprockets and chain are looking reasonably worn (done about 20k miles year round in all weathers) but surely this would have been flagged at the MOT? Am I OK to keep riding it until it's sorted, or should I stop and get it into the shop ASAP?
4 new items by Albert Brennan
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Allabright, the loud tapping 3-4 times a second that you hear can be seen on the video. The chain is slapping. Is your tension set correctly? On another video where you zoom in on the rear sprocket, at about the 32 second mark on the video, it looks like the chain shows it has been hitting or sliding across something that it has ground the radius of the links down to flat spots. Is there a slider that has been worn through and the chain is now sliding on metal? Check the frame area where the chain returns from the rear sprocket to the front sprocket.
Thanks for the advice. I just had it service a month ago, but I believe that they may have set the tension a bit tight. It looks like the chain has worn heavily on the inside, with the links being ground down almost to flat. Does that mean that I need to replace the slider as well? Or should a new chain, properly adjusted, not run on the slider anyway? I have added some pictures to the album.Allabright, the loud tapping 3-4 times a second that you hear can be seen on the video. The chain is slapping. Is your tension set correctly? On another video where you zoom in on the rear sprocket, at about the 32 second mark on the video, it looks like the chain shows it has been hitting or sliding across something that it has ground the radius of the links down to flat spots. Is there a slider that has been worn through and the chain is now sliding on metal? Check the frame area where the chain returns from the rear sprocket to the front sprocket.
I'm guessing the slap seen in your videos is because the chain is too loose. I'd guess that the chain has been riding on the slider while under power due to being too loose, has eaten through the slider, and is riding on the swing arm now. Check and see if that's the case. I can't tell from your photos. You should easily see clean metal there and/or metal shavings/grinding dust in an around that area. Probably absorbed in your chain lubricant. I believe you're looking at part #9 on 2012 Suzuki DL650AL2 Rear Swinging Arm | Ron Ayers . There are a few threads on this forum about similar problems to yours. This one is old, and an older 650, Replacing the Chain Slider but there are some nuggets of info that could help you.I just had it service a month ago, but I believe that they may have set the tension a bit tight.
I think this is probably it, it looks like the chain slider is worn through and I did see some metal shavings in there too. Do you think that the chain slider needs to be replaced straight away, or should it be OK if I just slap a new chain on there and adjust it correctly?I'm guessing the slap seen in your videos is because the chain is too loose. I'd guess that the chain has been riding on the slider while under power due to being too loose, has eaten through the slider, and is riding on the swing arm now. Check and see if that's the case. I can't tell from your photos. You should easily see clean metal there and/or metal shavings/grinding dust in an around that area. Probably absorbed in your chain lubricant. I believe you're looking at part #9 on 2012 Suzuki DL650AL2 Rear Swinging Arm | Ron Ayers . There are a few threads on this forum about similar problems to yours. This one is old, and an older 650, Replacing the Chain Slider but there are some nuggets of info that could help you.
You need a new chain and both sprockets.
Yeah new chain and sprockets as others have stated. Also as noted the chain shows wear from sliding against a surface. I would be taking a good look at the rubber slider on the swing arm to see if it is worn through. If so, take a good look at the swing arm for extent of damage.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
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