Whirring noise

[Anonymous]

I have a 1982 GS1100G. The engine sounds perfect when ideling. At higher speeds there is a whirring noise, almost like crickets. When I slightly accelerate I hear it. When I let off the throttle I dont hear it. I thought it might be a speedo or tach cable. I have tightened these & I still hear it. I read the article about the screw on the clutch plate being to long but my bike doesn't make this noise when ideling. By the way my bike doesn't charge. I haven't done the trouble shooting chart for r/r or stators yet because I don't have a meter. Just wondering if the stator would be causing this noise. 8O

[robertbarr]

A 'chirping cricket' sound is pretty much normal for these bikes. Both of my 850's made that sound -- and 'chirping cricket' is almost an exact description. It's a little more pronounced if you have a fairing, which will bounce engine sounds back at you.

These bikes generate a symphony (plethora?) of disturbing noises that are safe to disregard, as long as you have oil pressure. My first 850, with about 54,000 on it, would sound like the crank was going to pound a hole in the case, when the bike was warm & on its sidestand. Just ignore it and enjoy the ride.

It's really, really unlikely that your charging system problem contributes to the noises that your bike makes.

[argonsagas]

Since it doesn't seem to be a serious noise, and it disappears when you release the throttle, the noise may be mild engine ping. The usual recommendation to cure that is to run a higher octane gas. I sometimes get it in mine too, depending on where I bought the gas. I use only 87 octane, but I have noticed the quality of gas varies among different brands, and sometimes it varies even between same-brand stations.


Check your plugs to see their colour and condition, and also if there is any junk sticking to them that could heat up and cause the pre-ignition/ping. You might also run some fuel injection cleaner through your system...add it to the gas. Apart from cleaning the system, it helps to take out any water/condensation you have in the gas tank.

If the bike is not charging, then you must do the full check...start with the wire/cable connections, because they are frequently poor and need cleaning or replacing. For the rest you need a good quality meter, preferably a digital one, but note it should be a good quality one. The cheap ones often give readings that are way off.

Print out a copy of "The Stator Papers" from the In the Garage section on this site, and follow the instructions exactly...don't jump ahead, just follow them.

Regulator/rectifier failures are common on these bikes. I have an Electrex unit, which came with a 2 year guarantee. Works great, and a lot cheaper than replacement Suzuki parts.

Check for other recommendations in the Forum, as some people have reported having used Honda R/R's.

[Jay B]

Chirping

David,
That chirping noise is just one of your Suzuki's little....I'm OK, running great, find me if you can, worry about me noises. I have it on my 81 850 and the way you discribed yours is exactly like mine. There is nothing to worry about.