Be aware of your surroundings...

[Hotblack]

I was returning home from a mid Jersey ride with fellow GSer Johnny Aitch a while back when I noticed a sort of moaning, rattling sound develop. "Oh no, I KNOW I don't like THAT sound..." accompanied the sinking feeling in my stomach so far from home. I did the usual routine, it did it with clutch in, regardless of engine speed, did it even regardless of bike speed, except it would die away when I stopped at a light, but returned when I was uderway again. When I let the vehicle in front of me get ahead a little the sound started to recede... Duh! you were behind a HUMMER! All that fretting over perfectly normal sounds.

[mcycle-nut]

Stuff like that happens to me all the time. I'm sitting at a light and hear a weird noise. I start looking around my bike and then discover it's the vehicle beside me. I am an expert in spotting squeaking Ford and Dodge minivan belts! 8)