81 GS650L engine "whine" how much normal??

[Guest]

looking for a baseline 35,000 miles on 650L shaft.After searching for a while, I need to ask. what is the normal amount of WHINE? it is engine rpm related.. valves right on the money after 3 shim changes. NOT gear or final driveline. more noticable under 60 mph.. especially at lower speeds and every gear the same. It is very noticable. winds up like turbo.
Cam chain tensioner is working (bolt not tight lol)I can place my fingers on the knob and SLIGHTLY exert pressure and feel the mechanism is working. I had it out when doing the carbs and cleaned it and all was good...bike runs excellent.
I had an exact bike 2 years ago and remember it whined too, but maybe not this much??
recent oil and filter showed nothing abnormal..??? should I just get a looser helmet and make more wind noise??
I may unhook my tacho today and see if it makes a difference.

[tkent02]

I don't know why, but sometimes the alternator whines. On some bikes it's pretty loud. Don't remember, does the '81 650 have helical or straight primary gears? Straight cut gears can whine too. That's why most bikes use helical. I think yours are helical though. Just checked, according to the parts diagram, they are helical.


I don't remember my '81 650 whining at all, so I don't think it's something always found in that particular model.

At any rate the whining shouldn't really be noticeable at any speed above just about stopped.

Maybe get earplugs and ride faster.

[barnbiketom]

I'll attempt to record it today. supposed to be sunny and 60 so my old bones can stand it.. stay tuned!

[tom203]

yes,helical; My hearing is poor, but I hear no whining from mine. You've ruled out drivetrain,will it whine with clutch lever pulled in?

[orourkei]

I had a whining issue with my spedo. I used some lithium grease in the cable and wd-40 in the spedo and it seems to clear it right up. It smoothed out the speedo too. The needle used to bounce all around on me

[Old guy]

Tachometer can whine, mind did, a little lube and it went away

[barnbiketom]

OK is is NOT the TACH or the SPEEDO.
It 'whines' mostly on accel NOT DECEL and a wee little maybe on coast.
It GOES AWAY with clutch pulled in, but of course, that must be unloading something???
I have attempted to upload a youtube vid..I clipped my otterbox onto the sparkplug wire...
I am NOT GRUNTING occasionally.. that must be the phone vibrating hahahha.

http://youtu.be/vFTRts8ucWg

[Old guy]

Just sounds like gear noise. Maybe the bevel gear?

[barnbiketom]

Just sounds like gear noise. Maybe the bevel gear?

The incremental pitch of the whine stays the same no matter what gear it's in. it does not increase in pich according to road speed, just motor speed. if it were final drive it would increase in pitch like a rear end increases in ROAD SPEED. i just dunno if i should ignore it or what.. its almost like the primary gears are straight cut racing like my old dirtbikes had but supposedly not??

[tom203]

".......It GOES AWAY with clutch pulled in, but of course, that must be unloading something???"
I didn't listen , but maybe the needle bearing in clutch is unhappy and whining under load. I'd ignore it for now.

[BigD_83]

Wingsconsin had the same issue with his 650GL. I don't know if he ever described it as a "problem".

[barnbiketom]

Sounds like the wine from crank and clutch basket gears.

Both of my 1100E's have similar sound since new.

Barnbiketom, is the sound way louder when you, for example, roll the throttle on in top gear from a 'low' RPM and does the sound perhaps diminish somewhat as RPM / road speed increases?

Yes that is what it does. it is most noticable at around 2500-4000 then gets much quieter at higher revs..
I have a windshield coming and I'm sure that will make it louder hahaha

[mrbill5491]

Nix on the bigger helmet. You don't want a loose helmet. It can rotate on your head in an accident.

[barnbiketom]

I just looked at EBAY listings for the clutch basket and pics show helical cut gears. poop.

[brownford]

If I'm listening to the correct sound mine does it, and other bikes I have had too. It's been 28 years but it I seem to recall my V65 having a very pronounced whirring sound I think due to the exhaust being so quiet as well as the rest of the engine. I don't know what causes it but it makes me think I'm sitting on a electric motor. My GS is fairly quiet till you wring it out and the only unsettling sound I hear at low rpms is the "cam walk" pecking every now and then.