Bike makes electric sounding whine when moving

[timebombprod]

I wasnt sure where to post this so I started here being that I've only noticed it when the bikes moving in gear. It sounds like an electric whine and it's not a high pitched one its kindove like a constant buzz but not as blaring of a tone. My exhaust kinda overtakes the sound while accelerating and cruising but when I'm pulling the clutch in and downshifting or coming to a stop I'll hear it, and I've noticed that if I press the brakes harder than usual the whir will get a little.higher pitched and then eventually stop when the rpm gets close to idle.


I dont know where to start but I've thought that the speedometer assembly that runs from the wheel to actual speedometer might be worn, but I dont know how thatd explain the sound getting a little louder when I brake harder, maybe it's making the forks go down further causing the cable to bend and stress? Let me know a good place to start!

Its honestly more like a whir than a whine

 

[Redman]

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Let me know a good place to start!
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A good place to start for identifying a whine (or about any noise):
Better identify if more related to speed, or more related to engine rpm. If it starts or ends at some speed or some rpm, of if the pitch changes related to speed or does the pitch change related to engine rpm. In other words is it related to the things spinning with the engine internals, or is it related to the spinning of wheels and shaft. Try something like 4000 rpm in 1st and 2nd and 3rd and maybe 4th if not too much wind noise. THen try 2nd gear and slowly raise rpms thru the range, maybe try same in 3rd also.

ALso see if is more when accelerating, or more when decelerating (with engine, not brakes).

What I said above is just general for identifying strange sounds.

But then you said about it being related to braking......

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I dont know how thatd explain the sound getting a little louder when I brake harder, maybe it's making the forks go down further causing the cable to bend and stress? .....
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THat was going to be my suspicion (assuming you meant front brake).
To see if the noise is from the tacho or speedo instrument(s), leave cable attached at wheel/engine, but disconnect from the gauges.
And then to see if noise is coming from the cable, try disconnecting the speedo cable from the wheel drive unit. And try disconnecting the tach cable from the cam cover drive unit.


On other bikes, not GSes, I have heard noise from the brakepads going over the holes/slots in the disc. Let us know if you have changed anything there.

Also check and see if this "sound is louder" when decelerating with engine braking only (not using braking). And if you feel some vibration. (if so, on a G, you are not gonna like the answer.)

 

[tatu]

The slotted front discs on my 1000S whir a bit when I brake.

 

[timebombprod]

Okay so good news! Its my speedo cable!

I'll probably double check just to be sure but as I recall I didnt not hear the noise when it was disconnected, from the speedo, so it was probably stressed from how it was bent.

 

[Guest]

It's probably the bearing in the base of the speedo housing. They tend to squeal away when they get dry of lube, especially when it is cold. There's lots of threads on the site about lubing them. The cable is probably okay.

 

[timebombprod]

It's probably the bearing in the base of the speedo housing. They tend to squeal away when they get dry of lube, especially when it is cold. There's lots of threads on the site about lubing them. The cable is probably okay.

Spun fine and quiet when it was ziptied upwards on my turn signal lol, but it definitely was close to bone dry! I'll have to check them out.