Gearbox whine reduction

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Kocho
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

Yes, please record it and share it. I only have three videos of that bike in "action" - you can watch them and let me know if you hear the sound you are talking about. If yes, probably normal. If not, probably should investigate to figure out what is causing it. Could be some debris, could be something else.

https://youtu.be/xIRgH-hXFyE
https://youtu.be/D3rqdpwmd7c
https://youtu.be/72w9nT5j5tg

I went for another ride last night - gorgeous evening, but the roads were clogged with stinking Harleys - and noticed a new noise, or one I had somehow missed on the other two or three rides. When climbing grades and hills, the bike makes an oscillating whine, sort of like a chirping sound that repeats 3-4 times a second, along with the usual gearbox whine under load. Is this also typical for these bikes? I should be able to record it, as it's pretty loud, unfortunately.

LeftieBiker
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

Thanks for the links, Kocho. I was going to search my emails for them, but haven't had the time. I think I do hear the noise in about 3 places over all the vids. Two are on the highway, with the bike going faster than I ride, so the frequency is higher. One is while accelerating after making a left turn, and sounds similar but not as loud. It just occurred to me that the only real change I made from the first several rides to the last one was to add one or two psi of pressure to the rear tire. Did you notice more noise at 36psi than at 35? If the rear of the bike acts like a big resonator, then small changes like that might make the noises louder. The weather here has just turned Crappy yet again, so I won't be back on the bike for at least a week. I'll then ride it again (after inspecting the rear tire for stones) and if the noise is still there, I'll try lowering the tire pressure to 34psi.

Kocho
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

The gear noise from this bike has been slightly "oscillating" since day one, something which has reduced over time. Maybe some of it is still present at harder acceleration? If this is what you hear, don't worry about it.

If the tire is making noises, check for something stuck in it. Also, the Pirelli rear tires I find tend to "scallop" or "cup" very quickly - see examples here:

http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html

I could feel it already developing on this bike after only a thousand miles on the otherwise pretty new rear tire. You can feel it riding the bike slowly over smooth surfaces - the tires will gently shake/vibrate as they roll. I think you need to only gently lean the bike to experience that - the ride is smooth when vertical, rougher when leaned. It is a natural wear pattern. I never had another brand rear tire, so I don't know if they would last longer without it. But I've seen it on my previous bike an on this one, in both cases with tires with many thousands of miles left in them. When the rear tire was brand new, it was smooth. Despite being properly inflated at all times, it quickly developed cupping wich can be felt. I don't think I hear it though, I just feel it.

LeftieBiker
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

I used my smartphone, upside down in my jacket pocket so the mic was facing up (so no video after the start) to capture the gearbox noises from my VX-1. Here is the YouTube url:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0wwfAXyTBU

Please listen especially to the 40 second and 1:35 minute sections. The noise that mainly concerns me is the higher-pitched 'chirping' sound in the background that you can best hear then. Disregard my comments about the enormous device being pulled by a tractor at one point - I talk to myself a lot. ;-)

Aircon
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

I used my smartphone, upside down in my jacket pocket so the mic was facing up (so no video after the start) to capture the gearbox noises from my VX-1. Here is the YouTube url:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0wwfAXyTBU

Please listen especially to the 40 second and 1:35 minute sections. The noise that mainly concerns me is the higher-pitched 'chirping' sound in the background that you can best hear then. Disregard my comments about the enormous device being pulled by a tractor at one point - I talk to myself a lot. ;-)

Sounds the same as mine.

Kocho
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

I think I hear what you are talking about, for example here at just after 20s in the video https://youtu.be/H0wwfAXyTBU?t=23s (as well as around the 1:35 mark you mentioned).

Sounds like some resonance from some vibration to me and I don't think is coming from the gears. The gear noise sounds normal to me. Could it be the wind screen? Try the smaller sport screen and see if you can still record the noise (you may need to hold your phone lower so that it is still behind the screen and hidden from wind). The reason I am saying it might be noise that wind turbulence makes going around the edges of the screen is that I think I've heard some similar noise before. I always thought it was coming from the wind screen - I had taped a 4" plexiglass extension on the top of the winter screen when I was hearing a buzzing noise, so I always thought it was that extension making the noises. I needed the extension so I could duck behind the screen and protect my helmet from the wind. I did not really pay much attention to that noise as it was intermittent, plus I really hated the winter screen as it was causing too much buffeting for my head unless I fully ducked behind it, which was uncomfortable. So I almost never used it and used the sport screen instead.

I think I also hear that noise here around 2:17 https://youtu.be/H0wwfAXyTBU?t=2m19s and here you are coasting, not accelerating. I think it is some sort of resonance, not necessarily anything wrong. But still, check to make sure nothing is lose in the plastics and brake lines etc. and vibrating at certain frequencies and their harmonics.

LeftieBiker
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

No, the part you linked second was going up a small hill - I say so immediately afterwards in the "video." I don't *think* it's windscreen-related, because the windscreen is right in front of me, and the noise seems to come from the rear. Since you have heard it as well, and at least one other VX owner thinks it's normal, I won't fret about it. I do think I'll look for the intermediate size windscreen, and try that one - the Summer screen is a bit too minimal for the scooter-type riding I do on the bike. It *is* a little odd, though, that I didn't notice it on the first two rides, but did after I switched windshields...

jordi
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

Hi jamesengland
can you put again the pictures, they're disappeared
Thanks

Jo

BLUESTREAK
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

IF you think your scooter noise is loud, there is a video on you tube of how to change the oil and make an easy fix on replacing the oil. I bought a scooter with about 1200 miles and it seemed loud to me so I opened the gear box and it was almost dry so i fixwd the way to add oil and cleaned everything then re-assembled everything and add new thick gear oil and now its fine. hope this helps. COOPER.

JoeBauers
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Re: Gearbox whine reduction

the biggest issue is the gear itself
Planet versus Planet.jpg
Not only has the left one severe manufacturing deficits - it is to small in diamieter! 100th of Millimeters matter!!

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