Noise from engine or transmission.

[RobertW]

I'm a new owner and was wondering what kind of noise I can be expected to hear between my feet? Sometimes I get a growl, or grinding sound. Could be these sounds are typical bike sounds. Unlike a car, you'r sitting on the engine transmission and rear end. Hope I'm right.

 

[msocko3]

What year and model donor bike is your trike built from? I know the transmission on my 2012 GL1800 is louder or more mechanical sounding than any of the Harley transmissions I've had experience with.

 

[rmrc51]

The only noises I hear on my 05 Wing is when I shift gears. Other than that, she's very quite. Just the normal purr of the engine.

 

[rmrc51]

I've owned 3 different 1800's a couple were noisier than others. My '04 was very smooth and quiet. My Gold '06 was had growling noises like you describe and my '09 growls some but not like my '06 did. In other words the noises you're hearing are common. Of the friends I ride with that have 1800's, some are quiet and a few growl like all get out. "Wolfman"

That's an interesting observation. My 05 is very quiet and your 04 was also. It seems after the changes were made starting in 06 and up, they became a bit nosier. I wonder why? :Shrug:

 

[RobertW]

What year and model donor bike is your trike built from? I know the transmission on my 2012 GL1800 is louder or more mechanical sounding than any of the Harley transmissions I've had experience with.

It's a 2008 California Side Car GL1800 with only 5500 miles

 

[trikeleader]

Check the drive shaft on the trike. It could be coming apart! I just spoke to a Tech at California Side Car and he said the drive shaft problem was from 2007 through 2011 and it was found in 8% of the units involved. :Shrug:

 

[sgtbush207]

Questions-

Does it happen only at slow speeds 0-30mph ?

Do you have chrome rotor covers on the front wheel ?

If so- try tightening the fittings and screws on the rotor covers. They sometimes come loose and will give of a grrrrrr type sound at slower speeds. Above 30mph they quiet down and you don't hear them.

Hope this is all it is.

 

[Konrad]

Questions-

Does it happen only at slow speeds 0-30mph ?

Do you have chrome rotor covers on the front wheel ?

If so- try tightening the fittings and screws on the rotor covers. They sometimes come loose and will give of a grrrrrr type sound at slower speeds. Above 30mph they quiet down and you don't hear them.

Hope this is all it is.

That message may have hit a home run for me! My irritating noises (other than the alternator whine) occur about 30-35 mph - and I do have the chrome rotor covers. I know what I will be doing this evening!

 

[Konrad]

That message may have hit a home run for me! My irritating noises (other than the alternator whine) occur about 30-35 mph - and I do have the chrome rotor covers. I know what I will be doing this evening!

I did as sgtbush recommended and and that helped except for one very irritating vibratory harmonic that always occurred at 32 mph. I had overlooked the most obvious - the cup holder! After fastening the loose-swinging gimbal to the RAM mount with a rubber band - sound GONE!.

 

[Ozarkryder]

Yup, it is the simple noises that can drive a body nuts. Coming back from Minnesota we ran in a good rain for the first time since getting this trike last October. Got a buzzing noise and it drove me crazy, thinking the wet had caused something to go awry. What it was, was the phone holder. I use the phone to hold music on a 32 gig card, listen to Pandora or I-Heart radio, and I put the phone out of the weather in the trunk. The empty holder buzzed to no end, put the holder in the trunk, all was normal again.

 

[Hooker 6]

I got my Goldwing after riding HD's for years. First thing I noticed was the weird sounds coming from the transmission, almost like it was making metal. Told it was only Goldwing normal. 8000 miles later still sounds weird, but "Goldwing Normal".

 

[Hoghead]

I got my Goldwing after riding HD's for years. First thing I noticed was the weird sounds coming from the transmission, almost like it was making metal. Told it was only Goldwing normal. 8000 miles later still sounds weird, but "Goldwing Normal".

They could have said like the Harley Dealers say "they all do it", "Turn your radio up", Put on louder mufflers", or "must be the oil you are using".....Just received my new 2012 GL1800 Roadsmith today and it also has the "growl" in the transmission but sounds a lot better than the continuous valve train noise or compensator noise I had in my Tri-Glide with 2400 miles.......Really like the new Trike.....