rattles

[oldmanonavtx]

Well I thought I had the rattles cured on my new Voyager Kit but I guess not. Me and the little woman went out for a little ride today and the rattles are back. Is this something you have to learn to live with or is there some sort of cure.
Originally the tires had to much air and I reduced it to 20 lbs per tire. I set the air pressure on the bike to around 50 lbs on the rear tire. The bike is a 1989 gl 1500. I also run the bike tires at 41 rear and 40 front. The sound is like having a tool box half full of tools shaking around in the trunk every time you run over some sort of bump. Like maybe something is lose or not tight enough.
The only other problem or characteristic of the kit that I don't like is it seems to lean a little to much. Kind of like riding on a slow moving train when you get the side ways motion as the track changes level. Would a higher preload change this any? If anyone can offer any help it would be greatly appreciated.

oldmanonavtx

[trike lady]

Since you have a GL-1500 like I do and I've got mine set perfect for me, I'm going to share my secret. I have 5 lbs of air in the front forks, 47 lbs in the rear air shocks and I use a preload of 3/4". It stiffens the ride and takes out the lean; the more preload=less lean. The GL-1500 calls for 1/2" preload, I use 3/4".
Try it. Also grease the rear bearing receivers.

[oldmanonavtx]

Thanks Trike Lady. I'll give that a try. On my bike there is no provision to put air in the front forks. Thanks a bunch.

Oldmanonavtx

[bdn56]

Do you have the kit that allows you to adjust the rear shocks?

I changed mine to the most rearward position ( more vertical) and increased the preload.

Ride and handling improved greatly.

I never was able to get all the lean out. After a few hundred miles, I didn't notice it any more.

Mine was mounted to a 2007 Ultra.

Just a thought, do you have anything rolling around in the saddlebags?

[oldmanonavtx]

I must have the so called new kit because there is no shocks. No sir, nothing rolling around in the trunk or saddle bags but it sure sounds like a half full tool box bouncing up and down. Going to set the preload to 3/4 later this week.
Thanks for the reply. how do I post a pic?

oldmanonavtx

[oldmanonavtx]

Well I reset the preload to 3/4 of an inch and it helped with the lean and I also think it helped some with the rattles but they are not completely gone. Retightened everything again and I'll see what happens on the next ride.

oldmanonavtx

[bigjoey38]

Mine does rattle only when I hit bumps/ really bad roads/ect..Overall not bad.

[denviola]

Try pulling up and increasing the clearance on the flat metal plate between the fenders and bike. They are mounted with rubber washers and will flex. There is not much clearance, so they will hit the Voyager frame on bigger bumps. Seemed to work for me. make sure the plastic channel is in place on all sides otherwise the panel will hit the frame when it flexes. Also the manual talks about resetting the preload occasionally. Don't forget that if you add or subtract air from any of the rear tires you will change the preload.
Denny

[trike lady]

oldmanonavtx,
It sounds like your kit has the new rubber mount set up, not the one with the shocks, i'm not a fan of those because I don't find them as 'Tight' as the shock model. Mine will rattle over bumps and rough roads too.

[The_Captain]

I am kind of new to this Voyager stuff. When I had rattles I called Voyager and the gentleman on the other end said to just make sure all my bolts were tight and to try running 16 LB. of air in the Voyager tires. That did make the bumps a little more tolerable but it still rattled. Someone in another forum who had been through the Voyager dealer installer course said that they teach them to keep adding preload until the noise goes away. That is due to the different weights that load the bikes. My wife and I weigh 480 lb. and this is more than the initial setup is designed for. I ended up with a 1" preload that has apparently given enough support for us that the rattles and the swaying feeling of the rig have gone away. Now my Voyager rides as steady, quiet and smooth as the ones they show in their videos. The only thing different is if you are solo and starting out on gravel you need to realize that your rear wheel will have lost a little traction and tend to spin a little if you give it too much gas. You will have more weight on the Voyager for support. Also they say that a little extra air in the front makes for better steering. It worked for mine, now I kind of enjoy riding without having to feel like I need to balance my bike. Now when I am on the bike all the rear tires are carrying about the same weight and makes it much more stable.

[oldmanonavtx]

Well Captain, I did the one inch preload and set the tire pressure at 18 pounds. On the bike itself the tire pressure is 41-40 and the air ride is set to 48 pounds on the rear. The is no way to control the pressure on the front of my bike. I still have the rattles although it is some better. Our total weigh is around 450 pounds for me and the wife. The side to side motion is much less and I like the setup better than before. I am still not a happy camper due to all the rattling around but I am pretty much satisfied with all else. Due to this rattling effect I would not recommend the Voyager Kit to anyone. It does not seem right that a company would market something that rattles enough to wake the neighborhood. This much noise makes me think something is going to wear out sooner than later. It makes the rig sound cheesy and cheap and maybe thats where it gets some of its bad reputation. If I had known it would turn out like this I would not have bought it. Live and learn so to speak.

oldmanonavtx

[trike lady]

It sounds like you have the rubber mounted version and not the shock version and that is why you are unhappy with it. I would never use the rubber mount on a heavy Goldwing. They are not as nice in handling and of the people who were talked into them by the local dealer, they wished they had purchased the shock model instead. I believe this new model may be a bad product and give the company a bad name. You'd have done better with a Trigg Trike. The rubber mount pieces may not last long, it's a very cheap set up in my opinion. I'll bet the dealer who sold it to you doesn't have one on his bike.

[wingtriker]

The rattles are from your kit's frame work under the bike. This is nothing to worry about. All voyager kits do this on ruff roads. The part of the frame work that is making the noise is the forks that fit on the flat part of the frame on both sides by the rear center wheel. Dennis.

[Oldveteran]

My Voyager is an older one with the twin rear shocks. Found the major source of my rattles. The bushing (bearings) in the rear forks on the system were WORN OUT. The bushings were FLAT and the through bolt was also grooved. Even the fork itself was worn in the center of the fork. Machined the fork back to parallel surfaces, purchased new through bolts in grade-8 stock, and after measuring the fork got new bushings at Grainger to fit the "new" slot in the fork. This helped tremendously on the ride and rattles. PRECAUTION!!! - I don't like warnings - Lubricate and check this feature faithfully to avoid fture wear problems,

[Oldveteran]

The rattles are from your kit's frame work under the bike. This is nothing to worry about. All voyager kits do this on ruff roads. The part of the frame work that is making the noise is the forks that fit on the flat part of the frame on both sides by the rear center wheel. Dennis.

Dennis: You are absolutely right. See my post on fixing this situation. Because the machining of this fork/bearing setup, there is going to be some gap between two moving parts. I got mine much better after rebuilding the fork itself (welded hardened steel plating) and new better bearings and through bolts. Works good now with the proper preload! Thanks, man!

[baba67]

I know people will say "that's TOO Much"

After having my voyager on my 1500 for quite some time now.

And pretty much ride 2 up 90% of the time, We have done some experimenting with rattles and ride "feel"

We have items that stay in in saddle bags 100% of the time,along with tools etc.

I am about 185-190 lbs (depending how often and where we stop to grab a bite)

Jeannie is not much over 100 lbs....

I have found it is all related to the preload setting.

I just removed my voyager kit to replace my rear wheel and tire and installed new progressive shocks in the rear.

I decided to go "darkside" and I love it.

But that's another thread.

I have been setting my preload by setting my bike tire on a section of 2 by 4 set on it's side.

I guess that would be about 1 3/4 inches of preload and it works perfectly for me.

The rattles are minimal and the ride is smooth and lean is reduced and feels very stable.

The only complaint I can have at this point in time is I no longer want to ride on two wheels...LOL

It definitely is great not having to hold up this very heavy GoldWing.

Someone mentioned the fact that rear wheel contact is decreased in reaction to the increase in preload.

It is relevant and requires some experimenting with your bikes total weight.

I have found my "Sweet Spot" and with the contact patch of my rear tire it all works perfectly for me.

I hope everyone enjoys the riding season and God Bless...

Well I thought I had the rattles cured on my new Voyager Kit but I guess not. Me and the little woman went out for a little ride today and the rattles are back. Is this something you have to learn to live with or is there some sort of cure.

Originally the tires had to much air and I reduced it to 20 lbs per tire. I set the air pressure on the bike to around 50 lbs on the rear tire. The bike is a 1989 gl 1500. I also run the bike tires at 41 rear and 40 front. The sound is like having a tool box half full of tools shaking around in the trunk every time you run over some sort of bump. Like maybe something is lose or not tight enough.

The only other problem or characteristic of the kit that I don't like is it seems to lean a little to much. Kind of like riding on a slow moving train when you get the side ways motion as the track changes level. Would a higher preload change this any? If anyone can offer any help it would be greatly appreciated.

oldmanonavtx

[Oldveteran]

Well I thought I had the rattles cured on my new Voyager Kit but I guess not. Me and the little woman went out for a little ride today and the rattles are back. Is this something you have to learn to live with or is there some sort of cure.

Originally the tires had to much air and I reduced it to 20 lbs per tire. I set the air pressure on the bike to around 50 lbs on the rear tire. The bike is a 1989 gl 1500. I also run the bike tires at 41 rear and 40 front. The sound is like having a tool box half full of tools shaking around in the trunk every time you run over some sort of bump. Like maybe something is lose or not tight enough.

The only other problem or characteristic of the kit that I don't like is it seems to lean a little to much. Kind of like riding on a slow moving train when you get the side ways motion as the track changes level. Would a higher preload change this any? If anyone can offer any help it would be greatly appreciated.

oldmanonavtx

Rattles are a common ailment on Voyager Trikes, no mater what bike you put it on. The rattle source is the clearance in the area of the rear suspension forks and the bushings within. Pre-load and tire pressure help this but never really cure it. I have ordered larger wet bolts (9/16 inch) and 9/16" X 15/16" nylon bushings for my kit. My kit is a little old and the suspension forks have worn a bit. With the bigger bushings I am hoping to take up some of the slack in the contact between the bushing and the fork. Also, the nylon should absorb and muffle some of the rattling.

Oldveteran