Looking for my first airhead - r80gs or enduro

So yeh - the wire was a mess from the diode board b+ to the starter solenoid.

Now replaced & learnt how to crimp & build wires - every day is a school day.

Chirp remains - digging continues.

Paid quite a lot of attention to it this afternoon - any ideas?

Chirp sounds like a bird (not a turkey gobble - a cheeky chirpy bird). There is no chirp at idle (1000 rpm), but with the bike on it's centre stand if the give it a slight rev to 1500 rpm ish there is a chirp maybe 3 or 4 times a second. Makes the chirp just as the wheel slowly starts to rotate (not in gear).

In gear (still on the stand) - does the same. Cluth in / out - no difference.

Sounds like it is coming from the final drive.

Just changed the oil in there - was low at 160ml removed - but no difference in noise.

Thinking driveshaft splines where it meets the final drive?

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No - it's weird.

If I rotate the wheel slowly by hand, no roughness or badness & no chirp.

Chirp comes just at the point where if you rev the engine (whilst on the stand) slightly, the back wheel just barely starts to creep into rotating - then it chirps.

It's not a rub, think bird who has just seen the fist light of day- nice bright chirp. Very short & sharp.
 
Now I’m at a loss.

Just took another look, with the bike on its side stand (so weight on the back wheel).

Still got the chirp, but obviously no movement possible at the back end now.

Never easy is it?
 
The fact you’ve referred to it as a ‘chirp’ makes me feel it’s not mechanical. Mechanical noises are ‘squeaks’, ‘knocks’, ‘shrieks ( dry bearings)’ etc. if its not the ‘Turkey gobble’ from the crankcase valve could it be related to the pod air filters? Have you tried without them on. My suspicions come from the old type alloy air boxes, pre plastic. They did make a ‘chirping’ sound.
 
I suspected carbs / pod filters too - but after a full strip / clean / rebuild & new filters there was no change at all to the chirp.

After replacing the burnt wire, the noise did change though - it was definitely doing the exact same chirp noise at idle every 5 seconds or so. As well as the increased frequency at 1500rpm.

Now it’s not chirping at idle.

So what’s that - maybe alternator?
 
I've ordered one of those stethoscopes to try & pin down exactly where the chirp noise is coming from. Not the easiest thing to narrow down when you only have 1x working ear :)

If I get no further, will take a video & then you guys can hear what I'm trying to describe too.
 


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