Rough Knocking and clunking in Drive shaft

[Benson]

Hello all

Bike R1150GS on a W (single Spark)

Just more a check, the bike seems to ride well apart from a bit of Back firing and some surging at tempreture but was wanting to check for a noise last night and put the bike up on its centre stand to run it free in 1st gear. as soon as clutch let out the drive shaft makes a really bad knocking and clunking as if there is something not engaging correctly.

Is this because the joints are hanging at the wrong angle and is meant to do it or is there something loose?

 

[D6]

most clunk when you let clutch out but it stops when the clutch is fully out

 

[Benson]

Clutch fully out and the whole drive shaft moves as if it was disengaging and reengaging.

 

[Rushy]

Is it OK when you are riding it?

 

[motobiker]

bike up on its centre stand to run it free in 1st gear. as soon as clutch let out the drive shaft makes a really bad knocking and clunking as if there is something not engaging correctly.

I thought this was something you shouldn't do - ever. The noises being the reason why!!!

I have a feeling there is a warning about this in the manual..... probably because when in the air the shaft assembly is at completely the wrong angle compared to normal on the ground with the weight of the bike etc and so on and so forth...

 

[Rushy]

I thought this was something you shouldn't do - ever. The noises being the reason why!!!

+1 ....thats why I asked about riding it.

 

[Benson]

It is ok when riding apart from a whining like a bearing was complaining so I put it on centre stand to run it so I could hear where the noise was comming from. I have not read in the manual that you should not do this and only did it for a very short time.

 

[geo28]

i was checking my rear wheel on the gs the other night and i had the bike in 'E' on the center stand and clutch full out no cluncks or noises?

 

[Colban]

Hello all

Bike R1150GS on a W (single Spark)

Just more a check, the bike seems to ride well apart from a bit of Back firing and some surging at tempreture but was wanting to check for a noise last night and put the bike up on its centre stand to run it free in 1st gear. as soon as clutch let out the drive shaft makes a really bad knocking and clunking as if there is something not engaging correctly.

Is this because the joints are hanging at the wrong angle and is meant to do it or is there something loose?

Joints at extreme angle so unhealthy noises.
Sounds like the motor just needs setting up properly.TBs balance,valves etc.
They all make odd noises.Is it noisier when you start up from cold and what SAE oil do you use 10/40 or 15/50?.Do you have a "Y" piece on it.?

 

[Benson]

Backfires are after it is running for a bit not thrashing just a steady 60-70mph and closing throttle will give you a rather large bang. In actual fact any constant running speed seems to have the same effect, as if she does not like running at a constant speed. Noise at start up is pretty low. I am aiming to do a full set up as soon as I get a new air filter, I put new plugs in to try and help with surging and it has helped but I went for iridiums and may mean it needs a bit of a tweak. Have to say anything with more than 3 spanners in the Haynes manual = Help and a garage.

 

[RickG]

It'll make a hell of a racket in 1st gear up on the stand, especially at tick-over. You've got a thumping big twin producing uneven pulses of power, backlash in the gearbox and bevel box combined with a set of universal joints in the drive train which at higher angles cannot transmit power evenly. If added to this you have a badly set up tick-over you will get all sorts of clanging and rattling as lumps of iron battle with each other for supremecy. If you add a whiff of throttle you should find it quietens down - until you back off at which point the wheel inertia again fights with the engine braking to produce a load of noise in the drivetrain slack.