Strange vibration/grinding when leaning

[er-minio]

Just came back from down south.
Left with exactly 123.000km on the clocks and back with 129k. Bike didn't catch on fire and I'm happy as this is the second long-ish trip since I started servicing it myself. Success

I ride the bike little in the UK (and definitely without luggage) so a lot of little issues are discovered while traveling.

My question is: I feel a vibration/grinding when leaning.
It's stronger with a passenger at the back.

I had the set of wheels I used for traveling kindly re-tensioned (spoked) and trued by Slipperyeel of this parish. And when he finished the work the front wheel bearings have been replaced as they were ruined. I'll check them again, but don't think those are the culprit.

Tyres are TK70. Brand new when I left.
I did a bit of gravel, but the tyres are in good shape and there is no such noticeable cupping on the front one that could have caused the grinding sensation.



Front shock had been refurbished by Denzo just before setting off. Rear didn't need servicing (yet).

I'm a bit scared it could be the shaft?
It has already been replaced (snapped) a few years back. New and BMW original.

Anywhere else to look?

 

[seahorse]

Any play in the rear wheel? Could be final drive bearings.

 

[er-minio]

I checked while traveling and it seemed solid. I'll check again.

Final drive bearings have been replaced, but admittedly, quite a few miles/years ago.

 

[DrFarkoff]

If it were me .... Bike on centre stand, Push teh pads back off teh disc and spin and feel for roughness in the bearing?

None?? Drain the FD oil and check for sparkles

None? Drain the Gearbox and check for sparkles

Next? Borrow a rear wheel with road tyres

My K60 scouts always had a vibration past 3000 miles

If it goes and comes back when you refit your own wheel, then that is question answered ??

 

[er-minio]

Thanks.

None?? Drain the FD oil and check for sparkles

None? Drain the Gearbox and check for sparkles

I'mma do that soon as the bike needs a service now. I do FD oil at each service. Will change gearbox too.

Next? Borrow a rear wheel with road tyres

I have another set of wheels, but with TKC80... won't help there.
I'll swap with a friend, that has road tyres on his GS, for a few miles.

 

[DrFarkoff]

I'mma do that soon as the bike needs a service now. I do FD oil at each service. Will change gearbox too.

I have another set of wheels, but with TKC80... won't help there.
I'll swap with a friend, that has road tyres on his GS, for a few miles.

Ehm you have a vibration that you are worried about

You are not changing the oil you are following Diagnostic procedures

If there are sparkles you have a bearing problem and should not ride it

Similar with gearbox

And If there are no sparkles or changes with the tyre then you have exhaust the diagnostic trail and it could be propshaft


Also did you change or fit anything that required you to loosen or remove bolts ??

IN fact just Retorque any bolts you can get at! I have heard of this when someone fitted engine bars and they were not torqued so caused a weird vibe when cornering

 

[er-minio]

Also did you change or fit anything that required you to loosen or remove bolts ??

Not recently.
Everything I take out and put back in gets torqued (apart from bodywork).

Now that I think of it, the slight grinding was there even before summer (with passenger).

Will check the oil.
At the last "service" the oil was not sparkly: engine, final drive, gearbox. There was a very minor amount of stuff on the magnet that I was told was ok (I should have a picture of it).

IN fact just Retorque any bolts you can get at! I have heard of this when someone fitted engine bars and they were not torqued so caused a weird vibe when cornering

Will check that too. Thanks.

The right-side bolt for the windscreen, the black one you can adjust by hand, flew off during the first few days of traveling. I had the screen fixed with zip ties for the rest of the travel. I doubt that induces the vibration, but I have new bolts/handles already. Will install them and test.

Fun fact: zip ties (2/3mm) will keep the screen in place up to ~190kmh, then they snap

 

[waggy]

Just a thought, but you get the noise when carrying a passenger, could it be the center stand or grounding out?


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[jetjock]

Just a thought, but you get the noise when carrying a passenger, could it be the center stand or grounding out?


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Or the passenger





I do get the same vibration too , as soon as I lean the bike . The bike does have near legal limit tyres on so I guessed it was that , as in , the deeper tread pattern makes contact with the road in the turn

 

[er-minio]

could it be the center stand or grounding out?

I doubt it.
Against what?

 

[er-minio]

Any play in the rear wheel?

DIdn't touch the bike since I came back. Had 5 minutes today and checked the play on rear wheel.

Hands at 3 and 9: no play.
Hands at 12 and 6: a very tiny bit of play. I'd say 1mm or most probably even less.

I can borrow a dial gauge from a friend to measure it at the disc.

Will check front wheel tomorrow. Aiming at doing the service, changing all oils, towards end of month.

 

[Joepi5]

Hello! Any update on this? Did you manage to find the source of the noise?

 

[er-minio]

Hi. I had a final drive rebuild in Feb/March.
Seems it could have been the main culprit.
Shaft seems to be in good conditions.
Traveled to Spain end of April, on new TKCs, and bike behaved properly and rode smoothly.

There is still a tiny bit (very tiny) bit of "suspect" vibration here and there in certain conditions. Way less than before. Only with engine/transmission engaged (goes away pulling clutch) so might just be me overly obsessing over one of the many things induced by the boxer engine
I'll keep an eye on it, but I do not ride the bike that much when I am in London to be fair. So this will be a problem next time I travel

Bike is closer to 140.000km at the moment, not exactly a garage queen.

 

[Santa-2512]

It's a tractor, not a Swiss watch

IF mine didn't vibrate I'd be worried lol

Try some different tyres, they make a huge difference. I started with karoo 3's on the hexhead, they were noisy and vibrating / buzzy

Went to trailriders, way way better, then tourances and stuck with them since

 

[er-minio]

Oh, trust me, my bike vibrates a fair amount.

What raised my suspicion is that this specific vibration was at a different frequency, more akin to light grinding, and also almost always happened when the bike had more load on the back, so different suspension/transmission angles.

Given that I already snapped a shaft (and it isn't fun when it happens at speed, trust me) many years ago, I got a bit suspicious/borderline paranoid.

Seems ok now. So, most probably it was the final drive, as it needed replacing.


I have two set of wheels, but TKC 80s on the other set, so... worse
Plan is to briefly swap wheels with my friend that has an identical hexhead and some road tyres and ride both bikes with both wheel sets and understand if the wheels are inducing this (and other) vibrations.
I also have a slight cyclical vibration at motorways speeds, but I did learn to live with it. But I'm still curious if it is induced by the wheels (doubt it, as it happened with both set of wheels over the years in various combinations of the 4) or something else.

 

[Santa-2512]

Oh, trust me, my bike vibrates a fair amount.

What raised my suspicion is that this specific vibration was at a different frequency, more akin to light grinding, and also almost always happened when the bike had more load on the back, so different suspension/transmission angles.

Given that I already snapped a shaft (and it isn't fun when it happens at speed, trust me) many years ago, I got a bit suspicious/borderline paranoid.

Seems ok now. So, most probably it was the final drive, as it needed replacing.


I have two set of wheels, but TKC 80s on the other set, so... worse
Plan is to briefly swap wheels with my friend that has an identical hexhead and some road tyres and ride both bikes with both wheel sets and understand if the wheels are inducing this (and other) vibrations.
I also have a slight cyclical vibration at motorways speeds, but I did learn to live with it. But I'm still curious if it is induced by the wheels (doubt it, as it happened with both set of wheels over the years in various combinations of the 4) or something else.

I get a cyclic vibration in 5th hasnt changed in 2 years, and extended periods of Mway driving in 5th havnt made it any worse

some is just characteristics, but yes, try new wheels tyres , if just to set your mind at rest

 

[Santa-2512]

I get a cyclic vibration in 5th hasnt changed in 2 years, and extended periods of Mway driving in 5th havnt made it any worse

some is just characteristics, but yes, try new wheels tyres , if just to set your mind at rest

For what its worth my 2021 wing , is ultra smooth, but i get vibes from the bars , the GS nothing lol

 

[er-minio]

some is just characteristics

I know I've had the bike for 14 years and the vast majority of those 140.000km (I think I bought it with less than 30k km). It's my fourth boxer bike.
It's like riding a washing machine on spin cycle, and it's normal. I know.

The reason I got some paranoia is because this specific vibration is new.
Also, the bike has done/does a fair bit off road, so there is a higher chance of damage and more wear than normal use.

100, agree with you, will try the different wheels/tyres.

But also, again, after the final drive rebuild it's way less noticeable. So most probably a combination of things.

 

[Slipperyeel]

Just an outside thought, but could it be the paralever bearings? Normally they're rocking in just a small range. With luggage and a pillion, it's just possible the bearings are then running in a dry patch? They're oft neglected and dry out.
That paralever actually moves quite a lot.

 

[er-minio]

I think they've been checked again with the last service.
But another look doesn't hurt