OMG What is that noise!

[Minty]

I've had the bike about 3 months and really do like it and have no intentions of selling any time soon.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of a medical condition that is curtailing my riding a bit but will get through it.

On Friday night I went out to check out the headlights as the early nights are coming. I didn't go for the le version, opting to leave off the adaptive lights, central locking and alarm. I'm more than happy as it is and the lights are pretty much as good as a car.

On the way home, I got on the motorway and put the screen up to it's fullest hight and, as I was getting up to 70 mph, got a full on WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH sort of noise!

I suspect it's the tyres, michelin road 5 gt. I also have the small MRA vario spoiler set in its lowest position.

I've never experienced anything like this in almost 30 years riding. I did get the horrible grating noise on a short lived gs with the Michelin anakee tyres.

I never normally need the screen in its top position, this is the first time it's been fully up at motorway speeds.

Is this something anyone else has experienced? Is it a known thing?
Thanks
Paul

[helix49]

I had the same exact noise almost like a harmonic hum. had michelin Road 5 or 6 on, dont remember they came with the bike. changed the tires when due to Dunlop Road Smart 4. the noise completely went away.

[exportman]

I found the Michelin RoadPilot 4 to be the noisiest the 5 and 6 progressively quieter. Had Metzler 01 for a while they were OK

[Doctor T]

With the screen in the highest position road,engine, and tyre noises are reflected more towards the rider. It's like creating a bubble over the rider with all the noises being increased and reflective up, so you will hear more.
The spoiler doesn't help with wind noise as it would need to be adjusted with every step of the main screen. Tyre noise will make the most difference. Just listen to a 4X4 with knobby tyres going past you at speed. They make hell of a racket.

[Minty]

Thanks for the replies.

I did suspect the tyres being the cause of the noise, just like the gs. At least it's only at speed with the screen fully up, I've found a position midway that works perfectly for me.
I think it was the first time with the screen in the highest position at speed, it was a real shocker

While I'm here, is there any way to put the screen in its highest position and turn the ignition off, to facilitate cleaning? There's nothing in the manual that I can see.

Paul

[Stu]

While I'm here, is there any way to put the screen in its highest position and turn the ignition off, to facilitate cleaning? There's nothing in the manual that I can see.

Unfortunately not!

I just tend to start washing the bike then when I get to the screen I stick the ignition on put the screen up then clean it and just turn the ignition off when finished

[Minty]

Unfortunately not!

I just tend to start washing the bike then when I get to the screen I stick the ignition on put the screen up then clean it and just turn the ignition off when finished

Anybody remember Unlucky Alf from The Fast Show

"Awww bugger"

Thanks Stu.

[mehere]

I’ve got a similar problem with my 2023 R1250RT.
The bike is from dealership, I’m the first owner, it now has around 3000 km on the odometer.
Recently I’ve installed the BMW comfort windshield in place of the small “sport” one, and now on the highway I can hear that pulsating sound, with pulses frequency approximately 2-3 times per second, like “wah-wah-wah-wah…”. It only happens on the 6’th gear, which is frustrating. And only in 100-125 km/h speed range. Also, I can only hear it when coasting, engine braking or accelerating slightly - it seem to be disappearing if I accelerate hard, even through this exact speed range and on the 6’th.
I think I can also hear similar resonating “wah-wah-wah” sound on 3’rd at around 55-60 km/h, but it’s much more faint there.
Not sure what that is. I also installed the big BMW top box around the same time as I started hearing it, if that matters…
I guess that can’t be the tyres, otherwise it wouldn’t depend on the gear. Am I right?

Here’s a sample of the sound: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0dfK ... w#IMG_1958

[Doctor T]

You will hear more noise with a fully faired bike the with a naked bike. As i said there are many factors. Even the wind through the wheel spokes will make a noise. I would suspect it's your tyres, if not it could be a warped disc. I had road 4 on my tiger 1050 and they produced the noise your describing

[mehere]

First of all, I appreciate your response.
The only thing frustrating me is that the noise is only on the 6’th gear. As soon as I switch to 5’th, or any other gear, it disappears immediately. I tried the same rpm and speed on different gears, only the 6’th is affected. I can sometimes hear similar sounds on 3’rd, but it almost nonexistent in comparison.
Also, yesterday I removed the top case, and did a bunch of speed and gear experiments - with no difference whatsoever.
I would be glad to blame it all on a warped disk or tyres, but I just can’t explain why it’s only on 6’th…

[Panman40]

I’ve got a similar problem with my 2023 R1250RT.
The bike is from dealership, I’m the first owner, it now has around 3000 km on the odometer.
Recently I’ve installed the BMW comfort windshield in place of the small “sport” one, and now on the highway I can hear that pulsating sound, with pulses frequency approximately 2-3 times per second, like “wah-wah-wah-wah…”. It only happens on the 6’th gear, which is frustrating. And only in 100-125 km/h speed range. Also, I can only hear it when coasting, engine braking or accelerating slightly - it seem to be disappearing if I accelerate hard, even through this exact speed range and on the 6’th.
I think I can also hear similar resonating “wah-wah-wah” sound on 3’rd at around 55-60 km/h, but it’s much more faint there.
Not sure what that is. I also installed the big BMW top box around the same time as I started hearing it, if that matters…
I guess that can’t be the tyres, otherwise it wouldn’t depend on the gear. Am I right?

Here’s a sample of the sound: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0dfK ... w#IMG_1958

You haven’t had the left cam chain tensioner recently replaced ? I think perhaps a 23 would have come from the factory with the new tensioner.
I remember when mine was replaced on a 19 1250 I had the wah wah wah thing pretty badly for a few hundred miles.

[mehere]

Hi there!
No, I have not been replacing left cam chain tensioner. The engine and gearbox are brand new, in the state that they came from the factory, I just did the first service and that’s all. I think I have made about 600km since I first heard the sound, so far it hasn’t gone…
Thank you for the input though, I will ask my dealer about the tensioner.

[Doctor T]

You didnt hear it before the first service? It isn't because you are riding faster now?

[mehere]

No I haven’t heard it prior to the 1st service, neither immediately after. In fact, first time I heard that sound was after I installed the large windshield, I suspect I just couldn’t hear it before because of the wind noise. Don’t think it’s windshield related though, because now I can hear it regardless of the windshield position (it’s just I have to bend down low to avoid the wind when its lowered, to hear the sound that way).
I think the speed that I travel with was always pretty much the same, both before and after running in. And the sound appears in-between 100 and 125 km/h, on the 6’th gear, the range I was using both before and after the 1’st service.

[Shuswaper]

Same noise here and only in 6th....very loud when the bike was new, now not so much.
I have always suspected transmission output noise, not tires...fwiw !