first ride - whoohoo!

[gpsdualsport]

While on a off highway ride yesterday with my son my A-17's engine started to make an loud abnormal noise. I shut the motor down immediately thinking the worst! (it sounded expensive!!) The bike has 7500 trouble free KM's with normal service intervals maintained, has never been over heated or ridden hard and its only been dropped once or twice. The noise sounds like a lower pitched siren that increases in volume with the revs of the engine. There is no difference in the sound whether the bike is in gear or not, nor if the clutch is engaged or not. The mechanic at the local shop said he has never heard a KLR make this noise before, "its almost as if something was too tight!!" was his comment. It is really hard to pin point where exactly the noise is coming from and I was hoping someone here might have experienced somthing similar and may be able to shed some light on this problem. Fasteddy

[juanbalam]

I once had a similar problem on a mid milage A8. It turned out to be the conic bearing of the flywheel... (ouch!!!$$$$$). Unfortunately these strange noises usually require a lot of disassembling (damn! spelling in English is sooo hard!!!) to find out what is causing the noise. Juan --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "gpsdualsport" wrote:

> While on a off highway ride yesterday with my son my A-17's engine

started to make an loud abnormal noise. I shut the motor down immediately thinking the worst! (it sounded expensive!!) The bike has 7500 trouble free KM's with normal service intervals maintained, has never been over heated or ridden hard and its only been dropped once or twice. The noise sounds like a lower pitched siren that increases in volume with the revs of the engine. There is no difference in the sound whether the bike is in gear or not, nor if the clutch is engaged or not. The mechanic at the local shop said he has never heard a KLR make this noise before, "its almost as if something was too tight!!" was his comment. It is really hard to pin point where exactly the noise is coming from and I was hoping someone here might have experienced somthing similar and may be able to shed some light on this problem.

> > Fasteddy

[Devon Jarvis]

gpsdualsport wrote:

> > While on a off highway ride yesterday with my son my A-17's engine started to >make an loud abnormal noise. I shut the motor down immediately thinking the >worst! (it sounded expensive!!) The bike has 7500 trouble free KM's with >normal service intervals maintained, has never been over heated or ridden hard >and its only been dropped once or twice. The noise sounds like a lower pitched >siren that increases in volume with the revs of the engine. There is no >difference in the sound whether the bike is in gear or not, nor if the clutch >is engaged or not. The mechanic at the local shop said he has never heard a KLR >make this noise before, "its almost as if something was too tight!!" was his >comment. It is really hard to pin point where exactly the noise is coming from >and I was hoping someone here might have experienced somthing similar and may >be able to shed some light on this problem. >

Just a guess, but for sh*ts and giggles remove the outer magneto cover, and the starter idler gears, and see if the big gear with the one-way clutch behind the flywheel turns freely in the direction opposite engine rotation. Maybe this is stuck and it's spinning your starter motor. You can also take this moment to see if the balancer chain tensioning system is all there and working properly. Most of the stuff you can just barely peer around the rotor, but it's easier with the rotor off. Otherwise, since it's under warranty I suggest you take it out a break it properly, so it can be repaired. Devon A15-Z -- "It's a troublesome world, all the people who are in it, are troubled with troubles almost every minute" Dr. Seuss

[kelpo2001]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "gpsdualsport" wrote:

>The noise sounds like a lower pitched siren that increases in volume

with the revs of the engine I heard a noise like that when my starter would not disengage the first time the engine was started after the doohickey change. There is a one way clutch that allows the starter to disengage and it can get jammed especially if the woodruff key falls in there when replacing the rotor. Don't know how it could happen otherwise, but your description of the sound brings back memories of my search for a used starter. Hope you find the problem. Richard Korpela A15 Chapleau, ON

[Keith Saltzer]

If the flywheel and starter gear do jam, spinning the starter as the motor runs, how long does anybody think that the starter would be able to take that before it just fried? If that does happen after a doohickey change, wouldn't that sound be noticeable enough, and loud enough, for you to hear that something is definately wrong? Just want to know in case. MrMoose A8 (Barbie and Ken special) In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "kelpo2001" wrote:

> --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "gpsdualsport" > wrote: > >The noise sounds like a lower pitched siren that increases in

volume

> with the revs of the engine > > I heard a noise like that when my starter would not disengage the > first time the engine was started after the doohickey change. There > is a one way clutch that allows the starter to disengage and it can > get jammed especially if the woodruff key falls in there when > replacing the rotor. Don't know how it could happen otherwise, but > your description of the sound brings back memories of my search for

a

> used starter. Hope you find the problem. > > Richard Korpela > A15 > Chapleau, ON

[dumbazz650]

Oh you'll hear it alright. I had it happen on my brothers A1 after doing the doohickey upgrade. I had wiped everything down squeaky clean before reassembling. The starter seemed slow to disengage from the rotor during startup, but I did not think much of it, being such an old bike and all. During a quick trip around the block the starter ring chattered against the rotor gouging both mating surfaces and destroying the thrust washer between them. Made a horrible racket... I had forgotten to oil the two surfaces. Damn! Found a used rotor & starter ring and put it back together -with lots of oil between the surfaces. Runs like a top now. I need to have a machinist clean up the mating surfaces by taking off a few thou. Hopefully the rotor and starter ring are still useable. MarkB A3, A9 --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Saltzer" wrote:

> If the flywheel and starter gear do jam, spinning the starter as

the

> motor runs, how long does anybody think that the starter would be > able to take that before it just fried? > > If that does happen after a doohickey change, wouldn't that sound

be

> noticeable enough, and loud enough, for you to hear that something

is

> definately wrong? > > Just want to know in case. > > MrMoose > A8 (Barbie and Ken special) > > > > > > > > > > > In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "kelpo2001" wrote: > > --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "gpsdualsport" > > wrote: > > >The noise sounds like a lower pitched siren that increases in > volume > > with the revs of the engine > > > > I heard a noise like that when my starter would not disengage the > > first time the engine was started after the doohickey change.

There

> > is a one way clutch that allows the starter to disengage and it

can

> > get jammed especially if the woodruff key falls in there when > > replacing the rotor. Don't know how it could happen otherwise,

but

> > your description of the sound brings back memories of my search

for

> a > > used starter. Hope you find the problem. > > > > Richard Korpela > > A15 > > Chapleau, ON

[Devon Jarvis]

dumbazz650 wrote:

> > Oh you'll hear it alright. I had it happen on my brothers A1 after > doing the doohickey upgrade. I had wiped everything down squeaky > clean before reassembling. The starter seemed slow to disengage from > the rotor during startup, but I did not think much of it, being such > an old bike and all. During a quick trip around the block the > starter ring chattered against the rotor gouging both mating surfaces > and destroying the thrust washer between them. Made a horrible > racket...

I rode my A15 home from NJ to Brooklyn, about 30mi. No real troubles besides the noise, which definitely didn't sound like something eating itself. But the starter motor geartrain is not oiled very thoroughly, since it never has to work more than a few seconds at a time. Particularly the bronze bush for the top starter idler gear, this could go south pretty quickly if it was spinning all the time. Devon. -- "It's a troublesome world, all the people who are in it, are troubled with troubles almost every minute" Dr. Seuss

[Chris]

The bike itself has 8k miles on it, the PO just snagged a new set of OEM tires for it which have 1k miles or so on them. Bike is a '97 A11 The front pads are fine, the rear pads are just about gone, not much left, nearly impossible to make out the pad. True about the bleeding, the pedal travel is quite soft so that should help, will do that when I put the new pads on.

>> Boy do I need a rear brake pad, luckily I have one here ready to go, >> this pad is really toast, I can't believe the PO rode with it. > > > Congrats on your first KiLR ride! On the brake pads, did you visually > inspect them to see that they are worn or are you just assuming that > they are because its hard to brake? Since you're still on stock tires > at 1K i think your pads are fine. What you should do is spray down > the rotots and the pads with brake cleaner until the rotor is SQUEAKY > clean. Then try the brakes. Also u should bleed both brakes to make > sure theres no air in the hoses. I had the same probs when I got my > bike and after doing the above I can easily lock the back brake > without 'standing on it'. > >