Kawasaki Vulcan Forum banner

Noise on idle

22K views 70 replies 18 participants last post by  tpoppa 
#1 ·
Hello and thanks for all replys,

I have been noticing a knock on idle and not sure what it is. I only notice it about 1/4 of the time. Its not very loud but you can put your finger on the engine cases and feel it when you hear it. Maybe a spark knock I don't know. Its not a ticking like lifters, it is a deeper sounding knock.

Does anyone else have this sound? Or any ideas, I'm still under warranty for another year so not too worried. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse and I can't notice it riding. It does it after the bike is warmed up too. It might have done it since I got the bike but only started noticing it lately. I have just over 4k miles on the bike.

Thanks again,
James
 
#2 ·
It's not going to be a spark knock as that usually happens (if it's going to) upon heavy acceleration. I've had a lot of these V-Twins and they all have had little knocks here and there. Some even come and go. Some of them even come from the clutch basket. I would take it in to the shop and let them have a listen but don't be surprised if they tell you "it's normal". There is a lot of moving parts in these big ole motors and not all that far from your ears. Every Harley I have ever ridden made these Vulcan's sound quiet!
 
#3 ·
I have a 2010 Voyager with 17000km on it, and it has the exact same noise you have described. Its done it since probably 5000km. I'm hoping its normal for these bikes. If you put your hand on the "Engine Pulley outer cover" you can feel it. Other than this annoying noise, the bike runs great.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replys guys,

I changed the engine oil and looked at it, no metal just oil so I'm not too worried. But I will take it in Tues and let the mechanic listen to it.

Same here Chip, the bike runs great. I never had that much of a problem with the old ECU either, bit I got the upgrade.

James
 
#5 ·
Replay, let me know what your mechanic thinks about the noise. My mechanic says he's never noticed that noise on the 1700,s he's serviced, but he's never listened for it either. When he's done servicing a bike (change oil, etc), he basically starts the bike, rides it out of the shop to a parking spot and shuts off the engine. He also wears a full face helmet when he test rides them. He's only had one guy come in and complain about the noise so far. I've picked up some imformation on the internet, people saying the vulcan is notorious for some transmission noise because of the play in the clutch basket, balancer shafts etc. These noises are only heard when the bike is not under load, meaning in neutral or the clutch pulled in.
 
#6 ·
Hello Chipnrider,

I was checking out my bike again today and I'm not surprised that your mechanic never noticed the noise before. I had to idle mine for about 5 mins or more before I even heard it. If I had just started the bike and warmed it up for a couple mins while putting on helmet and stuff then took off I would have never noticed the noise.

I'm not sure what you mean by the pulley side of the motor, but mine would be the left side when you are sitting on the bike. There is a small plastic cover just above the shifter and the noise seems to come from there. I know if you tap on that cover/heat shield it sounds like tapping on a drum so it would make any noise sound louder I'm sure. Anyways I don't think its anything but I'll keep you posted. I did try setting the idle faster and slower -100 to +150 and that never seemed to make any difference.

James
 
#8 ·
I have a 2009 Nomad with 6000 on it I have the very same knock. I never noticed it till I changed oil. Not saying that is what did it at all. Just coincidence I imagine. I had about 3500 on it. It is on the left side and behind the cover for the pully which is close to the alternator cover also. I only hear it if I am at idle and after the bike has warmed up. Doesn't matter if clutch is pulled or or not. I took it to the mechanic and he said it is normal. I have owned a 2004 nomad and I know they make strange noises but this one to me very strange. I still have warrenty left and thinking of getting the extended just in case. Hopefully it is normal. I am going to try a different type of oil the next time. I used kaws regular motorcycle oil the last time.

Bill
 
#9 ·
I use Belray 10w-40. I'm going to look for a different oil as well. Maybe it will quiet it down a bit. I had 2009 vulcan 1700 classic before I traded it in for the voyager. It made the same noise. At lease with my voyager I can turn the radio on, and not listen to the noise. I have tried something the last couple days that has seemed to quiet the noise down. I've ridden the bike harder, revving it up and shifting in the higher rpms(3500-4000), then settle and cruise around 2800 rpm. I was usually cruising around 2100 rpm.
 
#10 ·
bpro215,

Same here, didn't notice it till letting the bike warm up for a long time to check oil levels, I checked it yesterday and I never heard it till I idled the bike 5 to 10 mins.

Anyways I took it to the dealer today and let the mechanic listen to it, it wasn't making much noise today and he didn't think it was anything to worry about.

After I got home I could hear it a little bit and I pushed on that plastic cover a in few places and when I put the palm of my hand over the cover, where it says "six speed" I couldn't hear anything, the noise on that side went down over 90%! lol.... that little cover is like a amp, you can tap on it with your finger and it really makes a noise.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure its nothing now. If it was something loose it would do it all the time and there would be metal flakes in the oil. Strange thing is after I pushed on that cover a few times with my hand I havn't heard the noise again.

I hope this helps,
James
 
#11 ·
Just take the cover off and check to see all is tight. Simple to take it off.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, I thought you had a 1700. Wow I'm embarrassed, you're right the pump is low & to the right of cover.:D
 
#16 ·
Chipnrider, Bpro215 or anyone else.

I was just wondering if you still had the knock and if it got any worse? Mine as been making this noise for over 2k miles now.

I had another Kawi mechanic listen to mine and he thought it might be the balancer chain a little loose.. he said it might even go away after the adjuster took up another notch. He said not to worry about it unless it got worse.

Mine is still the same, never got any worse. Also I was wondering if yours was irregular knock or rattle that is off and on, not a steady knock. Also I can feel it by putting my hand or finger on the side case where it says six speed and the transmission cover also on the left side.

I can hear it on mine pretty much all the time after the bike is warmed up, but sometimes it sounds pretty loud and other times I have to listen for it to hear it. I notice it a lot when driving in town where its slow speed and stop and go, but out for a country ride I don't notice it till I stop.
James
 
#17 ·
Hi james

yes the noise is still there. It is just as you discribed. It is more of a irregular knock then a rattle. If it was there all the time I would say it is normal just like the valves rapping and other noises you hear from the Vulcans. If your mechanic is right that it is the balancer chain being loose, then I feel that is a problem. I am not a mechanic but mechanicly able to understand things and can work on things with out screwing them up. I always said if you have the right tools the you can do anything. Anyway, if this chain is loose and knocking, sooner or later it is going to knock a hole in something or cause more damage. I had a 2004F1 nomad and the cam chain tensioners would come to the end and the chain would slap against the spark plug tubes. This would wear a hole in them and oil would leak out. It usually never happened till around 30,000 some miles which is usually out of warrenty by then. Not an expensive job for that but how about this particular problem. Sounds like the motor would have to be pulled to fix what ever damage has happened. I guess maybe I should take out the extended warrenty on this machine while I still can.
Just my thoughts
Bill
 
#18 ·
Hi Bill,

Is yours a '09 or '10? Mine is a 2010 Nomad, I still have a year left on the warranty but I have looked into extending it. They told me I have till it runs out to extend it so I probably will extend it next year.

There is lots of noises, some lifter or tappet or piston slap that goes away when it is warmed up, and I hear intake noise, and chains running, and kinda loud when shifting, but that all sounds normal to me for a big v-twin. No worse then any other big bike I've owned. But the irregular knock doesn't sound quite right to me even if its not that loud most of the time.

Also I'm sure there is lots of ppl here with 1700 Vulcans and I only hear a couple of us that notices that knock so it must not be that normal. Other that that I like the bike and I hope to put 100k miles on it!

Keep in touch with me if you find out anything, you can send me a message at the top of the forum. I might change the oil again to synthetic oil and see if that quiets it down. Also look to see if I can see any metal flakes in the oil. Last oil change 2k ago the oil was good.
James
 
#19 ·
Mine is a 09. It was a left over so the warrenty is good till May '12. I wondered the same thing if other heard it too. Could be and they are just not on this forum.
I changed to semi syn this last oil change about 400 miles ago and it didn't change the knock. it did help the gear shifting but I was never concerned about that. I think I had told you I had a 04 1500 nomad and am used to the crazy noises they make. Just not like this knock. Oh well, guess we will wait and see. If I do find anything out I will let ya know

Bill
 
#20 ·
I have a 2010 Nomad and have the same problem. Now have 13K and its made this noise since new. Every time I've had a service and mentioned this to the mechanic I've been told that normal. Not sure if I'm just getting the brush off or thats the way it is with the 1700. Interesting to hear about the side panel, must check this out. I'm going to take the bike to an independant mechanic and not a dealer for a second opinion and will report back.
 
#21 ·
Knocking on the 1500

I have some valves that are activated when the bike is at idle. It was kind of muffled until I took off the cover. Then it sounded like the lifters on a 74 AMC Hornet. I think they are used to help with the idle speed. That is on my 2001 1500 with 28,000 mi. I am leaving it alone.
 
#23 ·
Yes, I even set the idle to the fastest and slowest settings and no difference in the sound. But thanks for the suggestion.

The 1500 has a different bottom end then the 1700, but I think the top end is about the same. I know the 1500 and 1600 have a gear driven counter balancer and the 1700 is more like the 2000, the balancers are chain driven. So maybe this sound would only apply to the 1700. I guess time will tell if it is a normal sound.

Thanks again for all the replys,
James
 
#25 ·
Thanks for the reply,

That makes 3 of us now on this forum, and I mentioned it on a thread someone started on another forum about belt noise and one guy on that forum had the same noise. But that probably leaves several others that didn't respond because they don't have that noise.

If I wasn't under warranty I would take off the side cover and take a look. Anyways I will at least extend the warranty before it runs out. Next time I change oil I'll look the oil over again really good for any metal, if I find any its going to the shop with a bottle of the oil. Also if the knock gets any worse I will try to get them to look.

If you find out anything let us know,
James
 
#26 ·
Thought I would add my ride to this thread. I have only just started getting the knocking noise at about 13000 kms. Spoke to the mechanic who suggested it was probably the balancer chain noise and it could come and go but if it got worse it may need looking at. I'm taking the bike in for it last warranty parts replacement in a week or so and the mechanic will check it out then.

I would appreciate any further info on this noise and what's causing it.

Has anyone solved it yet?
 
#27 ·
Hello Dozrtravlin,

Thanks for the reply. The balancer chain would be as good of a guess as any. If I wasn't still under warranty I would just pull the left side cover and take a look. I've looked at the manual and the alternator is on the left side end of the crank, also on the left side is the balancers and front cylinder cam chain, and the water pump. Then under the plastic cover is a water seperator, I think this is just a Y splitter to send water to both cylinders.

Just a couple days ago I changed oil to Amsoil 10-40 and that seemed to cut down on the noise by about 50%, so I'm pretty sure it is a mechanical noise. I would guess some kind of backlash noise that only does it at a idle. I would think if it was a bearing it would do it all the time, but if I rev up my motor just a little bit I don't hear any knocking. I looked at my old oil I took out and no metal sparkles. Also I've had the noise almost 4k miles now. Thats about all I can think of without pulling the left side motor cover.

I just had the dealer mechanic listen to it again, but it wasn't doing much at the time and the amsoil made it harder to here. He just said the same thing, put miles on it and let him know if it got any worse. Mine is a 2010 Nomad and I still have another year of warranty left, and a option to extend it anytime before it runs out.

Thanks again and I would be interested in anything that you find out.
James
 
#28 ·
I talked to my mechanic the other day and he said he notices it on all the 1700s now, once they get some miles on them. He thinks it may be something to do with the primary chain. According to kawasaki they removed the primary chain guides on the 2011s to "reduce weight". Ya OK!!!
 
#29 ·
I'll 'discuss' this with my dealer but hold little hope apart from the corporate line. They haven't even released the 2011's in Australia yet not sure why!
 
#30 ·
Hello everyone, just joined this evening and I own a 2008 Vulcan Classic with 13,000 miles. I was searching for clutch noise and found his area. Anyway, I brought it in to my mechanic and he said it was "normal" and not to be worried about it. I put in Amsoil 20W-50 synthetic motorcycle oil and it helped with all the noises.
 
#32 ·
Around 10,000 kms I start to develop this knocking as well, did a flush of the engine with AMSOIL engien flush adn did my 6 month oil change with my AMSOIL 10w40, knocking was gone on startup adn hasn't returned. now over 12,000 KMs
 
#33 ·
Thanks for the info, that is interesting. Do you have any ideas on why that worked? The only things that I can think of is that it cleaned the internal chains and made them run smoother, or that it cleaned the hyd lifters and made the engine idle smoother so no backlash noise. Maybe even cleaned the chain adjusters and they took up another notch.

Anyways I'm glad it worked and now I am thinking about adding some seafoam to my oil, that might do about the same thing. If not I will probably try the Amsoil engine flush next oil change. And I just changed oil a few days ago.

Thanks again and if anyone else trys this please let us know.
James
 
#34 ·
There is another guy on another forum that posted the same noise, he called it a clunking on the left side. Anyways he had his tech listen to it and he said his tech heard another 1700 with the same noise. His tech is going to call Kawi and see if he can find out anymore.

I added some seafoam to my oil and put some in my gas tank also, I'll see if that does anything... I'm heading out on a motorcycle trip for 5 days so will report back in a few days.
James
 
#35 ·
Well I added 5 ozs of seafoam in the oil and put about the same amount in a tank of gas. Then rode over 1,100 miles on the trip.... it still sounds the same, knocking on the left side, sometimes when going slow like through bigger towns and lots of stop lights in hot weather it sounds pretty bad, other times not as bad.
There seems to be more and more people reporting this knocking. In time we should know more, and if it is anything that needs to be fixed or just another noise. I haven't had any answers with two dealers now and I have one more about 200 miles away, but their mechanic wasn't in when I went by on my trip.
James
 
#36 ·
I don't see how just adding seaform will do anything, if there are contaminates they will still be in the motor until you do a oil drain. That's what I did. and the knocking was gone
 
#38 ·
My 09 Nomad 1700 (8,000 miles), running amsoil has recently developed the same issue. The sound is best described as an irregular knock when at idle when at stops in town when engine is running hot. this is the first issue of any kind with this motorcycle :(
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top