Need advice...strange noise or rather "feel"

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:05 pm

OK guys, as I am at rebuilding my lightly crashed FireStorm... oh, sorry it is Shawk on your side I realized that for last 4000 km I had some strange problem that was getting worse...but I forgot about it because of accident I had later and other damage.
Here comes. When I ride it in any gear at any speed with my left foot I feel (rather than hear) kinda noise, like something rubbing against something with period approximately same with full chain "circle". After actually really noticing it about 2500 km ago I was putting it down to stiff link in the chain, but could not do much being in wonderful deep countryside of France with not much access to services But when I got to disassembling bike at home, removing final drive and really checked chain for stiff links I did not quite found any. I mean - I never seen an stuck link on X-ring DID, may be I just do not know what it should be like?
Other thing is that front sprocket is quite shot. No, it still got all teeth but they...well, worn beyond service and rubber/plastic damper on front sprocket worn to into "chain" form. But on all my bikes before I did wear sprocket to that level and did not have this kind of noise/vibration. I also clearly feel bike "pulsing" forward way more than you can put down to engine, more like my single-cylinder 800cc Suzuki enduro than Storm. Engine thou works fine, I mean - fine, no probs at all. And weird pulsation does not dissapear with clutch pulled.
What bothering me - perhaps it is nothing to do with chain? could it be that it is something up in transmittion? But then - it does with with clutch pulled in too!
Could it be somehow that gearbox output shaft bearing is gone bad? I did not drive with too tight chain thou, I mean - at all.
Did anybody ever experienced such reaction of Storm to badly worn chain and front sprocket?
Yes, and I did check rear wheel bearings - they are fine.
Bike got now 60 000 km on the clock, and never missed a bit or did anything wrong except this....

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:59 am

If the front sprocket is worn out then surely that's the place to start?

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:34 am

I realize it - is just it is not easy to manhandle Storm with removed rear swingarm all by myself....at the moment it sits on improvized stand made of superstrong steel pipe stuffed under rear subframe, two chairs and two car jacks

So I do not want to assemble it again, find that I have problems requiring engine removal and then to try and figure out how to put bike back on that "stand"... So I was thinking that may be somebody have experience on what can cause this effect. I had same worn sprockets before on other bikes, it's just on Storm particularly it is first time I let it wear so far, last time I changed chain and sprockets on this bike was way before they been worn like now.

Pete.L · Post by **Pete.L** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:25 pm

Hi Bluesman
What you are complaining of is quite common with old chains and worn sprockets. The chain will stretch more in one area than another. If you were to lift the back wheel and slowly rotate it I bet you will find the chain has more slack in it at one point of the rotation than at another.
Replace front and rear sprockets along with the chain and I'm sure the problem will go away....until you wear out the next one

Pete.l

Pete.L · Post by **Pete.L** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:28 pm

Whoops!

Just read you've already got the bike in pieces. Don't worry I'm still 100% sure a new chain and sprocket is the answer.

Pete.l

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:48 pm

cheers! That takes lots of pressure off me

thank you!
Oh God, I have stockpile of bikes jobs to do in winter....I hope I will finish with Storm first...as long as I do not have to get engine out I'am fine

It's just waiting for clutch side engine cover, I repaired big dent in the tank by using tricky method of heating it with heat blower and then spraying with freezing liquid gaz....plastic - I don't really care about, I have friend who will repair it and color-code it for free. So - all down to new cover and sprockets/chain kit. Relief...conna go get myself a beer now!

tony.wilde1 · Post by **tony.wilde1** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:09 am

another possibilty here,the chain buffer on the swingarm has worn through!!the noise is the chain wearing away at bare metal,,,worth a look!!

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:13 am

having worn my sprockets down to practically discs i would say this sounds very similar only he mentions that this feeling happens while the bike is in neutral too?

If the feeling is happening when you are not moving then is it NOT the chain and sprockets. If you are moving and you can still feel the pulse i would agree with everybody else.

Remember your teeth on the sprockets should not be curved or the chain till slide rather than turn off them thus creating vibrations and also losing a small degree of power.

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:25 am

Hey, it get's better with every post from you guys!

When I said in neutral I mean rolling on neutral, not at standstill. At standstill everything was perfect.

Hey-ho, I just must get new chain and sprockets!

Now all is left to do is to get new clutch cover, glue damage on right side fairing and respray it, fill-sand-respray smaaaal dent in the tank, then stick on some ultra-strong 1 meter long crash bobbins to avoid such damage again

Pete.L · Post by **Pete.L** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:41 am

Bluesman said

then stick on some ultra-strong 1 meter long crash bobbins to avoid such damage again

You nutter!

Pete.l

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:02 am

Found just what you need!

here!

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:55 am

Hmmm...that's tempting....I got pair of these in garage - ecently removed from my son's bicycle

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:06 pm

Pete.L wrote:Bluesman said
then stick on some ultra-strong 1 meter long crash bobbins to avoid such damage again

You nutter!
Pete.l

If you find some of these i will DEFINATLY grab a pair - then we can pratice high chairs...yay!