Strange, alarming sound this morning

[bobhamlin]

When I moved to the Nomad from the Classic, it took a while to get used to the different sounds. Now I know what's normal--and what's not.

I'm involved in a project with a tight deadline. This morning I woke up an hour before the alarrm thinking about it, knew I wouldn't get back to sleep, and ended up pulling out of the driveway around 5:15am. Dawn was just starting to lighten the sky. Last night I had raised my windshield to its utmost to see if that reduced any buffeting or wind noise. (This is a factor)

When I get on Rte. 15S out of town, I usually get up to 65mph in the slow lane, then wait on a passing cager that can beat the bushes for both cops and deer.

As I was waiting, I gradually closed a gap with a car in the slow lane. In the mirror, I noticed oncoming lights of my potential higher speed escorts, so I stayed in the slow lane. The car in front of me was cruising very well, I was in no urgent hurry, relaxed, listening to music -- and about the same amount of helmet wind noise as before.

As the first of the vehicles passed me, a loud noise -- from my immediate front -- brought me into sharp focus. My first thought was that my front tire was shredding! As I let off the accelerator, the sound lessened a bit. I felt no difference in the ride. I turned my head to the left to hear if the sound was coming from the passing vehicle. Nope. From my immediate front. Then the sound stopped.

Very alert now, I began closing the gap with the car in front of me. The sound started up again. Was it related to speed? RPM vibration? It was very much coming from my front. Again, I concentrated on the feel of the ride because if the noise was the front tire, it wouldn't have lasted long! The noise was similar to, but not exactly like, car tires going over a rumble strip--or those perpendicular strips that are on some roads when you approach a dangerous intersection.

I slowed down again, and the sound receded. A second vehicle passed on my left. A box truck! Was it the truck's tires I'd been hearing? Like before, I actually turned my head toward the truck, but it was making no noise that approximated what I had heard.

Once again, I closed the distance with the car in front of me and, once again, the rumble strip noise started! I put my hand on my windshield. The height adjustment? Maybe I didn't tighten the bolts enough? I felt no vibration that I wouldn't expect. WTF was going on?

At that moment, the car in front of me elected to fall in behind the passing truck. And I saw what the car had been following: A motorcyclist on a cruiser with loud-ish pipes and an inconsistent throttle.

When he cranked it, I heard "my noise." When I had heard "my noise", I had backed off the throttle, increasing my distance from him and, when he backed off his throttle, my helmet noise masked his normal rumble.

It's always something, ain't it?

[ringadingh]

I know it bugs me when I hear or feel something different on the bike. At least you found the culprit.

[glwilson]

Ha! Don't mean to laugh; but I had to.

Have had similar experiences as well. It was probably during those few miles that you were the most attentive you had ever been on your bike! You were aware of everything going on with your bike and 360 degrees around you during that period of time.

Now... ride like that ALL the time!!! Ha!

[skeeter]

I've had a nagging buzz from behind me that I couldn't find. I stripped the pillion and back rest and it was still there. Checked fasteners, still there. Increased and decreased with throttle and figured it was just the way I was hearing the stock pipes so I didn't check any further... for a while. It really was irritating.

Turned out to be the license plate cover. I'd checked it before with no change but you have to grab it just right to make it stop. Looking at lay down options.

[cactusjack]

What was it the Kinks said "Paranoia may destroy ya..."?

[Cajunrider]

On the way home from Custer a very annoying rattle started that sounded like it was coming from the front of the bike. It came and went with rpm changes. I listened to that rattle for an entire tank of gas and finally found it at a lunch stop. The hose clamp holding the front heat shield at the top had slipped off of the fastener on the shield. I got my tools and re-attached it and tightened it with a socket and ratchet. That took care of it. Those heat shield rattles make the bike sound like it is falling to pieces. Glad you found that it wasn't your bike.

[jestephens]

Originally Posted by skeeter

I've had a nagging buzz from behind me . . . . I stripped the pillion and back rest and it was still there . . . . It really was irritating.

Skeeter, I had the same thing, a nagging noise, but when I stripped the rear pillion the noise quit. I think it's because she no longer had a place to sit . . . . LOL

[jmorrow]

A few year ago I was riding a 25 mile straight strip of HWY 412 through rice farm country and started hearing a loud noise, a loud rumble/thumping sound. I was looking all over trying to find where the noise might be coming from, looking at both sides of motor , leaning forward, wobbling all over the highway. At times it would really thump and vibrate me and the Nomad. I was getting ready to pull over to the side of the highway when out the corner of my right eye I caught a glimpse of something. I turned to look and low and behold it was a crop duster flying about 25-30 feet off the ground and about 150 feet to my right. He was laughing his butt off. With a sigh of relief I gave him a friendly wave and kept going as he lifted and banked. Had me worried for a while, sort of like being in your truck at a stoplight and a kid with the thumper speakers pulls up behind you.?????????WTH

[landman]

now that's funny !