My bike is making a strange popping sound

[Raptorman53]

[ame="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5C_a-swKkik"]Yamaha fz6 making a strange noise - YouTube[/ame]

Well I have been hearing this noise off and on for about a month now. Tonight after a ride is the first time I have been able to have it make the noise consistently. Whenever I hear the pop I can feel it in the left side frame. The sound seems to emanate from around the air box area. I took the tank off and couldn't see anything out of place. Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[Nelly]

Yamaha fz6 making a strange noise - YouTube

Well I have been hearing this noise off and on for about a month now. Tonight after a ride is the first time I have been able to have it make the noise consistently. Whenever I hear the pop I can feel it in the left side frame. The sound seems to emanate from around the air box area. I took the tank off and couldn't see anything out of place. Any help would be very much appreciated.

I have no idea what that sound is? Could it be coming from the frame? Check bolts for correct torque. I'm interested to know what you find out.

Nelly

 

[Humperdinkel]

Have you had the steering head bearings replaced ?? Could very well be that :thumbup:

 

[iSteve]

Maybe loose brake caliper or real loose steering bearings.

 

[tosh23]

Sounds like caliper, but head bearings do make that sound aswell

 

[04fizzer]

Does it do it with only the front brake or either brake?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

+1 on the front brake caliper or steering head bearings.

Its only doing it when you apply the front brake hard. I'm leaning towards the brakes only because when GOING BACKWARDS, it does it too.
Going forward, the fork/triple tree flopping about when stopping would do the noise(the triple tree((if the bearings are loose worn)), their literally angled back (if not tight), going backwards, is SHOULDN'T make that noise as the forks are STILL ANGLED OUT.

Get the bike on the centerstand and raise the front end (I use a sizzor jack under the header). Then, grab the lower forks forward and pull them up and forward. There should be no play what so ever. If there is, the triple tree may just need tightening or more likely, servicing. While the front end is in the air, spin the front wheel listening for anything unusual. Spin the wheel hard and lock up the brake, you may be able to duplicate and narrow down its location. Pulling the front wheel and checking the bearings for tightness and smoothness would hurt either( and to rule those out).

When checking the brakes, have a helper walk and listen hard next to the bike. Its possible one of your brake line holders loosened up and now the brake line is slapping up against the fender or something else. I would go over EVERY BOLT on the front end in either case and torque to spec.

As loud as that is, it shouldn't be hard to pinpoint.

BTW, If you just hold the front brake on and bounce the front end/forks up and down, are you getting the noise at all? (trying to rule out the forks themselves)

Please post your results/findings..

 

[FIZZER6]

Weird.

I'm also leaning toward something in the front forks, brakes or bearings. Does it still do this if you stop with the rear brake? Something loose in the frame or engine area should not have enough inertia to pop just from stopping but the forks and front brakes are taking a lot of force when you stop.

 

[Jorosv]

Sounds like a steering bearing or a semiring in the front forks

 

[Raptorman53]

Well a little update. I jacked up the bike I did the steering head bearing test. I have full smooth full travel with no play and no sound. I spun the front tire as fast as I could and jammed on the brakes still nothing. I checked every bolt and none were loose.

Since the sound was coming from the left side near the air box. I took off the frame slider. Which looked very bad. View attachment 48950

I cleaned and reinstalled. Took a spin around the block and only got it to make the sound once.

View attachment 48951
View attachment 48952

I'm still puzzled. On another note I found my throttle cable frayed. So no more riding till I get that replaced.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Who ever made that slider apparently uses some really cheap hardware or you do a lot of saltwater riding... Got a full 40 ft lbs of torque on it?

We're you able to duplicate the noise wih the front brake applied, JUST PUSHING up and down on the forks? (you don't need a throttle for that)..

 

[FinalImpact]

Who ever made that slider apparently uses some really cheap hardware or you do a lot of saltwater riding... Got a full 40 ft lbs of torque on it?

We're you able to duplicate the noise wih the front brake applied, JUST PUSHING up anddown on the forks? (you don't need a throttle for that)..

^^
If you aggressively push and pull repeatedly on the handle bars compressing the front suspension will it make the noise? If nothing is found from that; I'd pull the calipers and inspect them, it seems like a pad is rotating till it hits a solid stop and or the caliper itself. Cages w/floating calipers do that often especial as pins and anchors wear. It shows itself when you reverse to a stop. In your case if enough bite is applied via the brakes it rotates forward. Then when you go backs it finds that bit of free play and when the rotation friction over comes the bolt tension/pin load or what ever friction, it breaks free and moves the other direction.

Last item; how is the ride height? Any chance you broke a coil spring in the fork? Unlikely but .. .. ..

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

^^
If you aggressively push and pull repeatedly on the handle bars compressing the front suspension will it make the noise? If nothing is found from that; I'd pull the calipers and inspect them, it seems like a pad is rotating till it hits a solid stop and or the caliper itself. Cages w/floating calipers do that often especial as pins and anchors wear. It shows itself when you reverse to a stop. In your case if enough bite is applied via the brakes it rotates forward. Then when you go backs it finds that bit of free play and when the rotation friction over comes the bolt tension/pin load or what ever friction, it breaks free and moves the other direction.

Last item; how is the ride height? Any chance you broke a coil spring in the fork? Unlikely but .. .. ..

I think you likely nailed it.

It makes sense the floating pins or calipers them selves are worn allowing the slop. The caliper(s) is/are moving forward or back as tolerances are too large.

Simply pulling the pins, inspecting for lube, then re-inserting in the fork and also again in the caliper(still connected) will likely show excesssive wear and thus flop about and make noise. The pins likely worn or the hole elongated.

Should this be the problem (even if it isn't), they make brake specific grease which should be used on those pins and inside any rubber boots the pins reside. They should move very freely in and out, (NOT FORWARD NOR TO THE REAR) and float. When not maintained, the caliper tends to stick and you'll get uneven brake wear (and potentially lessened brake performance)

 

[Raptorman53]

Well a little update. After having the trottle cables replaced at the dealer the sound is not there anymore. I've rode about 200 miles so far and back to normal. Weird