Noises from the rear, is this normal?

[Deezalman]

So the other day I rode my 2011 R1200RT to my parents (3 miles down the road). For the first time ever, I decided to ride over without a helmet which allowed me to hear noises I never heard before. The best way I could describe it is a muted grinding/gear noise.

 

I purchased the bike used from an out of state BMW dealer this winter and I wanted to start fresh so I had the bike serviced @ 4,500 miles earlier this week (including the final drive oil). While I doubt either points are relevant to my question, is it normal to hear the drive unit? Is it normal to hear the drive line?

[dirtrider]

Morning Deezalman

 

To answer your basic question on: "Is it normal to hear the drive line?"-- Maybe, that depends on how good your hearing is & how loud the bike's drive train is.

 

Anytime you have gears meshing together there will be some noise. It shouldn't be a grinding noise & if all is normal it shouldn't be very loud.

 

Without hearing your noise there is no way to tell if it is normal or abnormal.

 

Seeing as you noticed it then that is enough of an indicator that you should probably get it looked at by a qualified technician.

 

The USUAL noise that a rider hears is tire noise. Some motorcycle tires can become very noisy with very few miles on them.

 

Next time you hear your "gear noise" try steering the bike back & forth to roll the hike over on the tires a bit. If that changes the noise you hear that probably means you are hearing tire noise.

 

Otherwise it might not hurt to have a dealer tec look at it just to put your mind at ease.

 

On m-o-s-t 1200RT final drive issues I have been involved with it is the crown bearing that causes the most issues (other than gear oil leaks). On those I can usually feel the bearing roughness & disturbance in the foot pegs well before any abnormal airborne noise is noticed.

 

[Deezalman]

Good points Dirtrider.. I never gave tire noise a thought.. DUH!!

 

I have not heard it while riding with a helmet so the noise is rather muted. FWIW, my hearing is still very good (knock on wood) and I'm one of those people who 'hears' everything when it comes to mechanical stuff. I was previously an installer of industrial equipment and listening was a key ingredient to troubleshooting potential problems.

 

I'll follow your advice and with sufficient alarm, I'll have it looked at.

 

Thank you!

 

 

[motorman587]

It could the brake pads too, just barely touching.