Noisy/whining transmission

[Marico]

Hello,
I bought a 2009 ST1300 with 23k miles on the clock. Unfortunately, due to some unfavorable circumstances, I didn’t do a test ride at speeds over 40 mph before buying it. After the purchase, I discovered that at speeds over 40 mph, there’s a sound that resembles an overloaded drivetrain (similar to the whining you sometimes hear from the rear axle of a truck). A few days earlier, I tested another ST1300 with similar mileage, and it didn’t make that sound.
How is it possible that with such low mileage, this kind of noise is present? Is this a common issue? What usually causes it?
Below is a recording — you can hear the whining once it goes over 2500 RPM

YouTube

 

[SMSW]

No, it is not a common issue. I was unable to hear it, wind and road noise on your recording, and my hearing loss conspired together to mask the sound. How is it possible? Abuse, or lack of maintenance on any piece of machinery will get you problems nobody has documented before.

I'd suggest you put it on the center stand and with a friend on the throttle, go over the bike with a mechanic's stethoscope to pinpoint the location of the noise.

Meanwhile, if you go over the bike and do the routine maintenance that is supposed to be done, you just might clear it up.

Article - Maintenance Items Needed for a New (old) Bike | Articles

This article is the result of collaboration by Andrew Shadow, CYYJ, jfheath, Max Pete, SMSW, and SupraSabre. Igofar’s list was copied from the first link listed above. Click on the attached file. This one is V.11; in the future, any changes will be noted in the title on the first page as the...

www.st-owners.com

Edit, I apologize, I posted that article in your 'Starter' thread.

 

[Larry Fine]

It could be from the rear end, too

 

[Igofar]

Before you start chasing sounds, I would put the bike on the centerstand and spin the rear wheel to verify if your brakes are dragging causing your noise.
On a low mileage bike, unless it’s been serviced correctly, and often, your SMC may be failing causing the rear wheel to drag, or your pads could be worn down and scrapping the rotor.

 

[Marico]

SMC works OK, the rear wheel rotate smoothly.
It's hard for me to imagine that someone could have abused such a dignified motorcycle. The sound is clearly coming from the drivetrain and gets more noticeable during acceleration (increasing rpms at neutral is without issues).
Assuming it was abused — does the ST1300 have any known weak points that usually give out first in such cases? Is it more often the final drive or the gearbox (bearings) that fails?

 

[Marico]

It’s definitely not related to body/plastic parts vibrating in the wind.
If I understood the service manual correctly, the adjustment of the balance shafts affects the engine's sound/feel operation (excluding gearbox) not related to the gearbox/final drive, and it likely has no impact on noises coming from the gearbox.

The sound I'm referring to is similar to driving an old car or a truck in reverse at high speed — that characteristic whining noise. It also resembles the sound of gearboxes under load using straight-cut gears rather than helical ones. I know, most bikes have a straight ones - but they are not noisy as that case.

 

[dduelin]

Sounds like a ST1300. They have a distinctive whining sonic signature. You might alter the noise slightly with the counterbalance shaft adjustment but I don’t think your bike is abnormal.

 

[Ryan_B]

Have you changed out final drive gear fluid yet? I have a buddy that put some really high dollar gear oil in his Goldwing's final drive. It was causing a whining and actually foaming slightly which caused some to vent out. He changed it back to factory recommended and all was well.

Might try that before you dig into it. Fairly inexpensive.

I can hear the whine on your video, it is above and beyond the normal 'Jetsons' sound mine makes, in my opinion.

Ryan

 

[Igofar]

Tire pressure, or cupping on the tires can cause noise.

 

[Marico]

But I tested a week later other st1300 and was without that suspicious loud wining.

 

[dduelin]

But I tested a week later other st1300 and was without that suspicious loud wining.

Maybe something was wrong with the other one.

 

[RVtraveler48]

Hello,
I bought a 2009 ST1300 with 23k miles on the clock. Unfortunately, due to some unfavorable circumstances, I didn’t do a test ride at speeds over 40 mph before buying it. After the purchase, I discovered that at speeds over 40 mph, there’s a sound that resembles an overloaded drivetrain (similar to the whining you sometimes hear from the rear axle of a truck). A few days earlier, I tested another ST1300 with similar mileage, and it didn’t make that sound.
How is it possible that with such low mileage, this kind of noise is present? Is this a common issue? What usually causes it?
Below is a recording — you can hear the whining once it goes over 2500 RPM

YouTube

My '09 recently turned 90,000 miles - mileage isn't the issue. I think you need to have it evaluated by a Honda shop, but know some won't take in bikes over 10 years old. Make some calls.

 

[ardykay54]

Pull your back wheel off and check the wear on the splines...if the previous owner changed tires and didn't coat the gears with the right moly the teeth can be badly damaged....Russ.

 

[RVtraveler48]

Hello,
I bought a 2009 ST1300 with 23k miles on the clock. Unfortunately, due to some unfavorable circumstances, I didn’t do a test ride at speeds over 40 mph before buying it. After the purchase, I discovered that at speeds over 40 mph, there’s a sound that resembles an overloaded drivetrain (similar to the whining you sometimes hear from the rear axle of a truck). A few days earlier, I tested another ST1300 with similar mileage, and it didn’t make that sound.
How is it possible that with such low mileage, this kind of noise is present? Is this a common issue? What usually causes it?
Below is a recording — you can hear the whining once it goes over 2500 RPM

YouTube

My 2009 just turned 90,000 miles and while things have gone wrong, nothing in the drivechain. I think you need to have Honda evaluate it if they will work on bikes as old as ours. Peter

 

[jfheath]

OK - I'm bowing out of this conversation.

I note that the pitch of the whine change with engine revs. Not with the road speed.
And it continued to do that when your clutch was pulled in.

That should tell you something.

And the whine sounds normal to me.

I've deleted my previous posts - they were clearly not of any relevance.

 

[SMSW]

No idea what dealers are like in Poland, but over here, relatively few can be trusted with these old bikes. We have had quite a few folks describe substandard service and even some outrageously wrong wrenching by dealer's mechanics. The problem is, these bikes are fairly reliable and comparatively few were sold. Consequently, the older mechanics saw few of these bikes and rarely learned the details. Today we have mostly younger mechanics who were infants or kids when the STs came out, and they are learning on YOUR bike. Again, I'm speaking of US dealers, I've no idea what they are like over there.

If you have a good, trusted mechanic, guard him carefully and treat him well.

 

[ASPC]

Balancer shaft gear whine. Not gearbox. Not final drive. The sound changes with engine rpm not road speed.

 

[dduelin]

OK - I'm bowing out of this conversation.

I note that the pitch of the revs change with engine revs. Not with the road speed.
And it continued to do that when your clutch was pulled in.

That should tell you something.

And the whine sounds normal to me.

I've deleted my previous posts - they were clearly not of any relevance.

Like John said, the whining noise exactly correlates with the rise and fall of engine revolutions. If it was a transmission or final drive problem the noise would correlate with road speed not with engine revolution speed (rpm). I heard the distinct ST1300 engine noise a lot - I rode mine 180,000 miles.

 

[Marico]

Balancer shaft gear whine. Not gearbox. Not final drive. The sound changes with engine rpm not road speed.

Balancer shaft gear whine is audible on neutral without running transmission (no load to the gearbox). The sound I'm referring to is correlated and better audible when transmission is under the load (road conditions) durning acceleration. Noise disappear immediately when clutch is pressed and free running engine sound perfectly without issues.

Like John said, the whining noise exactly correlates with the rise and fall of engine revolutions. If it was a transmission or final drive problem the noise would correlate with road speed not with engine revolution speed (rpm). I heard the distinct ST1300 engine noise a lot - I rode mine 180,000 miles.

Video is very noisy and has many sounds, You just pickuped the wrong one. The sound I'm referring to is strictly correlated to speed and transmission under the load. I'll try simulate load with breaks on the center stand and record it again.

 

[ASPC]

Balancer shaft gear whine is audible on neutral without running transmission (no load to the gearbox). The sound I'm referring to is correlated and better audible when transmission is under the load (road conditions) durning acceleration. Noise disappear immediately when clutch is pressed and free running engine sound perfectly without issues.


Video is very noisy and has many sounds, You just pickuped the wrong one. The sound I'm referring to is strictly correlated to speed and transmission under the load. I'll try simulate load with breaks on the center stand and record it again.

If that is the case I don’t think we can hear it on the video.