Strange engine whine

[Steve Block]

Hi,

I picked up my new Rocket yesterday and rode it home (approx 240 miles) with no problem. Revs kept to under 3000 and varied during the journey, max speed 70 and no heavy throttle opening. Today I went out for another short ride and after stopping for about an hour when I started the bike to come home, I noticed a slight mechanical whine from the engine that is linked to the engine speed but sounds a little like the whine from the shaft drive in 1st. No warning lights and the motor still pulls with the same power as before.

Just a bit worried that this may be something or nothing, do these motors make a slight whine after or during break-in ??

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks
Steve

[Huntsville rocket]

Whine, whirred, purred?? Difficult at best to compare engine sounds with silent text. My 07 Rocket, purchased new 17 months ago, currently just over 11,000 miles, also whines, or maybe it's a whirring. The sound is noticed more at idle and slow speeds and will change in pitch as the RPM's increase or decrease. I've never inquired with a Triumph mechanic, but have just assumed it was related to the spinning of that huge fly wheel.

Rather than being overly concern about your new toy, and knowing someone who may have had a problem, is sure to post a reply to your question, but their noise is not really your noise but you believe it is...then you get bleeding ulcers.. I'd suggest you just tool back to your dealer and inquire. Who knows, maybe it's your big ol' flywheel.

My bike has had a few issues and will most likely have more, and I'll be P... off when it happens but I'd purchase the bike all over again. It's a blast, its fast even when it's sitting still. The R3 is also the bad boy round town even when your cruising at really low speeds, letting the massive torque flex its muscle. I have no doubt you'll come to love your Rocket more, in 12 months, than you do today.

[Steve Block]

Thanks for the advice, yes you're right, I might swing by the dealership to have them cast their ear over it. It's probably nothing, and just me listening out for something out of the ordinary. It's more of a whirring than a whine that is more noticeable at low revs, but probably just the "normal" Rocket motor sounds.

I'm still getting used to only have to twist the throttle open by a couple of mm before I realise I'm flying down the street... Incredible!!

Cheers
Steve

[TRIIICK]

Just my 2 cents... Mine made all kinds of noises when i first bought the bike whining clunking etc. the more I rode it the quieter it became. Saturday i took it out for a ride and rode 150 miles ,it was smooth as silk and quiet. Today Sunday i went on a 200 mile run. Started off it was about 53*and the bike was running smoothly. As the day wore on the temperature started to drop drasticly,thats when i noticed a slight vibration and whining about 100 miles into the trip. This seems to only happen when the temperature drops, i ended up putting on my heated suit it was that cold. Stopped for a late lunch and after shutting the Rocket down you can hear the metal contracting i heard a sharp clunk it could have been the exhaust contracting. The cold weather IMO definitely effects this bike, nothing radically but just enough to make you worry. Check out this article on shaft drives..

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Shaft.html

This might help shed some light on my temperture theory..
http://www.maintenanceworld.com/Arti...shaft.html#Top

[Steve Block]

Thanks guys for your responses, I called into the dealership and had a tech listen to the motor, his response was that they all make slightly different "growing" noises as the new components all bed-in and that mine was no different to the others.

I'm going to keep a carefull (but not paranoid) ear out until I reach the 1st service and see what the techs report (if anything) that's out of the ordinary.

Do you know if they change the final drive oil and lube the drive splines during this 1st maint service ?

Cheers
Steve

[odie]

I have a new Rocket Classic with just over 1000 miles. It has always made a whine at rpms under 1500. I always thought it was the nature of the beast. Just got my break-in service. I think it is running smoother. The gears do some clunk, clank. ker-tunk sounds sometimes but its smooth when shifting. The rocket is a big bike and makes big bike sounds.

odie