Tragically, my Thunderbird is making the same whine, screech, and/or squeal from somewhere in he motor.
The noise started abruptly, and is rev dependant. Clutch and gearbox engagement does not make a difference. It is barely audible at idle, and gets louder as revs increase. The motor seems to spin freely, and the only performance issue was an occasional hesitation when opening the throttle.
Unfortunately, this started way up in the boonies in northern California on a seldom used back road.
I didn’t know exactly where I was, and didn’t want to push on to however far it was to the next town. Though I carry water, I did not want to walk the almost 15 miles to back to civilization/cell phone reception. I crossed my fingers and slowly rode back until I was able to call.
So, I got an 89 mile tow to the U-Haul truck rental in Weaverville, CA (Blessing on the American Automobile Association and their 100 mile towing limit). I spent the night where I’d set up camp at a campground in Trinity Center, CA, and then trucked my Thunderbird the 600 miles to home the next day.
I can’t tell if the noise is from the left or right, though it seems to be low in the motor rather than high in the cam area. It’s definitely not a grinding/crunching kind of sound.
I have an appointment with the dealer in two weeks. I’m into this for over $800 just to get her home. I expect that this is not going to be a cheap or easy fix. I’ll let you know what I find out.
BTW, I named my Thunderbird Nikki, after the song “Nikki, Don’t Stop” by Cool Millions. She didn’t stop. And you know what? She didn’t stop. She’s a Hurt’n Unit, but kept going until we got to where I could call for help.
I found this site with the song. Scroll down to song #7. It really illustrates the sensual link between a rider and motorcycle.
http://www.jestertunes.com/2007/04/04/ten-songs-im-totally-digging-male-edition/
As an aside, the roads and scenery in southern Oregon and northern California are truly magnificent.
The noise started abruptly, and is rev dependant. Clutch and gearbox engagement does not make a difference. It is barely audible at idle, and gets louder as revs increase. The motor seems to spin freely, and the only performance issue was an occasional hesitation when opening the throttle.
Unfortunately, this started way up in the boonies in northern California on a seldom used back road.
I didn’t know exactly where I was, and didn’t want to push on to however far it was to the next town. Though I carry water, I did not want to walk the almost 15 miles to back to civilization/cell phone reception. I crossed my fingers and slowly rode back until I was able to call.
So, I got an 89 mile tow to the U-Haul truck rental in Weaverville, CA (Blessing on the American Automobile Association and their 100 mile towing limit). I spent the night where I’d set up camp at a campground in Trinity Center, CA, and then trucked my Thunderbird the 600 miles to home the next day.
I can’t tell if the noise is from the left or right, though it seems to be low in the motor rather than high in the cam area. It’s definitely not a grinding/crunching kind of sound.
I have an appointment with the dealer in two weeks. I’m into this for over $800 just to get her home. I expect that this is not going to be a cheap or easy fix. I’ll let you know what I find out.
BTW, I named my Thunderbird Nikki, after the song “Nikki, Don’t Stop” by Cool Millions. She didn’t stop. And you know what? She didn’t stop. She’s a Hurt’n Unit, but kept going until we got to where I could call for help.
I found this site with the song. Scroll down to song #7. It really illustrates the sensual link between a rider and motorcycle.
http://www.jestertunes.com/2007/04/04/ten-songs-im-totally-digging-male-edition/
As an aside, the roads and scenery in southern Oregon and northern California are truly magnificent.