[rahji]

hey.. this is my first post in several years. i was really involved in these forums back when rob started the site and i had a 1998 SV650 in MA. now, several bikes later, i'm in grad school in CA and i have a 2005 SV650.

i tried searching for an answer to this problem that i'm having but it's hard to get results for "donk" or "noise like bamboo clunking together".

so... when i'm riding and i go over 65mph, i start hearing the noise i just described. it seems to go away around 90 or so but i think it's just that the wind noise is masking it. i have tried to figure out the direction that it's coming from with no success. last week the noise was only at 75+ so it seems to be getting worse.

i suppose it could be exhaust noise but it's not associated with rpms.. just speed. my chain was just changed yesterday and the noise hasn't changed. i can't find anything loose. the noise could be described as something clunking around under my seat (it sounds like plastic/bamboo banging together?) but i've removed everything from under there.

any ideas? i'm getting worried that the next noise will be a loud one followed by silence.

thanks!
rob

 

[sgtmarkins]

could it be the heatshield near the Battery?

 

[rahji]

i'll check it out... thanks!

 

[rahji]

I looked around again, took the seat off and looked, and still found nothing that seemed loose. I'm starting to think this noise is related to the wheel because it happens at a certain speed (not RPM). If I am coasting at 70mph with the clutch pulled in, I can still hear it. I'm ruling out the chain because it was just replaced and it's the same exact noise.

Is it possible that I'm hearing worn wheel bearings? I can't really even tell if it's coming from the front or back but for some reason I'm leaning toward the back end. I know what bad wheel bearings sound like on a car but I haven't experienced it on a bike yet. I also get a tiny bit of whirr-whirr-whirr-whirr when I'm coasting at lower speed.

I'm the type of ******* that is driven nuts by noises like this - especially when they weren't there before. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Rob