KNOCKING SOUND - HELP!!!

[silascopathic_imp]

Hey friends,

so this morning i spent 3 hours trying to troubleshoot this knocking sound coming from my front wheel.

I have narrowed it down to the wheel bearings or the wheel balance.


i will hear a constant cyclical knocking sound in neutral, in gear, when the bike is on or off. I removed the calipers from the rotors and the sound is still there.
I removed the front fender and the sound persists.

I removed the wheel and the forks and reinstalled per the instructions in the service manual.

First i did the forks and tested. The issue persists. Then i removed the wheel, the gaskets and the bearings and the middle tube thing. I put them all back in correctly and took the bike for a ride. The sound was GONE!

I went out for a ride and 10 min in, the sound came back.

Here is what I am thinking

When I originally had my wheel powder coated, i did not replace the bearings (even though the service manual says to) because the bike was under 1000 miles. I recently had my front wheel balanced and the guy stated that it didn't need weights. He just re aligned the tire dot with the stem valve.


The sound is getting progressively worse.

Do you think I should get new bearings and take the wheel back for another balance?

I am not sure if this is doing damage to the wheel, but I am not riding it until its repaired

I need all of your expertise.

please help a brother out!

[CA200_imp]

First step take the wheel to someone with a good balancer and get it balanced

[Jayimpalaman_imp]

I would replace the wheel bearings with new ones. Use the best you can find. Try and go with American bearings if possible. Clean everything up, and install slow, and then GO!!! God Bless...



Jayimpalaman

[Deanohh_imp]

Were the bearings removed for powdercoating? What was your method to remove and reinstall the bearings. If you don't have exactly the right tools for this, I suggest you get the new bearings professionally installed at a shop. The placement driving in the bearings and the seating to the center distance collar (tube thingie) is critical, as is torque of the front axle bolt.

The milage isn't what matters. Its when you drive out the outer race by forcing the inner race that is bad.

[The Spaceman_imp]

I'm thinking along the same lines as Deanohh...the powder coating process is the culprit. Its the only thing that changed from the factory, right?

Sometimes the powder gets onto places it shouldn't, and the races can't seat properly. Or the bearings may have been damaged coming out or going back on. A bearing set replacement seems like the next step.

[Ack-CB11_imp]

I say it's a bearing too.

[yetanotherGerman_imp]

Powder coatings need about 340 degrees F / 175 degrees C to cure.

If you had your bearings still in the wheel during that process, guess what happened to the tiny rubber seals and the small amount of lubricant.
In this case have new bearings installed by a professional.

If you had the bearings removed and reinstalled, then probably that killed them. Again: new bearings.

[HondaJon_imp]

I also think new wheel bearings will correct your issue. Have the wheel balanced after the bearings are replaced as well just to be sure.

[silascopathic_imp]

you guys are awesome! that is what I was thinking.

They were removed by the powdercoater, who is also a MC tech but regardless, that is what I will do.

i'm glad that everyone is on the same page. I will also have it balanced again.

I'll keep y'all in the loop!!


THANKS!!!!!

[Deanohh_imp]

Hope the rear is ok.