Harmonics, Noises and Vibrations - what does your sound like?

[SpeedStar]

I don't want to be too picky but coming to a new bike when you are used to another one, I am very aware of differences in sounds, vibrations etc. I can't help but wonder if all the sounds and vibrations and harmonics of the XT are the same for other owners.

I am about 750 miles into it right now and have noticed a big improvement in some of them in the last 100 - 150 miles. I assume this will continue to improve as the motor wears in.



1) When I am accelerating, about 4200rpm - 5200rpm I get a vibration / knock and it goes away and turns to a nice growl above that.

2) If in third or fourth gear (most evident) cruising at around 4200-4300rpm just on the throttle, not accelerating, I get a knock. Accel above that it goes away as I clear 5200 and goes to growl.

3) In say 3rd or 4th gear, slow to below 3100rpm and then accelerate slightly lugging, as it clears 3200rpm I get a vibration or sound that is different and then it gets back to normal at around 3500rpm.

4) Idle, can here slight clicking along with the normal motor sounds.



These are probably all normal, but I am coming from a V-Strom 650 and just wondered what others were hearing.
I also think that some of these are directly related to especially lean fueling that the California model bikes have been blessed with.

Thoughts?

 

[fredz43]

I noticed #3, but mostly evident in 5th or 6th. It seems to be getting better and I only have 300 miles on mine.

 

[colorider]

Be glad you are coming from a DL650 and not a DL1000. The DL1000 will buck, snort, kick and then sometimes pull............

 

[roy]

Mine seems noisy at idle. A lot going on down there it seems. At 650 miles and it's not getting any quieter. Vibration if not revving it to accelerate, does not like lugging. Vibration in the bars above 4500 rpm not bad but noticeable. Fuel pump is loud on first start up in the mornings. Strange grinding feeling left footpeg when braking with clutch pulled in and trail braking with rear brake and it feels like it's coming from the drivetrain so it's not the abs.

Besides all those minor comments it seems rock solid.

 

[Kevhunts]

1. I've got a buzz from the front brake. I plan on prying the pads back a bit and flushing them out with a hose just to make sure I didn't pick up some grit or something.

2. I noticed a distinct noise/vib around 3000 rpm that smooths out above or below that mark. Sounds/feels somewhat tractorish. It's kind of hard to tell if you are lugging this engine as it pulls pretty well in any gear.

3. I've also noticed mine pulls very well from a stop up to about 3000 rpm and then the torque goes away and the engine sounds/feels a bit like it is free-wheeling, almost like it would if the clutch were slipping but is not. Above 3000 rpm, it's as if you are running a different profile or map. Since this is consistant despite T or S mode, I'm assuming it's the camshaft profile and a normal characteristic.

I am not too concerned at this point. I'll wait until the first service and see how things are going then.

 

[troll]

This is a noisy motor, both at idle and rolling up through the lower rpm's under a load. I asked the Yukon Yamaha mechanic (who owns one as well) if his was as noisy. We compaired sound side by side and they were nearly identical. Quieter than a friends Duc with the dry clutch though.

I think some of what we are all hearing and feeling particularly under a load in the lower rpm's is the odd fire order of the cross plane engine design. You can feel each piston fire on these big bore, slow turning twins. I know my 1600cc Harley definitely let you know when each cylinder was firing.

The sound and feel cleans right up over 4500rpm and is really crisp between 5500 - 7500rpm. BTW I have 3000km on the meter

 

[dcstrom]

Yeah this motor as it's own peculiarities - nothing to worry about though, I think we are all hearing/feeling the same things. To be honest I prefer the sound/feel of my Vee at higher revs, but the S10 is WAY better at the low end. Never mind, that's what earplugs are for - so you can't hear the clatter from the engine.

If it really bugs you get a loud pipe to drown out the engine noise!

 

[martinh]

I like the sound of the bike, sounds like a beast coming down the road when you get on the throttle ;D

 

[maddog5150]

I seem to notice an odd whine between 3,600~3,800 rpm. Not overly annoying, but you can hear it over the engine noise even with ear plugs in. I can't tell if its an engine noise, or rear end, or ??

 

[Wulfgar]

Well, I still don't have mine (Wednesday now) but does anyone want to chime in on the counter-balancer causing some of the noise/slight vibration? I have not had a bike with such a set-up but have always understood that reduce vibration at a slight expense of noise/secondary vibration.

 

[roy]

Well, I still don't have mine (Wednesday now) but does anyone want to chime in on the counter-balancer causing some of the noise/slight vibration? I have not had a bike with such a set-up but have always understood that reduce vibration at a slight expense of noise/secondary vibration.

I think most of the noise is the primary gear over on the clutch side. Pull in the clutch and 50% of the noise goes away. This is the first noise I tuned into when my bike was cranked with "0" miles on it. I discussed it with a bit of a chuckle with my long time mechanic friend who was performing the PDI.

 

[colorider]

Yeah this motor as it's own peculiarities - nothing to worry about though, I think we are all hearing/feeling the same things. To be honest I prefer the sound/feel of my Vee at higher revs, but the S10 is WAY better at the low end. Never mind, that's what earplugs are for - so you can't hear the clatter from the engine.

If it really bugs you get a loud pipe to drown out the engine noise!

+ 1 on the earplugs. You will hear all sorts of strange noises from any engine if you listen close enough.

Makes me glad I have tinnitus, am hard of hearing and wear ear plugs ALWAYS when riding!!!!!

 

[s-flow]

There is the "tractorish", as Kevhunts called it, sound att 3200 RPM (with the akrapovic can it moved from 2700 RPM and was also tuned down).
I Also suffered from vibrations cruising between 4500 RPM - 5000 RPM, this is not aproblem anymore though since the slip-on softened them enough
for me. Maybe some day I´ll get some new thicker grips to make the vibrations non-noticable.

My bike runs normal noise level at idle and pulls clean and linear thru the RPM range now.

All together the bike is fantastic!

 

[RMac]

All the noises and behavior mentioned here are probably the same as my Euro bike. The engine could sound quite rough on acceleration during the break in period, but smoothed out a lot with time. There is still the tractorish feel when accelerating through 3.5k region, especially when accelerating uphill. The lull in torque from 4k to 5.5k is most likely to meet noise emission regulations. If you let the bike warm up on idle you will likely notice a clicking, popping noise that develops when engine coolant gets above 75C. I have over 13000km's on my S10 now and find the engine smoother than ever. Interestingly my fuel consumption appears to have got better and better with time. Not unusual for me to get more than 50mpg from a tank now and have had 53 mpg on several occasions (actual consumption, not indicated consumption). Oh yes ++1 on earplugs!

 

[RMac]

S-flow, I posted almost the same time you posted and missed it before I replied. How much was the Akropovic can and did you get it through your Yamaha dealer? Also you wouldn't be the guy on the white S10 that passed me on the E4 about a week or so ago? It was between Nyköping and Stockholm and the white S10 was followed by a Honda Varadero.

 

[ptfjjj]

coming from the concours C10, this bike is silent! yeah, I hear the engine sounds, but it is a cream puff compared to the C10, and I have the Wasp carbon muffler without the baffle! It is a nice change for me. Quieter, smoother engine with a taller 6th gear. Vibration and noise are pretty much non existent for me.

 

[Jakeboy]

Mine makes some interesting sounds, too. I figure I'll give it a chance to break in.

My thoughts are that this motor is really tight when new and just needs to be worn in. I had a BMW oil head and it didn't start to really purr until I had 5K miles on it.

 

[s-flow]

S-flow, I posted almost the same time you posted and missed it before I replied. How much was the Akropovic can and did you get it through your Yamaha dealer? Also you wouldn't be the guy on the white S10 that passed me on the E4 about a week or so ago? It was between Nyköping and Stockholm and the white S10 was followed by a Honda Varadero.

Hello!

I choosed to buy the Akrapovic via e-bay, here is the link, http://viewitem.eim.ebay.se/AUSPUFF-AKRAPOVIC-XT1200Z-SUPER-TENERE-SY12SO1HAAT/120696117751/item
The price is 6720 SKR (shipping included but by some reason the total went up to 6850 SKR, have not bothered to care about that) and shipping takes 6-7 days.
If I would have bought it from my dealer the price is 9990 SKR... Everything wen't smooth and the e-bay dealer seems trustworthy. My Powercommander 5 I got via e-bay from GB, also lots cheaper and 3 days delivery.

No, wasn't me at E4, I have been riding around Gävle and southern of Dalarna lately but I could very well pop up there any time as I longing for some extended rides soon and my three weeks out of work has just begun!

 

[RMac]

Hello!

I choosed to buy the Akrapovic via e-bay, here is the link, http://viewitem.eim.ebay.se/AUSPUFF-AKRAPOVIC-XT1200Z-SUPER-TENERE-SY12SO1HAAT/120696117751/item
The price is 6720 SKR (shipping included but by some reason the total went up to 6850 SKR, have not bothered to care about that) and shipping takes 6-7 days.
If I would have bought it from my dealer the price is 9990 SKR... Everything wen't smooth and the e-bay dealer seems trustworthy. My Powercommander 5 I got via e-bay from GB, also lots cheaper and 3 days delivery.

No, wasn't me at E4, I have been riding around Gävle and southern of Dalarna lately but I could very well pop up there any time as I longing for some extended rides soon and my three weeks out of work has just begun!

Thanks for the info on the Akra. Guess the number of S10's on Swedish roads will be rising now. I seem to recall you said you had a white S10, so just put 2+2 together and got 5
By the way my son and I took a 10 day, combined riding/fishing trip up through Dalarna, Härjedalen and Jämtland a couple of weeks back. It went great with all the gear and the passenger. This bike is a very solid touring platform. I am currently in the process of moving from Nyköping to Gustavsberg, near Stockholm. Give me a shout if you are coming by that way and feel in the mood for a meet. Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Koinz]

Mine makes some interesting sounds, too. I figure I'll give it a chance to break in.

My thoughts are that this motor is really tight when new and just needs to be worn in. I had a BMW oil head and it didn't start to really purr until I had 5K miles on it.

Mine didn't start to purr until it had 20,000 miles on it