What's with the Loud Whine slowing/downshifting?

[stovebolt_six]

Hello all, last weekend the wife and I took a ride on our 2015 F3, with 6320 miles on odometer. approximately 200 miles on our trip, ran great, however, while riding with helmets on, I noticed what sounded like a loud whine, for lack of better term, this occurred, especially while slowing down and downshifting. This whine goes away while twisting the throttle and and gearing up. I've looked at the belt, it appears to be in alignment, no abnormal wear on the tires. I was wondering if anyone else with F3's has experienced this? Thanks in advance.....Clint

[BajaRon]

Hello all, last weekend the wife and I took a ride on our 2015 F3, with 6320 miles on odometer. approximately 200 miles on our trip, ran great, however, while riding with helmets on, I noticed what sounded like a loud whine, for lack of better term, this occurred, especially while slowing down and downshifting. This whine goes away while twisting the throttle and and gearing up. I've looked at the belt, it appears to be in alignment, no abnormal wear on the tires. I was wondering if anyone else with F3's has experienced this? Thanks in advance.....Clint

This is a guess. Just throwing something against the wall to see if it sticks. I assume you are riding with and without helmets? OK, I won't comment on that because it's not the current area of interest. But I would like to....

When you have a helmet on it tends to funnel or magnify sounds from directly beneath you up to your ears. Sounds that you just don't hear when riding without helmets. Transmission gears, sprockets and belts, even rear tire noise on the pavement may be much accentuated. I'd say it's not a problem. But like I said, I'm just guessing.

You need to get familiar with the normal sounds your Spyder makes with helmets on.

It's the same for me on the rare occasion when I do not wear a full face helmet. I hear things that sound 'Wrong' to me. But it's just a different perspective.

Hope this helps.

[Rattlebars]

When you have a helmet on it tends to funnel or magnify sounds from directly beneath you up to your ears. Sounds that you just don't hear when riding without helmets. Transmission gears, sprockets and belts, even rear tire noise on the pavement may be much accentuated. I'd say it's not a problem. But like I said, I'm just guessing.

You need to get familiar with the normal sounds your Spyder makes with helmets on.

It's the same for me on the rare occasion when I do not wear a full face helmet. I hear things that sound 'Wrong' to me. But it's just a different perspective.

Hope this helps.

Yes, I once mentioned this in a forum years ago and took so much abuse it was unbelievable, until the OP came on a week later and quoted me saying "That was it ! Thanks!"

Too, do you have a belt tensionor idler arm? If so, check to see if it has come loose and running on the belt catywampus. I installed the BuRP version of the idler arm and it made a horrendous whine. When I installed my heated clothing outlet I looked and found that I had failed to properly tighten the two bolts (the locking compound on them required so much torque I thot I was done). After I lined it up again and it ran straight, no more whine.

throwing spam on the wall. Which one will stick?

[Road-Kill]

I almost never wear a full face helmet.....BUT.....when I do my ryde sounds different. My ryde also sounds different when I wear my 3/4 and 1/2 helmets. I wear earplugs 98% of the time and also notice .....strange....sounds when my plugs are not in. I'm betting like BajaRon that you are experiencing the same scenario. My thoughts.

[stovebolt_six]

I just went for a short ride a few minutes ago, no helmet this time, as I was pulling out of the driveway, I heard noise coming from rear wheel. Bad wheel bearing maybe??

[Road-Kill]

I just went for a short ride a few minutes ago, no helmet this time, as I was pulling out of the driveway, I heard noise coming from rear wheel. Bad wheel bearing maybe??

Maybe, mabe just a bit of paranoia?

[greybeard]

I get the same noise seems to go away in cold weather really comes on above 75 deg. Not the fans my full face helmet muffles it but with no helmet it's really loud

[stovebolt_six]

No, not paranoia, it's definately a loud noise, I just don't think I want to take a chance that it is a bad bearing, and have it seize up at 65 mph, with my wife on with me!

[tip]

My '17 F3 with 1229 miles is in the shop for a "whine". I have tried full - half - and no helmet - it is not paranoia.
Dealer's tech thought it was the rear wheel bearings.
Changed - no difference - whine is there any gear or RPM between 40 and 50 mph.
Will wait (how long? ) and see what they find.
Rep states that Can Am has 2 other with same problem.
Tip

[Buckskin]

Hey Chet, glad you made it over from the GL1800's. I too installed the OEM idler recently and yesterday when letting off on the throttle I heard a whistling. Give the gas it it goes away. I'm thinking about making the Doc's Idler conversion as he has a setup to use part of what we have and his idler.
By the way, like that setup in the picture, but give us the part number for the male and female connectors so we can make that up.
Buckskin

Yes, I once mentioned this in a forum years ago and took so much abuse it was unbelievable, until the OP came on a week later and quoted me saying "That was it ! Thanks!"

Too, do you have a belt tensionor idler arm? If so, check to see if it has come loose and running on the belt catywampus. I installed the BuRP version of the idler arm and it made a horrendous whine. When I installed my heated clothing outlet I looked and found that I had failed to properly tighten the two bolts (the locking compound on them required so much torque I thot I was done). After I lined it up again and it ran straight, no more whine.

throwing spam on the wall. Which one will stick?

[Rattlebars]

Hey Chet, glad you made it over from the GL1800's. I too installed the OEM idler recently and yesterday when letting off on the throttle I heard a whistling. Give the gas it it goes away. I'm thinking about making the Doc's Idler conversion as he has a setup to use part of what we have and his idler.
By the way, like that setup in the picture, but give us the part number for the male and female connectors so we can make that up.
Buckskin

Hey Buckskin. Relevant links are here: >CLICK ME<

[BLUEZL600EFI]

Check the front pulley. Just had mine come loose at 7800 miles. I caught it before it became a major issue. Took it to the dealer and it took them a while to figure it out. It would barely make the sound until they got some miles on it and it got worse to be able to detect where it was coming from.

[stovebolt_six]

Ok, thanks for the advice, now, just have to drive 140 miles to the nearest dealer!

[keweenaw]

I have noticed the same whine at approximately 40's mph goes away upon accelerating also may be somewhat temperature related. I have 2015 F3s just put a belt stabilizer on thought that might be the culprit but took it off still whines. Have about 5500 miles on the spyder virtually positive it did not have the noise earlier on. I have also checked front pulley bolt no problems there. Will have dealer check it out this fall when it's in for service, seems to come from the front more than the rear of the spyder?

[Roadster Renovations]

I had a customer that has a '16 RT with less than 10k miles have her rear bearing fail on the way to Valcourt. It got so bad that the rear wheel was actually flopping around. So it might be possible that there are some bad ones running around out there.

[Bob Denman]

I had a customer that has a '16 RT with less than 10k miles have her rear bearing fail on the way to Valcourt. It got so bad that the rear wheel was actually flopping around. So it might be possible that there are some bad ones running around out there.

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I've always felt that people worry too much; perhaps SOME noises are worth investigating!