RATTLING - Is something about to fall off??

[ruralgirl]

Early this summer, my 2015 RT-S developed a rattle which is low to the ground and seems to be coming from the rear wheel area, although, at times, I could swear it's coming from the right front. It sounds like a bunch of keys jingling together - high pitched and delicate - and is triggered by rough roads or specific bumps like RR tracks. It originally occurred only on fairly severe surfaces, but has now increased in frequency to the point where it's possible that it's occurring full time, but is simply not audible over the engine at higher RPMs.

A couple weeks ago, I took it to my local CanAm dealer/mechanic, and of course, it was quiet during my ride down and back. He rode it for more than half an hour on all sorts of surfaces, and never heard a peep.

By the next day, however, Spyke was back to her old, jingling self. Proof that machines do have personalities! Anyway, before I take her back for exploratory surgery, do you guys have any ideas? The first thing my mechanics pondered when I described the sound was the heat shield, but they had no time to start dismantling her that day. This is messing up my summer as I'm afraid to stray too far from home for fear of leaving a trail of parts behind me!

[trikermutha]

just a thought check your fender hardware maybe a loose. ? I doubt it but figure we try that first. Anything in your trunks or you have more than one key in the ignition area?

Does it happen when you push the bike up and down ?

[Chupaca]

Water leaks and jinggling sounds are hard to find...do you have any gremlin bells..?? You could go around and bump body parts to see if you can find anything loose. Body panels don't jingle so it would have to be on solid parts. Bang on the exhaust/muffler sometime baffles get loose, bang on the fenders as well, check all storage compartments for items that may have fallen and rattle around when compartment is empty. Check license plate mounting. Then outside of pulling panels to check underneath not much else...

[ruralgirl]

Nope, nothing in any of the trunks that could rattle, no gremlin bells, and it doesn't do it when pushing the machine up and down. But I'll bang on all the stuff you mention. Thanks, guys!

[Bob Denman]

Finding rattles is always a miserable task...
pull the bike out to where you've got some room around it...
Find a piece of cardboard from a really big box...
Lay that down next to the bike, and crawl down onto it: on your back!
Now it's time to start grabbing, wiggling, touching, and banging on "things..."
Start at the rear, and work your way forward...
if it exists: see if it's loose or not!
Hopefully you can find it quickly: please let us know which part is the offender!

[ruralgirl]

Thanks, Bob. I'll put down an old sheet and start doing what you suggest. My husband and I have already lifted her up a little bit and checked around under there as best we could, but we need to be more thorough before I go back to the mechanics. I'll definitely report any findings!

[ralph12345678910]

check for loose mirrors

[bmccaffrey]

check exhaust area broke springs

[SpyderAnn01]

A loose sway bar link?

[Bfromla]

Thanks, Bob. I'll put down an old sheet and start doing what you suggest. My husband and I have already lifted her up a little bit and checked around under there as best we could, but we need to be more thorough before I go back to the mechanics. I'll definitely report any findings!

Being on the RH side try good inspection of all brake brackets & cables with & without P brake on. May wanna try the wiggling & banging both ways too if nothing is found quickly. Guessing you haven't had any farkles installed in that area that may be related RT side case hinge DocH made some replacements for a reason.

[irvin48]

slight subject change, but thank you rural girl for the thread on on the compass.im
directionally challanged and this greatly enhanced our riding experience!!
hope you find the problem. i too have a squeek or rattle but we wear helmets
so you cant hear it.--irv toms

[Bob Denman]

Try grabbing the front wheels, and giving them a tug: both forward, and backwards...
You might have a worn-out front A-arm bushing.

[Justacruisin]

My 2014 ST-Limited, same noise. It drives me crazy.

Justacruisin (with a little rattle)

[ruralgirl]

Just logged in today to see all the additional suggestions. THANKS, everyone! I'll keep you posted.

[ruralgirl]

My 2014 ST-Limited, same noise. It drives me crazy.

Justacruisin (with a little rattle)

Interesting!! And a bit comforting not to be the only "victim". And to know you're still on the road.

[ruralgirl]

slight subject change, but thank you rural girl for the thread on on the compass.im
directionally challanged and this greatly enhanced our riding experience!!
hope you find the problem. i too have a squeek or rattle but we wear helmets
so you cant hear it.--irv toms

I'm glad my compass thread helped you! I love mine. Don't need it often, but when I do ....

[Bob Denman]

Just logged in today to see all the additional suggestions. THANKS, everyone! I'll keep you posted.

I hope that you can find it soon...
As much as we never like finding things wrong: it's still better than not knowing!

[motoswami]

Check the belt tension adjusters at each end of the swing arm. If they aren't snug, you can peck on them with your finger and they will give a light rattle.

I this is the source, there's a chance your belt is not correctly tensioned (anymore).

Hope this he'ps.

Pete

[ruralgirl]

Pete, you were absolutely right, right down to my belt no longer being tight.

Knock on wood, the mystery has been solved as my Spyder is now jingle-free. The right hand axle-tracking and belt tension adjuster was loose (the vertical plate in my photo [click to enlarge]). My CanAm mechanics said it's not unusual for owners to forget to fully tighten these after readjusting the tension or alignment of their belts - which my husband and I did last Fall, thanks to you folks in here who helped me identify the cause of a frequent vibration. They said that any ensuing rattle is usually audible right away, but my Spyder was silent for the remaining few weeks of the 2016 riding season and through May of this year. I'm assuming that we'd left it just loose enough to be okay for awhile, but eventually succumb to our mutilated roads.

Sooo, that's the story. One more thing for us all to keep an eye on. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions!


IMG_6625b.jpg

[Bob Denman]