Clunking noise when standing on floorboards and rocking left to right

[CloverHillCrawler]

2020 F3 ACE SE6

I have noticed when getting on and off my Spyder and using my floorboards to stand on and get comfortable before sitting down that there is a clunking sound coming from underneath the bike in between the handlebars and the frunk if I shift my weight back and forth left to right.

Is this normal?

[BajaRon]

Do you have the stock sway bar installed?

[bikerchris1270]

2020 F3 ACE SE6

I have noticed when getting on and off my Spyder and using my floorboards to stand on and get comfortable before sitting down that there is a clunking sound coming from underneath the bike in between the handlebars and the frunk if I shift my weight back and forth left to right.

Is this normal?

Sure doesn’t sound normal....mine is quiet.

[Peter Aawen]

That's not 'normal', altho it's also 'not unlikely'!


Do you still have the OE sway bar, or more likely, the OE sway bar links &/or bushes??

The 'heim joints' on the ends of those OE Sway Bar Links are prone to seizing, or at least becoming quite hard to move, and that can cause a clunk like the noise you describe! The main Sway bar/frame bushes can also wear, and so they could well be the culprit too; or the OE Links themselves have been known to warp & twist, making noises like those you describe; while the 'placcy' links themselves can even even fail & snap/break in halves, so that when you do the bouncing exercise you describe, you get that lurch/clunk..... or you can get a combination of all of that lot, where the seized heim joints force the frame bushes to flog out, flexing & twisting the cheap placcy OE Links until they break, but then due to seized heim joints, the links still sit in basically their operational position and as the sway bar flaps around during any bouncing/suspension movement, the ends of the snapped links hit each other & make a noise & lurch as they forcefully move past each other! Do you really need to ask me how I know all this, particularly that last one! So, if you still have the OE Sway bar, there's a LOT of things that it could be!! The solution to all of this lot is to replace the sway bar & links with an a/mkt unit that's made out of better quality materials - something like BajaRon's Bar & Links!

However, having had a BajaRon Sway bar fitted for some time might not necessarily exclude it from causing that sorta noise too - there've been some, albeit VERY FEW, instances of the heim joints on Ron's original style 'dog bone links' seizing or almost seizing, so that as you bounce they 'clunk' as the almost locked heims are forced to release aggressively - this is why Ron developed the newer style links with better heims; and if you think it might be your old style 'dog bone' links from BajaRon causing this noise, then you should call him immediately & discuss your options.

Of course, this is only one set of possible 'clunk causing' issues, there are probably quite a few others too. But if I was gonna bet on it, I'd be backing the OE Sway bar &/or Links/heims over the rest! Over to you!

[CloverHillCrawler]

Do you have the stock sway bar installed?

Yes, all stock. It's only about 6 weeks old 1600 miles on it.

[CloverHillCrawler]

That's not 'normal', altho it's also 'not unlikely'!


Do you still have the OE sway bar, or more likely, the OE sway bar links &/or bushes??

The 'heim joints' on the ends of those OE Sway Bar Links are prone to seizing, or at least becoming quite hard to move, and that can cause a clunk like the noise you describe! The main Sway bar/frame bushes can also wear, and so they could well be the culprit too; or the OE Links themselves have been known to warp & twist, making noises like those you describe; while the 'placcy' links themselves can even even fail & snap/break in halves, so that when you do the bouncing exercise you describe, you get that lurch/clunk..... or you can get a combination of all of that lot, where the seized heim joints force the frame bushes to flog out, flexing & twisting the cheap placcy OE Links until they break, but then due to seized heim joints, the links still sit in basically their operational position and as the sway bar flaps around during any bouncing/suspension movement, the ends of the snapped links hit each other & make a noise & lurch as they forcefully move past each other! Do you really need to ask me how I know all this, particularly that last one! So, if you still have the OE Sway bar, there's a LOT of things that it could be!! The solution to all of this lot is to replace the sway bar & links with an a/mkt unit that's made out of better quality materials - something like BajaRon's Bar & Links!

However, having had a BajaRon Sway bar fitted for some time might not necessarily exclude it from causing that sorta noise too - there've been some, albeit VERY FEW, instances of the heim joints on Ron's original style 'dog bone links' seizing or almost seizing, so that as you bounce they 'clunk' as the almost locked heims are forced to release aggressively - this is why Ron developed the newer style links with better heims; and if you think it might be your old style 'dog bone' links from BajaRon causing this noise, then you should call him immediately & discuss your options.

Of course, this is only one set of possible 'clunk causing' issues, there are probably quite a few others too. But if I was gonna bet on it, I'd be backing the OE Sway bar &/or Links/heims over the rest! Over to you!

Thank you for a thorough answer. Sounds like I need that upgrade from Ron. I have been waiting until after I get my break in service done before I did anything to my Spyder though. I have already found several issues related to the assembly that I need to address with the dealership so I am not doing anything except riding to get to the 3000 mark and get everything taken care of at once hopefully. I have already notified them of the current issues.

[BajaRon]

Thank you for a thorough answer. Sounds like I need that upgrade from Ron. I have been waiting until after I get my break in service done before I did anything to my Spyder though. I have already found several issues related to the assembly that I need to address with the dealership so I am not doing anything except riding to get to the 3000 mark and get everything taken care of at once hopefully. I have already notified them of the current issues.

Whether or not you decide to upgrade the sway bar. I highly recommend checking your current sway bar components before you ride again. Maybe overkill. But better to err on the side of safety.

If your end links are deformed at all, they need to be replaced right away. You do not want them to fail at a critical point in a turn. I don't mean to alarm you because the end links can fail and not create any real hazard. But you can't be sure of this.

You should be under warranty. The dealership should check this out thoroughly for you. However, if you want to do a quick survey yourself. Here is how I would proceed.

After a visual inspection of your end links. I recommend doing this.

Have someone rock your Spyder, as you have been doing, while someone else reaches in (carefully) and puts their hand on the different sway bar components. They should be able to feel/hear and maybe even see where the clunk is coming from. It may be nothing more than a loose connection. Which you can tighten up and be on your way. Or, if you do have a serious issue, you should be able to discern this as well.

It is possible that the problem is coming from other than your sway bar, though the sway bar system is the most likely culprit. Doing this should also show up the offending system if it isn't your sway bar as well.

Good luck!

[CloverHillCrawler]

Whether or not you decide to upgrade the sway bar. I highly recommend checking your current sway bar components before you ride again. Maybe overkill. But better to err on the side of safety.

If your end links are deformed at all, they need to be replaced right away. You do not want them to fail at a critical point in a turn. I don't mean to alarm you because the end links can fail and not create any real hazard. But you can't be sure of this.

You should be under warranty. The dealership should check this out thoroughly for you. However, if you want to do a quick survey yourself. Here is how I would proceed.

After a visual inspection of your end links. I recommend doing this.

Have someone rock your Spyder, as you have been doing, while someone else reaches in (carefully) and puts their hand on the different sway bar components. They should be able to feel/hear and maybe even see where the clunk is coming from. It may be nothing more than a loose connection. Which you can tighten up and be on your way. Or, if you do have a serious issue, you should be able to discern this as well.

It is possible that the problem is coming from other than your sway bar, though the sway bar system is the most likely culprit. Doing this should also show up the offending system if it isn't your sway bar as well.

Good luck!

Will do. When you say deformed link, what should I be looking for other than the obvious?

[Peter Aawen]

Will do. When you say deformed link, what should I be looking for other than the obvious?

I think it will be obvious if you've got a deformed link under there!

The OE links are relatively straight & vaguely 'dog bone' shaped links with a heim joint in the wider section at each end; those heim joints will be bolted to either the frame or the sway bar, linking those components. The links have a tendency to warp &/or twist thru use, and if that's allowed to continue, they'll eventually break.

So if either of the links are warped or twisted, or even the slightest bit misshapen so that the bolts at each end aren't truly parallel any more, then that's the deformity you are looking for, and in my experience it will almost certainly be fairly obvious - especially if you are watching for it to warp &/twist while someone else bounces on the Spyder for you!

[BajaRon]

Peter is correct. Distortion should be very obvious. I have attached a picture of the stock end links. They should look like these. No distortion, stretched or twisted portion on either link. I don't think you will have any trouble identifying a deformed link.

Hope this helps.

Links (2).jpg

[CloverHillCrawler]

Thanks, I'll be in touch to pick one up once I have this first service under the belt and resolve my current issues under warranty.

There are several overtightened or stripped out heads on my body panels so I am not touching anything until they get me in there.

And hopefully my passenger seat and foot pegs will finally be in and I can get those as well.

Update: Just went out to verify the state of the links ...no deformities or visible cracks. I also just went over to look for anything loose or not connected and everything seems tight and connected.

I'll have the wife help me in the morning with looking while shifting the weight around on it to identify where the sound is coming from.

[CloverHillCrawler]

Well, the wife and I went out and I did my little "shimmy" to get comfortable and found the source.

Another thing to add to the list of assembly problems. The right floor board is mounted too close to the exhaust.

When I shift my weight on the floorboard it flexes and knocks against the exhaust. Seems like I also found another source of my rattling noises at speed as well.

IMG_20210423_212130459.jpg

[sandman53]

Where is the source?

[BajaRon]

Well, the wife and I went out and I did my little "shimmy" to get comfortable and found the source.

Another thing to add to the list of assembly problems. The right floor board is mounted too close to the exhaust.

When I shift my weight on the floorboard it flexes and knocks against the exhaust. Seems like I also found another source of my rattling noises at speed as well.

IMG_20210423_212130459.jpg

Well, I was only off by a 1/2 mile or so! Sometimes, your best source of help is yourself!

Glad you found the issue and sounds like an easy fix. Maybe like a bit more quality control on the labor end of this event would have helped tremendously.

[CloverHillCrawler]

Well, I was only off by a 1/2 mile or so! Sometimes, your best source of help is yourself!

Glad you found the issue and sounds like an easy fix. Maybe like a bit more quality control on the labor end of this event would have helped tremendously.

Yes, definitely. It is starting to make me worry if I am finding all of this, makes me wonder what is in store for me down the road if the assembly was this bad.

[CloverHillCrawler]

Where is the source?

I have several, Blue Ridge windshield is rattling even though everything is tight, the panels right below the windshield and above the headlights is loose. Knee panels were overtightened and stripped. And I cant tell for sure but it look like the bolts for the floorboards were screwed in at an angle and are not flush. My cowl is secure but bounces around and rattles, black bezel around the display rattles then this last item with the Floorboard flexing and knocking against the exhaust. And even though it doesn't rattle, my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick.

[CopperSpyder]

I have several, Blue Ridge windshield is rattling even though everything is tight, the panels right below the windshield and above the headlights is loose. Knee panels were overtightened and stripped. And I cant tell for sure but it look like the bolts for the floorboards were screwed in at an angle and are not flush. My cowl is secure but bounces around and rattles,black bezel araound the display rattles then this last item with the Floorboard flexing and knocking against the exhaust. And even though it doesn't rattle, my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick.

What city is the dealer in?

[BajaRon]

I have several, Blue Ridge windshield is rattling even though everything is tight, the panels right below the windshield and above the headlights is loose. Knee panels were overtightened and stripped. And I cant tell for sure but it look like the bolts for the floorboards were screwed in at an angle and are not flush. My cowl is secure but bounces around and rattles,black bezel araound the display rattles then this last item with the Floorboard flexing and knocking against the exhaust. And even though it doesn't rattle, my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick.

I am sorry. I do not mean to diminish your heartache with these issues. But I had to break out laughing with the visual of "my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick."

I apologize for my lack of compassion...

[Peter Aawen]

....... And even though it doesn't rattle, my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick.

Can't really help or comment on the rest, but I saw a backrest here in Oz doing that Further inspection revealed that the installer just hadn't bothered with installing the bracket that goes under the seat pan at all!! It'd obviously never even been put in.... so the 'tines' of the backrest were only held in place (loosely!) by the foam around the hole where they go down thru the seat.... and the placcy of the seat base had been somewhat 'chewed out' by the ends of those tines as the top flopped around like a demented ragdoll!

Not saying it's necessarily the issue with your backrest, but that plate underneath where the tines are held is probably worth checking out....

[CloverHillCrawler]

What city is the dealer in?

I'd rather not say at the moment as I want to give them a chance to make it right.
I have been holding off on taking it in as I have been waiting on the oem passengers seat and foot pegs to be delivered so they could be installed at the same time I brought it in for the break in service.
But it seems there is a backorder on those and they are supposed to be in next week. I contacted them and have been told all of the issues will be addressed when I bring it in.

[CloverHillCrawler]

I am sorry. I do not mean to diminish your heartache with these issues. But I had to break out laughing with the visual of "my $400 backrest is just flopping around side to side like a ragdoll on a stick."

I apologize for my lack of compassion...

No worries, I just get very frustrated during a warranty period on any of my vehicles, I want to go out and swing the wrench's and get everything right but can't because you will get the finger of blame pointed at you if you do and seeing as this will be my first service with this dealership I am anxious to see what the service department is like.

I am hoping it will be as good as my purchase experience from them.

[Plarimer]

Thanks for bringing this up. I checked mine and have no issues.

[Freddy]

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...24#post1574024