Loud gear noise between 45 and 50 mph

[murphy]

I have a 2019 F3 Spyder and at speeds between 45 and 50 MPH, regardless of what gear I am in, the bike resonates a loud gear noise. I am sure it is not the drive belt but I believe it is the transmission. Is this a typical noise for the can am spyder?

 

[Ex-Rocket]

Any loud noise coming from a fairly new Spyder would be cause to return to dealership as soon as possible. Its still under warranty so you have nothing to lose.

 

[Navydad]

The straight cut gears used in the 1330 engines are prone to being noisy. What puzzles me is why some seam to be louder than others. My RT has a gear whine at those same speeds, but having bikes with straight cut gears before I don't really pay any attention to it. 35,000 miles and it's still going strong. Take it in if worried about it, but I bet you get the standard answers "they all do that" and "Can Am says that's normal."

 

[whitedog43]

i have a 2017 rt and also have the annoying gear whines, mine starts in second gear and is obvious in all the rest, i think the fairing amplflies this also, but my neighbor has commented on the gear noise as i pass by. probably something we will have to accept i guess

 

[missouriboy]

My 2015 had a whine at 50-53mph for a long time, regardless of which gear I was in, but it went away quite some time ago. (It has 83xxx miles now.) I first thought it was alternator whine, but I reasoned it couldn't be, because that would be at a constant RPM, not a constant wheel-speed. So maybe it's that straight-cut gear noise? It would have to be at the final drive (front sprocket speed) to be at a constant mph instead of rpm. Right?

Anyway, it quit entirely on its own a long time ago, I can't remember when, but probably before 50K miles or so. Perhaps the whine condition just "wore itself away?"

 

[murphy]

Thank you for the input. I really like the trike other than that blasted noise between 45 and 50. I am a little embarassed to let friends who consider transitioning from a motorcycle to a trike ride it.

 

[Freddy]

How much did you pay for that classy machine? Doesn't matter, you didn't get what you paid for, sadly, like lots of folks :banghead:

 

[MakoShark2]

See bellow:

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?129302-Loud-shifting

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thank you for the input. I really like the trike other than that blasted noise between 45 and 50. I am a little embarassed to let friends who consider transitioning from a motorcycle to a trike ride it.

If it's only / mostly between 45-50 mph I think you should consider - drive belt harmonics - All spyders seem to have this... some worse than others .... IMHO ( and others ) the OEM specs for drive belt tension is higher than it needs to be .... I lowered mine and the harmonics went AWAY ..... do a search for " drive belt " and see what has been discovered.......good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[stebrock]

I had a similar noise on my 2018 F3 Limited. It was definitely gear noise that became apparent approximately 3000 rpm. Could here the same noise in neutral at same rpms. It was so loud I couldn't enjoy the ride. Traded it for a 2020 RT Limited.

 

[Bruiser37]

If it's coming from lower left side better check the front drive sprocket it may be ready to fail.

 

[Thad]

i have same problem on my 2020 RT-L. Mentioned it dealer service manager thinking it was the front tires. He said it is the drive belt and Can-Am knows about it. Can-Am has received many complaints and is looking into it.

 

[MONK]

45-50mph gear whine is normal. Some hear it more than others. It's amplified on the 2020+ RTs due to the new fairing, though. There IS a fix for it. the 2021 lates have a different front sprocket. About $100 for the part and another $200 or so for labor to swap it out. This has been discussed previously.

 

[rsnider1961]

This has been an issue on mine 2020 RT-L since day one. LBS tells me they have not heard of the issue before, but I don’t believe them.

 

[BajaRon]

I do not have one of the newer Spyders. But I wonder if this gear noise is lesser right after an oil change, getting more noticeable as the oil shears. Or, if it is the same all the time. The Castrol oil (XPS) shears down to a 20 weight at about 4,500 miles. Thinner oil would definitely cause gear whine to increase.

 

[rsnider1961]

I did not notice any change after recent oil change.

 

[BajaRon]

I did not notice any change after recent oil change.

I would say you could add something like the Lucas Oil additive. But it would make your clutch slip. Not a good idea.

Contact me for your next oil change. I may want to run an option by you.

 

[K80Shooter]

In the owners manual they show the belt on the front pully needing to run in the center of the pully, has anyone checked this? Where does the belt run on the rear pully? Nothing is mentioned about it?

I picked mine up on Sat 1-2-21 and yes it has the noise also. I have to take it back for another issue so when I do I'll have the service manager drive it and tell me what he thinks.

 

[RICZ]

There should be a gap between the belt and the rear pulley flange the thickness of a credit card.

 

[ShockwaveSpyder]

same on mine 2020 F3S from the beginning, a noise like a subway. Belt-tension definitly too tight by factory and NO space between belt and rear-pulley inside. Pressure on the gearbox-pulley too high. I lowered the tension and lined the belt on both pulleys. Result: quiet now and it goes more softly by stop-and-go