bushrat
New member
About that 'clunking' noise ...
My experience has been slightly different (on the 2017 F3L)... I recall hitting unavoidable potholes with the rear wheel twice, with my passenger on board. Each time, there was a noticeable, jarring, heavy bump, which we both felt, and muttered "OUCH"! Don't recall any associated 'clunking' noise. More just the 'bump' sensation/noise from wheel rim striking pothole.
However, there have been 4 or 5 occasions when I have run over bumps with the front wheels, when I have heard a very noticeable 'clunking' metallic noise which, to me, seemed to have come from under the mid-section (front half) of the Spyder. This sounded like a metallic 'slapping' noise, almost as if something a bit loose was banging up against the bottom of frame or motor. Haven't been able to determine where it came from, or see anything loose. Don't have any noticeable vibrations or concern about 'somethng's loose'-type noise while otherwise riding. But, those few times when I've gone over slight bumps that made the front wheels lift a bit, then come down, I've had the 'slapping' sound. And, No, it's not the front end bottoming out or scraping the underside. This is one quick short 'slap', then gone. And it's only ever happened a handful of widely separated times spread over 2-1/2 years and 15,000 miles. Only after going over uneven railway tracks, slight speed bumps or something similar. Still a mystery to me where it comes from. Nothing untoward has shown up when Spyder has been serviced at dealership, so I haven't let it worry me unduly.
PS: Having re-read the previous posts, I'm wondering if what I experienced was similar to Tazzel (post 12) and Easy Rider (#13), as all three of us seem to feel the noise we hear emanates from the lower front end, and likely is caused by bumps to the front wheels. And perhaps our noise is caused, as Tazzel suggests, by an automated downshift generated by the slowing force of impact, however slight. That could account for the momentary, "quick slap" sound. I'll have to pay more attention to whether my gear range also has changed (dropped) if I hear it again. I'd be very happy to know that's all it was.
My experience has been slightly different (on the 2017 F3L)... I recall hitting unavoidable potholes with the rear wheel twice, with my passenger on board. Each time, there was a noticeable, jarring, heavy bump, which we both felt, and muttered "OUCH"! Don't recall any associated 'clunking' noise. More just the 'bump' sensation/noise from wheel rim striking pothole.
However, there have been 4 or 5 occasions when I have run over bumps with the front wheels, when I have heard a very noticeable 'clunking' metallic noise which, to me, seemed to have come from under the mid-section (front half) of the Spyder. This sounded like a metallic 'slapping' noise, almost as if something a bit loose was banging up against the bottom of frame or motor. Haven't been able to determine where it came from, or see anything loose. Don't have any noticeable vibrations or concern about 'somethng's loose'-type noise while otherwise riding. But, those few times when I've gone over slight bumps that made the front wheels lift a bit, then come down, I've had the 'slapping' sound. And, No, it's not the front end bottoming out or scraping the underside. This is one quick short 'slap', then gone. And it's only ever happened a handful of widely separated times spread over 2-1/2 years and 15,000 miles. Only after going over uneven railway tracks, slight speed bumps or something similar. Still a mystery to me where it comes from. Nothing untoward has shown up when Spyder has been serviced at dealership, so I haven't let it worry me unduly.
PS: Having re-read the previous posts, I'm wondering if what I experienced was similar to Tazzel (post 12) and Easy Rider (#13), as all three of us seem to feel the noise we hear emanates from the lower front end, and likely is caused by bumps to the front wheels. And perhaps our noise is caused, as Tazzel suggests, by an automated downshift generated by the slowing force of impact, however slight. That could account for the momentary, "quick slap" sound. I'll have to pay more attention to whether my gear range also has changed (dropped) if I hear it again. I'd be very happy to know that's all it was.
