Roar from the front end

[Guest Perennialnovice]

Hi I'm a newbeeee. Just picked up my NC700X bike, and road it 150 miles home from Weston Super-Mare to Kent.

I'm  very please with it so far.

One thing I have is a massive roaring noise from the front end.

Its coming up through the fairing gap around the forks.

is this normal.

If I pull the clutch in, it still does it - and increases with speed.

I had a V-strom that did something similar- that was the speedo drive. These don't have one!

So it must be the front wheel bearing??- NO center-stand to check that very easilly

Hopefully its not something bad or at least a ' They all do that' thing.

 

[Jeffprince 4,921]

Not uncommon for noise from front end on the NC...I found it to be very tyre related. PR4s made it a lot worse for me. 

[Guest Perennialnovice]

 

Quote

Not uncommon for noise from front end on the NC...I found it to be very tyre related. PR4s made it a lot worse for me. 

 

Thanks for the reply; that's not good!

My tyres are nearly new  Battleaxes.

 

So the fairing gap is amplifying it or channeling the noise...

Presumably it's not so bad  on unfaired NC. 

 

I'm going to cover it with something - cardboard or a jumper or something and ride (in a straight line) to see if the noise can somehow be suppressed.

Maybe then some sort of material  -like bagalux-  will  make a  suitable shroud within the area around the forks,  with arced slots for the fork legs to sweep through will do the trick..

 

 

[suffolk58 2,286]

Unless you already use them, I'd recommend a good pair of ear plugs.

[DCTPaul 629]

A Roar...
On the NC750X Its a Howl - and I thought it was coming from the letterbox gap in the screen...

was informed by the collective knowledge of the site, that it may be down to the tyres...
Max Lite Greens to the ready!

[skorpion 945]

They all do that sir!

Ear plugs are your friend.

[sherpatensing 26]

Yep, mines the same. NC750X DCT 1000 miles and it howls/roars from the front as described. It’s on Bridgestones. 

[Jimish 158]

Aye, mine’s the same. Tried Dunlop’s and Michy pr2 and pr5. Still noisy. 

Get used to it coz you won’t get rid of it. It’s worth putting up with coz the rest of the bike is brill. 

Good pair of made to measure earplugs made a huge difference for me. 

[Bassman 102]

Same here! ruins an extremely good motorcycle in my opinion. Really bugs me but it is a characteristic of the NC, so ear plugs it is I'm afraid.

[Brigante7 438]

I have battleaxes 023 on my 750X and it makes a hell of a racket especially on an older road surface. As others have said, a good pair of made to measure ear-plugs sorts the problem out.

 

 

 

Brigante7.

[rjp996 1,091]

Have to say I've never noticed any front end noise ?

[suffolk58 2,286]

1 minute ago, rjp996 said:

Have to say I've never noticed any front end noise ?

That's probably because you are wearing earplugs.

[shiggsy 529]

Doesn't happen with Avon tyres.

[Guest Perennialnovice]

Has anyone else got no noise with Avons

 

I had a V-Strom last and standard it’s unridable

buffeting and noise was horrible 

Easily fixed with the right screen and Aprilia mirrors. When ever I see a standard v- Strom I think what!! Do you know what your putting up with.

suffice to say- I’m not putting up with this noise!

i suspect it’s to-do with resonance through the gap up around the forks- but why- could it be the  yolk material - from axel material -

something is causing something that’s not on any other bike I’ve had.

Im buying some thick vinyl  to try and baffle the noise in the gap.

And yes I can appreciate it’s ok with earplugs - I invested in fitted - make it acceptable- but if I’m popping down the shops - really?  I can’t be bothered and yet the believing racket is so bad - I wonder if people can hear it when I pass them on the road!

so I don’t despair just yet- as I agree it’s a really good bike - no other issues - 

 

[Bassman 102]

If you find the answer please, please, let the rest of us know. I think maybe some people are more bothered by the noise than others I for one am very bothered so I am very interested in your experiments and the results. Thought it was tyre noise still do really, but a brand new Pr4 on the front has made absolutely no difference. there must be an answer.

[SteveThackery 3,090]

3 hours ago, Bassman said:

If you find the answer please, please, let the rest of us know.

 

Honestly, mate, it's been discussed to death ever since the NC came out.  Everybody agrees that there is some unfortunate acoustic phenomenon to do with the design of the front end that amplifies and funnels the road noise right at the rider.

 

Some people never notice it.  Others hear it immediately they get on the bike (the OP).  Others never notice until it's pointed out, and then hear it all the time (myself).

 

There will surely be ways to mitigate it, such as padding, flaps, damping materials on the plastic panels, et al, but you'd have to be super careful not to interfere with the steering or suspension.  Your insurance company won't want you going anywhere near it, I'm sure.
 

[shiggsy 529]

I had it with the original Bridgestones, when they wore out and I swapped to the Avons it never happened again.

[Reckless_Rat 89]

Can't say I've ever noticed any significant noise from the front apart from normal tyre noise. I've had Battlax and PR4s on. I do have an NC S though so maybe it's something more common on the NC X with all that extra paneling.

[Bassman 102]

Shiggsy, I would be very interested in which Avon tyres you use. I will definitely buy a pair if it even cuts down this noise, Steve is quite correct it has been talked about on the forum many times, which would suggest it is something that just happens with the NC. Mine is an S by the way.

[shiggsy 529]

Storm 2, although these are being phased out, 3D XM, or Spirit, not tried the Spirit yet though.

[Tex 36,816]

11 hours ago, shiggsy said:

Storm 2, although these are being phased out, 3D XM, or Spirit, not tried the Spirit yet though.

 

I have the Spirits and rate them highly. 

[sherpatensing 26]

43 minutes ago, Tex said:

 

I have the Spirits and rate them highly. 

So are they noisy?

[Tex 36,816]

41 minutes ago, sherpatensing said:

So are they noisy?

 

Dunno, mine are on a Triumph. Can’t hear anything on that, though.

[ncx19 29]

When I first saw the headline I thought wheel bearing, given its a 700, so older.

With others saying tires ... I count myself fortunate I dont have that issue.

2019 750x DCT with stock Dunlops for what its worth.

Only noise I have is standard wind noise from my helmet, which makes me think ... maybe the original poster should try a couple other helmets to compare?

My current full face is quieter than my 1/2 helmet. 

 

Id hate it if I had tire noise that bad - be swapped out pretty quick.

Edited October 2, 2019 by ncx19

[Jeffprince 4,921]

1 hour ago, ncx19 said:

When I first saw the headline I thought wheel bearing, given its a 700, so older.

With others saying tires ... I count myself fortunate I dont have that issue.

2019 750x DCT with stock Dunlops for what its worth.

Only noise I have is standard wind noise from my helmet, which makes me think ... maybe the original poster should try a couple other helmets to compare?

My current full face is quieter than my 1/2 helmet. 

 

Id hate it if I had tire noise that bad - be swapped out pretty quick.

Mine was quiet with the Dunlops. It was only when I switched to PR4s that I encountered the issue.