Roar from the front end

[baben 11,703]

3 hours ago, Jeffprince said:

Interesting thought for the day re the above discussion....for "bike" read "wife/husband"....

err, N+1 ?

[Tex 36,817]

I confess to having kept the same wife for 41 years (next month) and have had numerous bikes in the same time.

Why? Well, for one thing, if I move on to a new bike the old one doesn’t get to keep half my house..  

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

52 minutes ago, Tex said:

I confess to having kept the same wife for 41 years (next month) and have had numerous bikes in the same time.

Why? Well, for one thing, if I move on to a new bike the old one doesn’t get to keep half my house..  

Ouch!  Dangerous.  I guess Mrs Tex isn't a member of the forum.

[MikeBike 5,005]

11 hours ago, Tex said:

Fine, Lloyd, but - with respect - you don’t have the depth of experience of different machines (you took a break of many years from riding, I think? Suggesting you weren’t really ‘hooked’ ). And Mike is still on his first bike.

 

Actually I took a break of many years away from riding...

I had to sell the bike Suzuki GSX600F in '99 after only 1 year and about 3000 miles riding as it was planned to move but on the day was left until last and then Pickfords couldnt get it the removal van to Switzerland. I was left with an empty house and a bike in the garage. I suppose if I was really hooked then I'd have told them to unload some sofas and have another go. I would do now...

Edited October 18, 2019 by MikeBike

[Graham NZ 1,186]

For sure front tyre noise is what wafts up to greet us on these bikes.  Maybe the lack of audible exhaust action helps make even the slightest noises from elsewhere seem load and annoying.  These would be worryingly sleep-inducing bikes to ride if front tyre noise was eliminated.

If more tyre noise is wanted, when the tyres wear more than slightly replace them with new ones so that the sharp tread blocks will sing loudly again.  Adding a more wind-deflecting screen will also amplify the tyre noise and counteract the natural sleepiness which reduced wind noise can induce.  To help wakefulness definitely avoid ear plugs, especially the custom-moulded silicone variety.

[pjm 6,041]

I have never had a complaint about a roar from the front end. The back end has sometimes let itself down though 😂😂

[sherpatensing 26]

On 17/10/2019 at 18:02, Tex said:

 

 

I tend to agree. People who have escaped being bitten by the motorcycle bug never even come close to understanding the importance of the damn things to those of us who have been. To us (unfortunates) motorcycles assume an importance far outweighing their simple usefulness and are far more than merely a way of getting to work, or even a way of getting our kicks. 
 

Steve is right. Life is too f***ing short to spend it with a motorcycle you’re not in love with. 

Tex, That’s a perfect analysis. My thoughts exactly. Glad it’s not just me being a bit picky about bikes

[F.Honda750xd 197]

Sorry for the delay but here's the pictures of my mod to end the road noise. 

[F.Honda750xd 197]

Sorry for the delay but here's the pictures of my mod to end the road noise. 

[poldark 1,511]

Very neat, what material did you use, sorry if you've said and I missed it.

[F.Honda750xd 197]

Well I'm not sure how you're going to find it but I was in an old factory and there was a plastic curtain that forklifts drove through but it kept out the weather. I'm a person who always sees multiple uses for different materials so i chopped off a section. None left I'm afraid but it's about 5mm thick and a mixture of plastic and rubber and see through. After cutting the template in cardboard i transferred it onto the material cut it out and used clear silicone to attach. Works great. It cut out the noise and now i can only hear the engine chugging away. 

[MPG100 391]

Top man! That is one neat job and seeing the pics of your 'fork tunnel' baffles is really helpful.

From the photos it looks like the upper baffle sits under the handlebars and the upper surface of the top yoke BUT is the lower baffle located (horizontally) on the lip that runs round the 'front of the frunk' just inside the fork tunnel OR does the lower bafffle sit (tilted upwards) on the upper surface of the large headstock tubes and the smaller front fairing frame tubes?? Great to know there is a cheap solution for reducing front tyre noise on the 'nc', thanks for posting!!

[squashplayer 2]

I was very happy with my recently purchased 2014 NC750SA apart from the unbearable howl from the front which starts at 20 kph and disappears only when drowned out by wind noise.  Put on a new Bridgestone Battlax A41 front tyre.  Result?  Howl persists.  Using information from this forum, I replaces this tyre with an Avon Spirit.  Result?  The howl is history.  Totally cured the problem.  I had a similar problem with Michelin Anakee tyres on my 2018 BMW F750GS.  I replaced these with the Bridgestone Battlax A41.  This cured the problem for the Beamer.  Not so for the Honda.  By the way, the Beamer is history - got rid of it due to rattly engine made in China.  Very happy with the Honda.  Especially now it is whisper quiet with the Avon Spirit ST tyres.

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

7 hours ago, squashplayer said:

I was very happy with my recently purchased 2014 NC750SA apart from the unbearable howl from the front which starts at 20 kph and disappears only when drowned out by wind noise.  Put on a new Bridgestone Battlax A41 front tyre.  Result?  Howl persists.  Using information from this forum, I replaces this tyre with an Avon Spirit.  Result?  The howl is history.  Totally cured the problem.  I had a similar problem with Michelin Anakee tyres on my 2018 BMW F750GS.  I replaced these with the Bridgestone Battlax A41.  This cured the problem for the Beamer.  Not so for the Honda.  By the way, the Beamer is history - got rid of it due to rattly engine made in China.  Very happy with the Honda.  Especially now it is whisper quiet with the Avon Spirit ST tyres.

I had the same result when changing to the Avon Storms from the pr4s.

[Honda Bob 124]

Personally I think that everyone is barking up the wrong tree. the howling noise that everyone is complaining about will be caused by the wavy discs with the cooling holes in them, and not their choice of tyre. I have had the same problem with different bikes over the years. It is a mixture of the holes in the brake discs creating the noise, and the noise being funnelled towards the rider by the bodywork. I had a naked Honda CB750F2N for eight years and covered 108,000 miles in that time. When I first bought it it was fine, until I fitted  a GiVI  Screen for protection during my 100 mile winter commute. As soon as I fitted the screen the noise appeared and it was the Honda dealers workshop who suggested the screen was deflecting the noise from the brake discs towards me. If I removing the screen it cured the noise problem. After research, and speaking to brake disc manufacturers, I found that as the disc turns the disc pads squeeze air into the small cooling holes in the disc, as the disc rotates clear of the pads the compressed air is released creating a small popping noise. As the speed increases so does the noise. If you put gentle pressure on the front brake lever you can slightly change the tone of the noise, which is what I did to prove the theory. Do you remember as a small child making a popping noise by sticking your finger in your mouth and then flicking it out quickly? It is exactly the same phenomenon.

[Tex 36,817]

So, why does changing the tyre stop the disc making a noise? 🤣

[Honda Bob 124]

No idea, I am just speaking from experience.

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

Sorry @Honda Bob can't agree with you. When I changed from Pr4s to Avon Storms the change was dramatic. As regards the noise changes when braking then your changing the characteristics of the tyre so hence the noise change.

[squashplayer 2]

I also own an Integra 2012 (basically an NC700 in sheep's clothing) and it still has the original Bridgestone Battlax BT023 tyres  (should I change these decade-old tyres ? ) and there is no audible noise from them. These are identical to the tyres I had on my recently purchased NC750 that had the howl. But with the scooter cowling, perhaps the noise is not able to be channelled upwards.  So this observation, whilst valid,  in itself proves nothing .... !

 

Whilst the disc-popping proposition from Honda Bob sounds plausible, I am happy to say that an earlier suggestion I saw on this topic from Shiggsy , i.e. that Avons were the answer,  cured the problem.  Quod erat Demonstrandum.

 

I was tearing what's left of my hair out over this issue, and had planned to do a thorough investigation by (1) removing the plastic front mudguard (the howl has an unpleasant plastic-like characteristic as noted elsewhere) to see if that affected things, and (2) removing the front disc as a temporary measure, prior to installing aftermarket disc brakes, were this shown to be the problem.  Fortunately I did not have to invoke these procedures.

 

My unhappiness on the Beamer compared with my delight on the Integra led me to the NC750.  My happiness is now complete.  Unless I fall for the N+1 proposition on bike ownership.

 

This howl problem has been reported in many forums, including those based in the North America and in South Africa.

 

Speculation and comment will no doubt persist.

[Wierpig 32]

Its the front tyre.Had it on many bikes but the NC is the worst.About to fit TKC 70s.Will report back.By the way, as a test, try riding along the smooth tarmac repair overbanding.The noise is silenced but its a bit of an arse twitcher in the wet 

[squashplayer 2]

I went through all the tests - on rough roads, smooth tarmac, unsealed, concrete etc but the howl persisted although with small attenuation on smoother surfaces.  This would suggest that the tyre is not responsible for the howl.  However the tyre IS responsible ......... IMNSHO ....  (in my not so humble opinion).  I look forward to your report Wierpig.

[Honda Bob 124]

Ok I put my hands up. I have known tyres to produce a howl, but only on the concrete roads that you find in the Midlands when it is really loud. I just thought that the conversation was getting stuck in a rut by comparing different tyres and not looking at the big picture. I thought it may help the discussion by throwing another potential cause into the melting pot. In my professional career I have seen Technicians miss the obvious by being blinkered to the cause of the fault. Consequently I always look at the big picture and explore all avenues before discounting them. 

[Xactly 5,384]

My BMW K100RS used to have neat bellows that closed off the area around the fork holes and stopped any noise from the front tyre/brakes being heard. The problem was that after a while they used to droop like Nora Batty's stockings.....

Certainly even wearing earplugs I can hear the front disc noise, which is quite loud but only when the brake is being used. (NC750X). It's probably the loudest disc brake I've ever used...

[bat-kam 110]

This is very interesting topic. Considering I noticed the tyre/ disc noise today it cannot be coincidental this is being discussed here hmm.

I have PR4 at the front but maybe its combination of tyre and mudguard that generates the noise? On Africa Twin you can put a "bra" which stops the buffeting. Maybe Bob is onto something here

[Wierpig 32]

OK, had the TKC70s on for about 500 miles now.The noise is reduced but still present. Excellent tyre though, on and off road.