2008 DL650 Whirring noise from front wheel?

spokes81 · 04-20-2011, 07:12 AM

I am getting a rather bad whirring/swishing sound from my front wheel that get louder the faster you go and is getting louder by the day? I have 17500kms on it and bought it new in the spring of 2009 (two seasons of riding). I ride in loads of gravel and occasional dirt, could this be my front wheel bearing perhaps? Could it actually be coming from under my bike and just sound like its coming from the front?

scarysharkface · 04-20-2011, 07:17 AM

Get the bike on a stand and check the front wheel for any wobble or play. It might also be the brake dragging or a small pebble caught between the disk and pad.

Wolfgang55 · 04-20-2011, 07:59 AM

Repack your wheel bearing while you are at it & lube the speed drive.
All stuff to head off issues later.

lesman · 04-20-2011, 08:12 AM

Check the brake rotors for lateral play. Check the inside of the rotors for broken clips.First check the wheel bearings. Majority of people don't have any problems. Is there any thing stuck between the tire and fender? If none of the the other problems, check speedo drive and cable.
Check the tire for separations, bubbles or imperfections.
I have a Vee. Speedo is off the Countershaft Sprocket. I had the "clips" break on one rotor.Large amount of Lateral play(1 to 1.5 mm or more) God awful noise at low speeds but the the real problem was brake lever wasn't "Firm".

Les

SpaceManSpiff · 04-20-2011, 09:01 AM

the speedo is driven off the front wheel on the Wee.

It is easy to get the speedo drive not lined up right in case you had the front wheel off recently.

Are the rotors scored? Might be time to clean/inspect the brake calipers and pads?

spokes81 · 04-20-2011, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the replies guys, upon further inspection I believe it is the brakes draging and not the bearing at all, both sets of pads are touching the disks. Is this normal? How do I know if they are adjusted/setup properly? I am borrowing a friends motorcycle jask tommorow and am going to tear into it then, what should i be looking for?

04-20-2011, 07:12 AM	#1
spokes81 ^OP enjoy your spagehtti Joined: Sep 2008 Location: Medicine Hat, AB Oddometer: 169	2008 DL650 Whirring noise from front wheel? I am getting a rather bad whirring/swishing sound from my front wheel that get louder the faster you go and is getting louder by the day? I have 17500kms on it and bought it new in the spring of 2009 (two seasons of riding). I ride in loads of gravel and occasional dirt, could this be my front wheel bearing perhaps? Could it actually be coming from under my bike and just sound like its coming from the front? __________________ DL650AK8 - aka, The Rumble-Wee "As bad as that went, it couldn't have gone any better for that particular situation!" - Travis Pastrana

04-20-2011, 07:17 AM	#2
scarysharkface 40-128 Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Lakland Oddometer: 12,295	Get the bike on a stand and check the front wheel for any wobble or play. It might also be the brake dragging or a small pebble caught between the disk and pad. __________________ The road to Hell is paved... Save $5 on a Smugmug subscription when you use my coupon: yBr7OofIPuOP6 KLR takes a circular route to Big Bend '13 http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=887449

04-20-2011, 08:12 AM	#4
lesman Live easy, Brake Hard Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Oddometer: 400	Check the brake rotors for lateral play. Check the inside of the rotors for broken clips.First check the wheel bearings. Majority of people don't have any problems. Is there any thing stuck between the tire and fender? If none of the the other problems, check speedo drive and cable. Check the tire for separations, bubbles or imperfections. I have a Vee. Speedo is off the Countershaft Sprocket. I had the "clips" break on one rotor.Large amount of Lateral play(1 to 1.5 mm or more) God awful noise at low speeds but the the real problem was brake lever wasn't "Firm". Les __________________ Obsessive compulsiveness always trumps good sense.

04-20-2011, 06:19 PM	#6
spokes81 ^OP enjoy your spagehtti Joined: Sep 2008 Location: Medicine Hat, AB Oddometer: 169	Thanks for the replies guys, upon further inspection I believe it is the brakes draging and not the bearing at all, both sets of pads are touching the disks. Is this normal? How do I know if they are adjusted/setup properly? I am borrowing a friends motorcycle jask tommorow and am going to tear into it then, what should i be looking for? __________________ DL650AK8 - aka, The Rumble-Wee "As bad as that went, it couldn't have gone any better for that particular situation!" - Travis Pastrana

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04-20-2011, 07:59 AM	#3
Wolfgang55 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Next to Rio Bravo Oddometer: 2,958	Repack your wheel bearing while you are at it & lube the speed drive. All stuff to head off issues later.

04-20-2011, 09:01 AM	#5
SpaceManSpiff Man of Mystery Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona Oddometer: 984	the speedo is driven off the front wheel on the Wee. It is easy to get the speedo drive not lined up right in case you had the front wheel off recently. Are the rotors scored? Might be time to clean/inspect the brake calipers and pads?