[BushrodW]

I've experienced this and have read other posts where folks describe a strange hollow sounding almost droning noise coming from the front wheel area. I and others have been under the impression it's coming from the front brakes. Maybe pads dragging on the discs.

Well...this last go-round of tire changing I noticed that my front wheel bearings were extremely tight to the point of almost being frozen. The tire mounter looked it over and backed the bearings off 1/1000 or so and viola!! No more noise.

My '00 did this since new (until I wrecked it) and the '01 gas done so since new as well. This is causing me to make the assumption that maybe the factory is putting bikes out there with the front wheel bearings pounded it a bit too tightly.

BW

 

[Joel]

Here's the front wheel assy.  I'm posting this because I don't understand exactly what the mechanic did to 'loosen the bearings'.  The bearings are pressed into the wheel, with a spacer between them, setting their spacing.  The axle then goes through the forks and wheel and the nut clamps the whole affair together.

If your mechanic 'spread' the bearings apart, wouldn't they go right back together when he torqued the axle nut?

 

[TroyBoy]

My bike has the same howl. I agree with Joel on this one though, the only way to change the bearing endplay is to machine a new spacer for the center, as far as i can see anyway.

 

[dB]

I haven't had the bearings out of the 929, but this sounds like the problem I had with the Hawk front wheel. The bearing spacer was longer than the distance between the bearing lands in the wheel. So if you drove the bearings all the way to the lands, the spacer deflected the inner races so much that the bearings would bind severely.

I never did get a definitive answer to the problem, but I ended up not driving the bearings all the way to the lands.

 

[BushrodW]

As it was explained to me, the front wheel bearings were driven in too tightly to the lands. To remedy this, the mechanic told me he inserted a tool into the wheel that grips the inner exterior surface of the bearing. He then is able to move (essentially 'pull') the bearing 'a thousandth or so' away from the land, thereby freeing up the bearing.

Since the front bearings were bound up before taking the wheels to him, weren't bound and felt like new when I picked up the wheels, I didn't question him beyond 'how did you do this? I thought I'd need new bearings? There's no extra charge? You mounted and balanced two tires for $10 each AND fixed my bearings? Here....have a few Starbucks chits for free coffee!!!'

As the howl was gone after I put the wheels on the bike and rode it PLUS the fact that he didn't charge me extra for using his '$80 tool' to free up the front bearings, problem fixed... I'm happy.

If I have a chance I'll see if I can find out what the tool was he used.

BW

 

[Joel]

Sounds like you found a good place to do your tires. You should post the name of the shop. Good reputations are hard for shops to come by - it's easy to get a bad rap.

 

[BushrodW]

Joel : Sounds like you found a good place to do your tires.  You should post the name of the shop.  Good reputations are hard for shops to come by - it's easy to get a bad rap.

It's The Motorcycle Wrench in Hillsboro, OR.

 

[RR_Rick]

the guy in my area wont even change a motorcycle or atv tire if ya dont buy it from him :thumbd:

 

[Sericon]

This is an old post, however I do have a howling noise from the front wheel on a 07 1000 rr. Could this be the same thing??

 

[bladeracer]

This is an old post, however I do have a howling noise from the front wheel on a 07 1000 rr. Could this be the same thing??

Bearings can make a howling noise before they fail but I've never heard it on a bike. I've heard it in cars though.
Lift the front of the bike and spin the wheel to see if it spins freely. If not, then crack the axle nut off a half turn and see if it's any different.