Question on the Kawasaki Vulcan

Gerry wrote:

> I just took delivery on a new Classic LT
>
> My question is this. I am hearing what sounds like a whining sound

I have always worried myself into a knot over the sounds
on *every* bike I've ever owned, including brand new ones.

Bikes are full of chain-driven thingies and gear-driven
dee-haws and linkages and shafts and gizmos and whatnots,
and they all make their own sounds, and there's no firewall
insulating you from all this racket and commotion
so you get to experience it all.

It's when a sound changes -- or is missing entirely --
that's the time to worry.

Sean_Q_
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"Gerry" <> wrote in message > I just took delivery on a new Classic LT.

http://www.vroc.org/
Go here for all your Vulcan questions and needs. The group is 20,000 plus
strong with lots of good advice. Best spot is in the newsgroup - techtalk.
Sue
Minocqua, WI
Yamaha '00 VStar 650
'04 TW200 (mud = fun)
Kawasaki '95 Vulcan 1500 V#15937

"Do what you want and say what you feel because those that mind, don't
matter and those that matter, don't mind". ~Dr. Seuss
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"Albrecht via MotorcycleKB.com" <u33665@uwe> wrote

> Do you know the difference between spur gears and helical gears?
>

No, but I sure do know rampant egotism when I see it.

Then there is the message from Sean, which gets right to the point, in terms
anybody can understand.

>> I checked the oil level and coollant level but can't find a place to
check
>> the transmission fluid if it even has a seperate reservoir for that.
>>Does it?

No. Shares oil with the engine.
 >> Stay informed about: Question on the Kawasaki Vulcan 

Gerry wrote:

>Does it? Any thoughts on the whining noise? Is that normal?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear

http://www.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/showschematic.asp?dept_id=2391165

Do you know the difference between spur gears and helical gears?

Spur gears are also called "straight cut" gears. They are more efficient at
transmitting power when you can't afford to lose very much.

My old 1957 Jaguar had a straight cut reverse gear and a straight cut first
gear.

First gear and reverse gear were meant to be used ONLYwhen the car was
stopped and you wanted to go forward or back up.

Gawdalmighty, what a whine those gears made. Once the car was moving, the top
three gears were nice quiet helical gears.

Your transmission has about ten straight cut gears in it and it's amazing
that Kawasaki didn't build a transmission with helical cut gears for an
engine that big.

Even the cheapest of automobiles has helical gears in the transmission. They
run a lot quieter than spur gears. Harley Davidson's VRod has some helical
gears in the tranny and some straight cut gears.

But your Vulcan will always have some gear whine in any gear.

Also, you may be aware that you have a hy-vo primary chain coming off the
crankshaft. Hy-vo chains are supposed to be quiet running.

But you also have two roller chains and a bunch of tensioners and nylon
slider blocks. The two cam shafts are driven by a chain on the right and the
counterbalancer shafts are run by a roller chain on the left.

With the two chains and the ten spur gears, it's not surprising that the
engine is mechanically noisy. You wouldn't tolerate that in a car, but a
motorcycle is something else.

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Albrecht via MotorcycleKB.com wrote:

> Yabbot, you *like* to worry, even when nothing happens at all, like that
> incident with the truck the other day.

You are right. Henceforth I shall ride blindfolded.

Sean_Q_
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Sean wrote:

>I have always worried myself into a knot over the sounds
>on *every* bike I've ever owned, including brand new ones.

Don't worry your featherhead about things you don't understand, just
bring a credit card with you to the $tealer$hip so you can pay the Nice Man
to tell you, "They all do that, sir. By the way, we have a special on re-
packing and adjusting your muffler bearings."
>
>Bikes are full of chain-driven thingies and gear-driven
>dee-haws and linkages and shafts and gizmos and whatnots,
>and they all make their own sounds, and there's no firewall
>insulating you from all this racket and commotion

Leave your "thingie" alone, you'll go blind...
>so you get to experience it all.
>
>It's when a sound changes -- or is missing entirely --
>that's the time to worry.

Yabbot, you *like* to worry, even when nothing happens at all, like that
incident with the truck the other day.

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Ken Abrams wrote:
>> Do you know the difference between spur gears and helical gears?
>
>No, but I sure do know rampant egotism when I see it.

Well, there you go, you don't know the difference between spur gears and
helical gears, but you pretend to be a Freudian analyst.

What else do you masquerade as, little feller?

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Gerry wrote:

> I just took delivery on a new Classic LT.

> My question is this. I am hearing what sounds like a whining sound which is
> most prevalent in the first 3 gears, loudest in third gear. It sounds like
> a transmission noise but I can't be sure.
>
> To make me even more nervous I detect a slight 'burnt' smell. Since the
> bike only has about 20 miles on it now that could be just a new bike first
> time running smell. I don't know.

I also have a 2007 Classic LT and had the same problem. It's the belt and
the noise and occasional smell of burning rubber will decrease to near
zero after you have a few miles on it.

Ask your dealer when you go in for the 600 mile check. And don't miss
that one. It's important.

I have over 5K on mine now and can only hear a little gear whine in the
lower gears. It's a different sound which you probably won't be able to
hear until the belt gets a little wear on it.

One hint. Don't put low octane fuel in it. The computer that runs the
fuel injection will create a knock that'll make you forget all about the
belt noise.

--
LittleJohn
Madison, AL
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"Albrecht via MotorcycleKB.com" <u33665@uwe> wrote

> Well, there you go, you don't know the difference between spur gears and
> helical gears, but you pretend to be a Freudian analyst.
>
How long has it been since you visited your doctor old man?
I think your meds. need some adjustment.
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Ken Abrams wrote:

>How long has it been since you visited your doctor old man?
>I think your meds. need some adjustment.

No meds here. Just the genetic superiority of Nordic types.

Too bad you cannot follow a technical discussion without feeling inferior.

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LittleJohn wrote:

>I have over 5K on mine now and can only hear a little gear whine in the
>lower gears. It's a different sound which you probably won't be able to
>hear until the belt gets a little wear on it.

The gears in the transmission are slow to break in. But, around 10K miles,
you may notice that the gas mileage increases slightly.

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