Front wheel noise

[skipperT]

-If you still have the sound when wheel is installed and torqued, then that should effectively rule out the spacer because it is now clamped properly. 

-if you have NO sound when shaking wheel above your head then in theory removing the tire and checking for something inside may be a waste of time, but I would still do it. Pull tire, remount wheel and spin. 

-if you still have sound, replace bearings. Something is weird about this whole situation but at this point it’s the only thing left. Based on your reply’s here and to Buggynate the bearings “feel” ok to you. However when you are spinning the wheel it should be relatively silent with the calipers not attached. The video sure sounds similar to the spacer or a pebble or whatever rhyhmically “bouncing” as wheel is rotated but it’s baffling to try and figure out virtually based on everything that you listed that you’ve checked.

that sound better be gone after you replace the bearings, is all I can say.... Lol. 

One final thought - if you are checking for the sound on the bike make sure none of the clips are hanging down interfering, and that the ABS sensor is installed and not contacting the encoder wheel  make sure nothing (like a small piece of a leaf or whatever) is stuck in the encoder wheel on the RH side of the wheel. Same with the front fender and lower fork tubes be sure nothing nothing is jammed in there making contact somehow with the rim. If your are getting the sound with wheel off the bike and set in a stand, then never mind this last paragraph, it’s redundant.

sorry you went flying out there to the bike in the cold!

-Skip

Edited February 11, 2021 by skipperT

[peteinpa]

You can also remove the rubber seal in the bearings and inspect and add grease. The seal kind of snaps back in place. This is while installed. Never remove a used bearing then reinstall it.

[petshark]

40 minutes ago, Buggy Nate said:

When you turn the bearings with your fingers do they feel smooth? They should not have any grinding or notchiness to them at all. For the 20-30 bucks to replace them I would. They are the only component the front wheel spins on.

Yes, very smooth. 
 

7 minutes ago, draco_1967 said:

Is there something inside the tire? Or maybe in the center hub area (between where the spokes attach and where the bearings are? That would account for the "irregularness" of the sound when you spin the wheel without the calipers.

do you mean between the bore of the wheel and the spacer that sits between the bearings?

I would love to check this but I don’t think there is a way to do this without ruining the bearing?

[petshark]

52 minutes ago, skipperT said:

The video sure sounds similar to the spacer or a pebble or whatever rhyhmically “bouncing” as wheel is rotated but it’s baffling to try and figure out virtually based on everything that you listed that you’ve checked.

that sound better be gone after you replace the bearings, is all I can say.... Lol. 

I’m considering buying an automotive stethoscope and to try and pinpoint where it is coming from. The sound is there when the wheel is off the bike but a lot more quiet.

56 minutes ago, skipperT said:

sorry you went flying out there to the bike in the cold!

I just got excited that this could be the fix. Please don’t apologise, I’m very grateful for everyone’s suggestions. 

51 minutes ago, peteinpa said:

You can also remove the rubber seal in the bearings and inspect and add grease. The seal kind of snaps back in place. This is while installed. Never remove a used bearing then reinstall it.

I will try this!

[Ride365]

I'd just ride the hell out of it were me. LOL

[whisperquiet]

Try spinning the wheel off the bike with the axle inserted and resting on jackstands or wheel balancer ...  see if you can hear anything.

I have a 2019 Tracer GT and have had the front wheel out twice....just went out and spun the wheel with the front lifted off the ground, with OEM pads in calipers, and the wheel spun quite easily for a couple of rotations with a hand push/spin.  Mine was silent and smooth.

BTW, my bike has 9200 miles and is on the second front tire...

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by whisperquiet

[knyte]

2 hours ago, petshark said:

I’m considering buying an automotive stethoscope

You can get the same effect by using a screwdriver (obviously the dull end to your ear lol) or a broomhandle.  Just press the broomhandle to the suspect area, and the other end to the flap that, when pressed, would cover your earhole - firm pressure works best.  Works every bit as well as a stethoscope.

[petshark]

2 hours ago, whisperquiet said:

Try spinning the wheel off the bike with the axle inserted and resting on jackstands or wheel balancer ...  see if you can hear anything.

I have a 2019 Tracer GT and have had the front wheel out twice....just went out and spun the wheel with the front lifted off the ground, with OEM pads in calipers, and the wheel spun quite easily for a couple of rotations with a hand push/spin.  Mine was silent and smooth.

BTW, my bike has 9200 miles and is on the second front tire...

 

The thread is getting to be too long it seems. 😉 I have done this test before writing the OP and have shared my findings in this thread a few times; the sound is still there with the axle resting on 2 stands but a lot quieter. Lots of theories have evolved and been tested but the mystery is still unsolved.

2 hours ago, knyte said:

You can get the same effect by using a screwdriver (obviously the dull end to your ear lol) or a broomhandle.  Just press the broomhandle to the suspect area, and the other end to the flap that, when pressed, would cover your earhole - firm pressure works best.  Works every bit as well as a stethoscope.

Nice one! I will try this tomorrow... had not placed an order yet.

[peteinpa]

You could try this, easy to do. Not specifically said to stop drag but worth a try. You did change brake pad type.

[petshark]

11 hours ago, peteinpa said:

You could try this, easy to do. Not specifically said to stop drag but worth a try. You did change brake pad type.

I was adviced to do this when changing the brake pads as they were contaminated. All was fine for a few weeks. I did have a talk with the dealer about this and he suggested salt crystals could be the cause. I would think that those would be scrubbed off just be braking but I could try cleaning the rotors again just to be sure.

[draco_1967]

 

23 hours ago, petshark said:

do you mean between the bore of the wheel and the spacer that sits between the bearings?

I would love to check this but I don’t think there is a way to do this without ruining the bearing?

I was thinking more along these lines:

On 2/11/2021 at 7:32 AM, peteinpa said:

I just thought of something. The hollow area at the cast hub. Might be something foreign in there.

The area where the spokes meet the center hub has some holes for drainage, but stuff can get in there. It is open around where the brake disks bolt to it, but depending on the size/shape of the object, it may not easily fall out. 

[petshark]

It is fixed!

I took the wheel out again today and placed it on two stands. I then used a screwdriver as a stethoscope (thnx @knyte) and found out that the sound was definitely coming from the axle. I also inspected the center hub (thnx @peteinpa & @draco_1967) but there was nothing in there.

I then proceeded with the advice from the dealer to try and add grease to the bearing. He said you could get in there with a straw but the one on my WD40 lithium grease spray can was not strong enough. So I tried to get some clearance between the rubber and the outer metal ring and quite unexpectedly the bearing seal came off just as easy as the outside seal.

Below left and right are the opened bearings. On the left you can see a combination of what was in there and the spray grease that I was able to inject before I managed to pop the seal. The one on the right was almost full and I topped it up before remembering to take a picture. I can see no damage to the bearing seal of the outer seal and everything popped back in without an issue. I reinstalled, spun it and ... blissful silence!

)

Some questions remain;

Where did all that grease go? It was not on the outside. Could this be a manufacturing error? There is no dirt in the remaining grease neither so it looks like the seal was good... Really weird.

I'm amazed that these bearings are actually serviceable. I get that you shouldn't do this with bearings that have seen 40.000 miles because the little balls will be worn but it does look like I won't have to buy new ones for now. I will check often to see if there are any signs of leakage and replace them if that is the case.

But that is not all. I got some advice on the fz09 forum (thnx @Lone Wolf for pointing me to a similar thread there) about the pad dragging:

Quote

The piston seals don't always sit properly right off the bat when you do a brake job. They're square cut seals that need to sit totally flat when at rest so they can rock up on their edge during brake use. What happens if they're sitting flat when the pads are up against the rotor? They drag. One thing you can try is to move the pads back away from the rotor and move them back towards the rotor in small movements by pulling the lever little bits at a time, then letting off.

I tried this and it worked! I get almost a full rotation now and rolling the bike back to it's spot when I was done feels a lot smoother. I think it's all fixed! Just need to bed them in again and they will probably stop dragging altogether.

Thank you everyone!

[knyte]

Very cool!!  Congrats!  Glad you got it sorted out

Now you get to enjoy the fruits of your labour...

[peteinpa]

Yay!

I've opened brand new bearings and added grease before installation. If they only add a little grease you'll buy more bearings.

[Jfundo]

Nice work!  It is such a relief to pinpoint the problem.  As you seemed to understand, adding the grease was probably just a band-aid and new bearing will be on your shopping list before too long.  There is sure to be some level of uneven wear on some of those balls.