Slight rattle from the front end annoying

BlackLightning998

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VOC Member
Hi,
In the process of running in my Rapide, I have got an annoying rattle from the front end as I am riding along which I think I have tracked down to the spring boxes. It would appear that the inners have been chromed and the outers powder coated. When I grab hold of them and move the chrome inner it moves quite freely laterally several mm and strikes the outer casing giving a "tinny" sound which I think is what I can hear when I'm out riding.

Anyone come across this one before and have a fix for it. I've had a look in the blue book parts diagram MO63 and beyond the spring tension there does not seem to be any kind of sleeve or anything to keep the two parts aligned.

The front forks have been rebuilt in the last year (before I bought her) and knowing the man as I do I would guess new springs have been fitted.

Thanks and regards to all

Stuart
 

Peter Holmes

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VOC Member
Front end rattle

It sounds like your chain oiler A69AS is touching the chain, the sound travels through the upper frame member to the front of the bike.
Good Luck Peter Holmes
 

deejay499

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VOC Member
Front end rattle

Might also be worth checking front damper bushes/spacer but should be ok if the forks were rebuilt.deejay499
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
It sounds like your chain oiler A69AS is touching the chain, the sound travels through the upper frame member to the front of the bike.
Good Luck Peter Holmes
Hi Peter,

Sounds like the voice of experience. I trimmed the chain oiler back when I fitted it, any idea of how much clearance you need between chain and chain oiler when the bike is resting on a centre stand to maintain clearance when riding?

I got some advice to tie a piece of string around the chromed spring box lower legs and push them up into the upper - didn't stop the noise and the string fell out after a few miles (maybe didn't push it up far enough).

Also got a tip to fit bantam gaiters and pack it with grease, but I'm a poseur I guess and like the non-original look of the chromed lower spring box legs.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers

Stuart
 

BlackLightning998

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VOC Member
Might also be worth checking front damper bushes/spacer but should be ok if the forks were rebuilt.deejay499
Hi Deejay,

The front end was rebuilt using new parts where required so I think it will be OK - anything you'd especially recommend I look for?

Stuart
 

mercurycrest

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VOC Member
My D Shadow has a click in the front...... It's the Koni top outer sleeve banging against the clutch cable.... 'dove me nuts 'till I grabbed ahold of it
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
My D Shadow has a click in the front...... It's the Koni top outer sleeve banging against the clutch cable.... 'dove me nuts 'till I grabbed ahold of it
Thanks - I'll make a point of tying back the cables one by one until I see if this does the trick too - the sound is a little too "tinny" for my mind to be cable striking metal but it is so annoying you never quite know and anything is possible.

These little annoying ones are the worst......

Thanks

Stuart
 

Diogenes

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
First thing is to see if the noise is really coming from spring boxes.
Get a thin wall plastic tube, cut to length then slit lengthwise.
Slip this up into each spring box, so it prevents metal to metal contact between the inner and the outer boxes.
Short test ride will show if noise has gone.
Remove the plastic tubes.
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
First thing is to see if the noise is really coming from spring boxes.
Get a thin wall plastic tube, cut to length then slit lengthwise.
Slip this up into each spring box, so it prevents metal to metal contact between the inner and the outer boxes.
Short test ride will show if noise has gone.
Remove the plastic tubes.
Hi,

Out on the road again today - another 225 faultless miles, great fun (thankfully the sun shone all day around Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire). The noise is still there, still intermittent and I tried moving all the cables etc by hand whilst I had the noise - to no avail.

I'll give the plastic tubing a go on the spring box legs and see if that does it. It is a really tinny sound, the intermittent types are just the worst aren't they.

Thanks for your help an interest - much appreciated.

Stuart
 

petermb998

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
rattles

Hi Stuart
Nice to read that you are using a proper bike instead of the usa machine.
The Vincent should be proving that it is a lot of fun and big Grins just like after your test ride on the Duke?
best regards Peter
 
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