What would you call a normal level of driveline noise?

ratsidecar

.060 Over
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
155
Location
Northern Ireland
Ride
2006 Rocket III
Hi I have a 2006 black engine Rocket 3. It now has 19200 miles on the clocks. Triumph were able to give me the bikes history and apart from having the ignition switch replaced under warranty when it was 2 years old, and a recall to change the map to increase the idle rpm it has not had any other warranty work done apart from annual servicing and is not subject to any other recalls. Im just wondering how much driveline noise is considered normal for you rocketeers?

If I have the bike stationery in gear and release the clutch just enough to transmit power but not enough to get the bike moving there is a noticeable clunk sound from the driveshaft. I figure this is normal as my previous shaft drive bikes were similar. However;

My TPS is on its way out so the idle doesn't hold very stable at the moment, if you have the bike in gear, say in third or fourth going downhill at a steady speed at low rpm without touching the throttle you can hear the clonking again from the driveshaft over the engine noise as the engine rpm fluctuates.

I haven't ridden the bike for a while as I haven't been well so I may just be being overly paranoid every time I hear an unusual noise but its better to be safe than sorry!

Theres a bit of other noise noticeable below 1800rpm but I will need to hop on the bike again and have a good listen before I can think how to describe it properly!
 
If you fitted a windshield, that can amplify noise levels. I get road and tire noise. Don’t hear any particular driveline noise above wind and all that.
 
There was some issues with the output shaft bearings failing on the early models. Mine failed on my 05', but I didn't get any warning. There is really is no way to check it without removing the output shaft which entails dropping the rear of the engine down. You can pull the oil pan fairly easily, and look for pieces of bearing.
 
Hi I have a 2006 black engine Rocket 3. It now has 19200 miles on the clocks. Triumph were able to give me the bikes history and apart from having the ignition switch replaced under warranty when it was 2 years old, and a recall to change the map to increase the idle rpm it has not had any other warranty work done apart from annual servicing and is not subject to any other recalls. Im just wondering how much driveline noise is considered normal for you rocketeers?

If I have the bike stationery in gear and release the clutch just enough to transmit power but not enough to get the bike moving there is a noticeable clunk sound from the driveshaft. I figure this is normal as my previous shaft drive bikes were similar. However;

My TPS is on its way out so the idle doesn't hold very stable at the moment, if you have the bike in gear, say in third or fourth going downhill at a steady speed at low rpm without touching the throttle you can hear the clonking again from the driveshaft over the engine noise as the engine rpm fluctuates.

I haven't ridden the bike for a while as I haven't been well so I may just be being overly paranoid every time I hear an unusual noise but its better to be safe than sorry!

Theres a bit of other noise noticeable below 1800rpm but I will need to hop on the bike again and have a good listen before I can think how to describe it properly!

I have the same issue with my 09. It sounds like excessive gear lash. I always downshift downhill because it is so noticeable in fourth and fifth. Sometimes I just pull in the clutch and coast.
 
The clunk is fairly normal, unless it’s not. Some clunk goes with a massive output shaft, it’s the lash being taken up.

Find a captain near you and see if he’ll trade keys for a short ride to gain an additional point of reference.
 
Manic-Mechanic, THATS the word I was looking for, It feels like there is quite a lot of gear lash and very noticeable when gently applying and releasing the throttle at 1800rpm or less.
 
Sounds normal tbh, 2nd gear is probably where you notice it most. The easy solution is go to 3rd or stay in 1st, 2nd has 1/2 the number of dogs for strength purposes but it doesn’t do any favors for feel.

Alternatively you can slip the clutch a tiny bit to smooth it out or drag the rear brake to keep the lash preloaded.
 
uh oh, might get that 20,000 mile service done a little early then, least they can pull the sump and check for me while the oil is out of it anyway. Have people had any luck with triumph covering any parts or labour if it is the output shaft bearing as around 20k seems to be when a lot of people have had this problem? Then again, the bike is 10 years old now.
 
At there labor rate I would do it myself and before you send it in for service. Its a easy job. No lift requirement just drain the oil and you can leave it on the side stand.
 
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