Transmission noise.

[jock.p]

I'm looking for some advice.My 1996 XL1200c is making a scraping/grating sort of noise.At first I thought is was the belt but when we lifted the back wheel off the deck and spun the wheel it sounded like something was trapped under the front pulley cover.I removed the cover and found nothing so I readjusted the wheel alignment and the belt tension.I put it all back together and took it for a run and the noise is still there.Could it be bearing breaking up behind the pulley? The noise is worse when slowing down.Any advice is welcome.

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

You may want to check the primary chain tension (1/4-3/8" heavy finger pressure) via the inspection hole and take a whiff for any acrid oil for other than normal gear oil smell. You should at some point in the very near future pull the primary cover (not just the derby cover) to check the orange cam tensioner nylon shoe for heavy groove wear, your ride is old enough that I would do this before those bits clog the oil pump and cause serious damage.

 

[kemo]

On my 99 Buell s3t the outter transmission bearing went bad on me. The Buell used a 1200 cc Sportster engine and transmission.
kemo

 

[Jack Klarich]

Check the pulley bolts they had a nasty habit of working loose, and like Kemo said check the bearing

 

[jock.p]

Thanks to everybody for your help,it'll be a couple of days before I have time to get a good look at it but I'll let you know what I find out.

I've just been out on my bike again.and I found out the noise is louder when slowing down with the throttle shut,but when I pull in the clutch and let it coast the noise stops.Any suggestions?

 

[fin_676]

It might then be that the problem is in the primary
and pulling in the clutch removes the strain on the chain
when slowing down using the engine to brake then the slack in the primary chain would be in a different place from when accelerating
just a thought

Brian

 

[jock.p]

At long last I've gotten round to it.Turned out after a lot of unnecessary work,it was the splines inside front pulley had worn quite badly so that it was big toward the back and rocking about on the shaft.When you checked it with the belt on in seemed fine and it was still tight.The noise must have been the sides of the belt rubbing on the pulley.