New NC750X DCT owner, strange noise at speed, need help.

[FIRE UP]

Hey Gang,
Brand new to the NC world here. I just purchased a 2020 NC750X DCT with 2,100 miles on it. While I'm not a big fan of black, it's what was available near me and in my price range so, it is what it is. So far, I'm really liking this bike. It appears to have been treated nice with the prior owner so, I don't think there's any form of damage due to neglect or intentional. Here's what the problem is. The tire pressure is up where it's supposed to be and the chain is set at proper tension. There is a an aftermarket wind shield on the bike. When I get going, as I approach even slower speeds like around maybe 20-25 mph, I begin to hear what I might call a "whirring" sort of sound coming from the front. It gets a bit louder as I increase speed.

It's not overwhelming but it's definitely noticeable. In trying to narrow this issue down, step one might be to try and eliminate the first obvious potential and that is the front tire. Again, there's only 2,100 miles on this bike and the tires. If I get to a straight-a-way, and no one's behind me or in front of me, I will lean heavy to one side then the other to see if the sound dissipates or changes, nope,, not any difference. I have put my left hand at various places around the windshield and tunnel and can't seem to make any difference. I have put the bike on the center stand and had weight put on the rear so the front tire/wheel will off the ground. I then spin that front tire by hand and listen to the front wheel bearing(s). Can't seem to hear or feel any oddities there either. But again, I'm not spinning it at the speed at which I hear the noise. If I recall, I think I've read and or seen some videos of riders complaing of early failures of wheel bearings on the NC bikes. Can't remember if they were front or rear bearings and just HOW early some of these have failed.

I've owned many, many bikes and cannot ever say I've heard this kind of noise eminating from the front end while riding at any speeds. Anyone have anything like this?
Scott

 

[the Ferret]

Possibly hearing tire/road noise coming up thru the tunnel of the forks/fairing

 

[670cc]

I agree with the Ferret; it’s probably road noise from the tires. I have a Zero with similar blocky tires (Pirelli MT60), and the tires make that kind of noise (which is easy to hear on an electric motorcycle).

As for bearing failure on the NCX, it is primarily the right side, rear wheel bearing that fails. When my rear bearing failed at around 60.000 miles, it didn’t make noise; it just got all loose and then disintegrated. While the rear bearing has been reported to fail as early as 10,000 miles, we‘ve never heard of a failure at 2100 miles.

Since you mentioned chain adjustment, I suggest setting it to the looser half of the spec range, and if you adjust it on the center stand, add 5 mm to the spec (the published spec assumes the bike is on the side stand). In my experience, setting the chain in the tighter half of the spec range can make it very noisy.

My advice, since you’ve already done a proper inspection, is to put your ear plugs in and enjoy the ride.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

I agree with both the above observations, as in Chain noise or tyre noise. On the chain I also leave mine on the loose side of spec. Sometimes dousing the chain with gear oil will quieten it down and clarify for You if that is the cause. Sometimes also the front brake disc can make noise.

 

[FIRE UP]

Hey Gang,
I surely appreciate the insight and experiences here. As for the front tire making noise, well, I guess it's possible. I stated in my introductory post/thread that I just sold my '18 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT. I loved that bike and still do. But, even for my 6' 2 1/2" 245 lb. elephant body, that A/T was/is a big girl to jossle around in very slow maneuvering and garage pushing around circumstances. The top-heaviness of it just made it almost scary to push by hand. So, I decided to sell it. About a year before I sold it, I converted the spoked, tube type wheels to tubeless wheels and at that time, installed some brand new Dunlop Trailmission Max tires. Talk about some SERIOUSLY stiff tires, wow! Anyway, they were a more aggressive tire. They did provide for ever so slight more road noise than the 90/10 tires that came on the bike from the factory.

But, I never heard any type of whirring coming from that bike which, for the most part, has the almost same motor (albeit a bit larger) and trans as the NC. In fact, of any and all motorcycles I've had in about a 50+ year period, I've not heard what I'm hearing with the NC. I'll figure it out sooner or later. Thanks again for your help] here.
Scott

 

[FIRE UP]

Ok gang,
OP here. Well, after running the CEO around today and spending hard earned retirement money at Costco, I finally got a chance to buzz out on the NC for a little jaunt. Right off the bat, on a smooth road, I could hear that noise. I was only doing about 30 mph at the time and the street was totally clear of any traffic in my direction or the opposite way. So, I did a quick little experiment. At that speed, I leaned heavily to the left and then when I got close to the shoulder of the road on the opposite side, I leaned heavily to the right to bring it to the shoulder on the right side of the road.

Each time, the noise diminished by quite a bit, maybe even 75% or more. I could only do that test for a short bit because I was running out of street and coming to an intersection. There are times when the noise is quite loud and time when not quite as much. There may be pavement differences and or speed differences to cause these changes.

Of course the ultimate test would be to *borrow* an NC front wheel and tire of a different brand and throw it on m bike and run down the road to do a comparison in road noise. But, we live in Lake Havasu City AZ and there's not very many, IF ANY NC's running around that town. I'm thinking of changing to some Pirelli T-60's in the future, depending on the wear pattern and tread life of the present Bridgestone 501 and 502 that's on there now. We'll see.
Scott

 

[GLC]

Hi Fire Up,

Ref your noise issue, I'm judging that with 2100 miles on the clock these are the original Dunlop tires in which case I'm pretty confident that the noise is coming from them. My '22 DCT model with 3700 miles on it has had the same issue especially when rolling over from upright. I too wondered "what is that noise" but I think you'll will find that if you do a slalom test down a straight road (i.e. pretend you are on ski's and carving the turns), you will see after a few curves that the noise comes and goes as you cross back and forth from each side of the tire. I'm looking forward to wearing these Dunlops out ASAP and trying some Shinko's that many of the forum readers seem to be pleased with.

 

[FIRE UP]

Hey GLC,
First, thanks so much for the input here. If you red my last post, you'll see I did that very test you're speaking of. And yes, as I did the "Slalom" maneuvers, the noise changed drastically. Sooo, with that being said, I may just decide to end the lives of the factory tires and go for some replacements. I've been thinking of some Pirellie T60's but, not sure yet. I'll look into the Shinko's too. Thanks again for your input.
Scott

 

[GLC]

You're very welcome. With the price of tires as they are, combined with the short life, not to mention the fitting costs, I'm going to get every last mile out of mine. I can rest assured that after 3700 miles on OEM equipment with its very skinny tread depth, it won't be too long before new tires start singing a different tune on my roads. My brother in England, a rather more sporty rider who cannot be shifted from his 4 cylinder 10,000rpm style of bike (Honda of course), swears by the Michelin Road 4's, but I'm not sure you can even get these anymore here in the USA as we are now up to Road 6 series. The price will make your eyes water, then add another $140 or so for the fitting (according to my local Honda dealer) plus tax of course. Buying from Amazon and having the dealer fit them on a ride in/ride out basis will set me back about $650 including the tax, whereas a pair of Shinko's will be less than a single front Road 6. That Michelin better be one hell of a tire, and I'm sure it is, but I doubt that this 68 year old would ever get remotely close to finding out its limits, so I'm going to try the Shinko's and see. The way the Koreans have come on in leaps and bounds over the last decade is very impressive. Indeed JD Power just rated the KIA midsize sedan as more reliable than either the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. That is quite an achievement.

 

[FIRE UP]

Hi Fire Up,

Ref your noise issue, I'm judging that with 2100 miles on the clock these are the original Dunlop tires in which case I'm pretty confident that the noise is coming from them. My '22 DCT model with 3700 miles on it has had the same issue especially when rolling over from upright. I too wondered "what is that noise" but I think you'll will find that if you do a slalom test down a straight road (i.e. pretend you are on ski's and carving the turns), you will see after a few curves that the noise comes and goes as you cross back and forth from each side of the tire. I'm looking forward to wearing these Dunlops out ASAP and trying some Shinko's that many of the forum readers seem to be pleased with.

Hey GLC,
Again, I appreciate your input here. I forgot to mention in my previous response to you that, I don't have Dunlops. The tires on my bike are Bridgestone Battle Wing versions. The rear is a 502 and the front is a 501. As stated, there are, or were, around 2,140 miles on it when I test rode it. There's now about 2,300 on the bike. Now, unless the previous owner had his dealership change the tires out when the bike was brand new from Dunlops to the Bridgestones, I'm going to have to presume that those Bridgestones came on the bike brand new. Not that this is earth shattering news but, I thought I'd clear that up.
Scott

 

[670cc]

Hey GLC,
Again, I appreciate your input here. I forgot to mention in my previous response to you that, I don't have Dunlops. The tires on my bike are Bridgestone Battle Wing versions. The rear is a 502 and the front is a 501. As stated, there are, or were, around 2,140 miles on it when I test rode it. There's now about 2,300 on the bike. Now, unless the previous owner had his dealership change the tires out when the bike was brand new from Dunlops to the Bridgestones, I'm going to have to presume that those Bridgestones came on the bike brand new. Not that this is earth shattering news but, I thought I'd clear that up.
Scott

Honda has typically offered two OEM tire choices, subject to their whim, on new NC models. If you kindly check your 2020 owner‘s manual, you will see two recommended tire pairs in the specifications section. For 2020, a Dunlop and a Bridgestone set are listed. Judging by your descriptions so far, your bike likely came from the factory with the Bridgestones; it wasn’t necessary for the dealer to swap them out.

 

[FIRE UP]

Hey Greg,
Thank you for the info on that tire situation. I would check the owners manual but, like many purchases I've made pertaining to motorcycles, it seems the previous owners either lost or ATE the owners manual. For the life of me, I can't figure out why this happens. As most of you all know, there's even a place for it hidden inside the storage compartment on the NC. But, in any case, thanks again for that info. Yep, mine came with Bridgestone series tires. I may have to try the Pirelli T-60's on the next round.
Scott

 

[670cc]

I don’t know either why previous owners tend to have lost their manuals, and often lost the spare key. Fortunately the owner’s manual is freely downloadable on line from Honda.

 

[dduelin]

It seems dealerships often remove manuals and/or any associated paperwork before previously owned vehicles are placed on the sales floor or sales lot.

 

[FIRE UP]

Yep,
I already have the down loaded version. I do like the hard copy for other purposes though. I appreciate the info on it.
Scott

 

[FIRE UP]

It seems dealerships often remove manuals and/or any associated paperwork before previously owned vehicles are placed on the sales floor or sales lot.

dduelin,
I've not bought very many brand new bikes in my life but, I'm pretty sure that each and every time I did buy one, the dealer I dealt with at the time, was very astute at making sure that I received any and all important paperwork, such as the owners manual was there at the time of purchase or, at the very least, was installed in or on the bike somewhere. I have two other bikes besides my newly acquired NC. I have an '18 Honda Goldwing Tour DCT Airbag and, an '07 Yamaha TW200. The owners manual for the Goldwing is in the bike safely tucked away. The owners manual for the TW is too large to keep on the TW but, I know EXACTLY where it is should I need to reference it. Now, I can understand if a dealership removes a manual while the bike is for sale on the floor. The dealer I just dealt with didn't have a clue as to where the owners manual was/is.
Scott

 

[Hondo53]

I liked Shinko tires until my second set. The rear blistered up as the tire delaminated at about 4000 miles. No more Shinkos for me.

 

[FIRE UP]

Well gang,
OP here. I *may* have remedied my noise issue that is emanating from the front of the bike. Before I took a ride late in the evening yesterday, I decided to check the air pressure in the tires since I don't have a TPMS, YET! That's on the to-do list very soon. I had one on my Africa Twin that worked great for about $49.00 from Amazon. Anyway, the front tire pressure, at least according to to the chart on the chain cover, is supposed to be 36 psi. Well, ONE of my many gauges I have hanging around stated it was at 30 psi. I thought I'd confirm that so, I grabbed a couple more gauges. Both of those gauges stated 29-30 psi. Hmmmm. So, I upped the pressure to 36 on the dot. I then checked the back tire and it too was low by about 5 psi. So, I upped that one to the spec too. These pressures were supposed to have been checked by the dealer where I purchased the bike from about a week or more ago. Yeah I know, NEVER trust the dealer, right! Anyway, after I pumped the tires up I headed out for a ride.

Well, either my hearing's getting worse or, the noise is quite a bit relieved. And this little short ride was without a helmet. Yes, yes I know, always ride with a helmet. I get that. I was simply cruising the neighborhood at about max of 50 for short spurts to check for noise. Most of it was at about 25 mph. Anyway, It sure seems like the noise has dissipated some or mostly. I've got half-a-mind to release some air in that front tire, down to about 29 psi or so and go for a test ride. If I get the noise back, well, we know where it was coming from. If that's the case, then the lower tire pressure just causes the tread pattern to contact the ground/pavement in a different manor than it would when it's properly filled. Maybe sort of *slapping" the ground. Just a guess. We'll see.
Scott

 

[FIRE UP]

Well Gang,
Some of you have followed my rejuvenation of my recently purchased 2020 NC. Yep, it did make a bit of noise for most riding conditions and speeds, at least above around 25-30 mph. It was consistent for sure. But, I just finished the total make-over of the bike and that included the purchase and installation of two brand new Shinko 705 series 60/40 tires. I was so jazzed to get the bike back on the road after it had been down for around 3.5 weeks or so that I didn't even notice that the noise I'd almost grown used to, was COMPLETELY GONE! And that's at all speeds. Without a doubt, yep, it was the tires that were causing all that noise. Not any more, yahoooooo.
Scott

 

[ScreaminGoose]

Szia Gang,
Vadonatúj az NC világban itt. Nemrég vettem egy 2020-as NC750X DCT-t 2100 mérfölddel. Bár nem vagyok nagy fekete rajongó, ez volt a közelemben és az én árkategóriámban kapható, szóval ez az, ami. Eddig nagyon tetszik ez a bicikli. Úgy tűnik, kedvesen kezelték az előző tulajdonossal, így nem hiszem, hogy gondatlanságból vagy szándékos kárról lenne szó. Itt van a probléma. A gumiabroncsok nyomása ott van, ahol lennie kell, és a lánc megfelelő feszültségre van állítva. Utángyártott szélvédő van a kerékpáron. Amikor elindulok, ahogy közeledek a még lassabb sebességhez, például körülbelül 20-25 mph-hoz, elkezdek hallani egy olyan hangot, amit "zúgónak" nevezhetek elölről. Kicsit hangosabb lesz, ahogy növelem a sebességet.

Nem elsöprő, de határozottan észrevehető. Ennek a kérdésnek a leszűkítése során az első lépés az lehet, hogy megpróbáljuk kiküszöbölni az első nyilvánvaló lehetőséget, ez pedig az első gumiabroncs. Ismét csak 2100 mérföld van ezen a kerékpáron és a gumikon. Ha egy egyenesbe érek, és nincs mögöttem vagy előttem senki, akkor erősen az egyik oldalra dőlök, majd a másikra, hogy megnézzem, eloszlik-e vagy változik-e a hang, nem, nincs különbség. A bal kezemet a szélvédő és az alagút körül különböző helyekre tettem, és úgy tűnik, nem tudok változtatni. A kerékpárt a középső állványra tettem, és súlyt tettem a hátsó részre, így az első gumi/kerék leválik a talajról. Ezután kézzel megpörgetem az első gumit, és hallgatom az első kerék csapágya(ka)t. Ott sem hallani vagy érezni semmilyen furcsaságot. De megint én nem pörgetem olyan sebességgel, amivel hallom a zajt. Ha jól emlékszem, azt hiszem, olvastam és/vagy láttam néhány videót a versenyzőkről, akik az NC kerékpárok kerékcsapágyainak korai meghibásodásaira panaszkodnak. Nem emlékszem, hogy első vagy hátsó csapágyak voltak-e, és milyen korán mentek tönkre ezek közül néhány.

Sok-sok kerékpárom volt, és soha nem mondhatnám, hogy hallottam volna ilyen zajt az elejéről, miközben bármilyen sebességgel hajtottam. Van valakinek ilyesmi?
Scott

Üdvözlünk mindenkit!
Új vagyok a fórumon, és megvan a harmadik Nc motorom.
Bocsi a rossz angolomért..de a google a barátom...remélem írok valami értelmeset.
Az Nc-m 2020-ban készült és 1800 km van benne.
Az elődöknél (michelin road2 / michelin road 4) ezt nem tapasztaltam, de az eredeti Bridgestone gumik nagyon zajosak. Rossznak tartottam az új játékomat, és mivel az összeszerelés is az én dolgom (e-robogó, bicikli), szétszedtem és összeraktam. mindent megpróbáltam. Tanácstalan voltam témaindítóként. Nem sokat ér a bérünk, így kínszenvedés lecserélni a visító új gumikat. Ha valaki sejti, a sógorom új, 1250 Gs-es eredeti gumija még zajosabb volt.
Sok mosolygós utazást minden Nc fanatikusnak...