| Author | Message | ||
     Doylejj |
Now that I've had my 06 Uly for a few months, it's time to figure out what I'm hearing as I ride. Do these noises sound familiar? The most troubling is something that sounds like engine pinging that I hear sometimes during accelleration. Could that be a timing chain or something, or probably pinging. Seems to be less noticeable with 93 octane fuel. The other troublesome one is the engine pause after first pressing the starter button. There's a quick starter noise, then a pause, then the engine turns over. Thanks. | ||
| Osup |
My 07 shares the same characteristics. I've just gotten used to it. The pinging seems to happen when the motor is really hot and has been ridden in 85+ temps for a while. And it only pings under hard acceleration. A friend of mine has an 07 and I know he has the same pause when starting as I do. I never really though about it. Should this be a cause for concern? | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ping could be just that, a ping. If you're mechanically inclined (and have a shop manual), you can retard the ignition timing just a hair yourself, or your dealer should be able to do it for you. The "crank-pause-crankcrankstart" sequence is a sign of either a loose ground somewhere, or a battery that's not fully charged. FWIW, my '06 has done it since day one. Never gotten better, never gotten worse - and I have a voltmeter on the system so I know I'm charging properly. If you have a battery tender, hook it up overnight and try again, see if its better. For the grounds...star washers are your friend. Check battery ground terminal; battery to frame; tail section to main frame; engine to frame; frame to steering head. Again - shop manual will give an excellent road map. If mine ever gets worse, I'll start chasing grounds. At this point, though, I just ride the damn thing and smile  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Also on the pinging - DOWNSHIFT. Low RPM / high throttle openings cause spark advance and heighten the risk of ping. | ||
| Osup |
Yeah. Downshifting always cures it for me | ||
| Doylejj |
Thanks for all the replies. Re pinging: so, no timing chain or other noise it could be? It's not at low rpm--typically above 3500, sometimes heading above 4500 I think. Re starter sequence: I'll see if a fully charged battery makes a difference, but it sounds like it's yet another quirk on this bike. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Doylejj- that doesn't sound like it's ignition ping. If you've got an ignition ping, it sounds like you're hitting the inside of the cylinder heads with a ball peen hammer. More like a "tack!" noise than "ping". You can also completely control it with throttle opening. Next time you hear it, immediately back off the throttle. If it doesn't immediately go away, it's not ignition ping. Just remember it's a relatively noisy engine. | ||
| Doylejj |
Re ping noise: actually, it's closer to a rattling noise, which is why I was hoping timing chain as I've heard on other bikes. It does stop when you back off the throttle, but maybe not instantly--I'll have to experiment. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Y'know, I think I had (before he hit a deer) the same noise on my first '06 Uly. At first I thought it was pinging but it really wasn't loud enough. Plus I retarded the ignition timing to a ridiculous point and the "noise" remained. And I always wear earplugs. Some wag told me it was valvetrain noise; personally with hydraulic lifters and all I didn't figger there'd be much valvetrain noise. He was talkin' about the pushrods leaving contact with the cam (uh, if that's happening you've got REAL problems). So finally I think the ol' air-cooled V-twin is just a mechanically noisy engine. It rattles and clicks like crazy. Nature of the beast. Now, I actually haven't noticed "the noise" on my "new" '06 Uly. But maybe I've just gotten used to the sound and my brain tunes it out. --Doc | ||
| Staves |
For the record, my '06 Uly has the same pause before starting. I've only had the bike for two months, but it does it every time, fresh off the battery tender or not. It caused me concern at first, but the bike starts every time and that's all I care about. | ||
| Staves |
BTW, the OP mentioned a rattling rather than a pinging. This may be the horn rattling against the inside of the flyscreen. | ||
| Doylejj |
Re rattling: no, not the horn rattle. This is more like valve clatter. I know the horn rattle. | ||
| Staves |
I should know better than to suggest mechanical problems being somewhat handicapped in the area  | ||
| Dfishman |
They ping when warm & the revs are to low when you accelerate.Keep the revs up on acceleration & you will be fine.The motor likes higher revs anyway.I have the same start issue.It has been the same since I got the bike 3 years ago.It always starts.Don't worry.Run it hard & you & the bike will be happy! | ||
| Gamdh |
Mine '06 did that hesitation on starting since day one as well....it is now fixed. I did the steps in Tech Tip 339 more back ground here. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/461894.html | ||
| Doylejj |
"They ping when warm & the revs are to low when you accelerate" Several people have mentioned low rpms. What numbers are you talking about? Re hesitation on start: it isn't clear from reading the fix threads that it was, in fact, "fixed". As some have noted, it doesn't happen with a warm engine. (Message edited by doylejj on June 03, 2009) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Like sub-3000 RPM, and the lower the RPM, the worse the effect will be. Prime pinging conditions: sitting at a stoplight in hot weather, engine is already very warm, light turns green, you forgot and left the bike in 2nd gear, so it "lugs" coming away from the stoplight. "TACK-TACK-TACK-TACK." Back off the throttle and/or downshift and the noise disappears. In fact, you should be able to modulate the noise with the throttle. More throttle = more knock. If that doesn't match what you're experiencing, it's not spark knock. | ||
| Doylejj |
As mentioned earlier, happens at >3500 rpm and can happen above 4500. From earlier comments, I'm now not sure the sound is engine pinging. | ||
| Thunderbox |
Has the horn mod been done. They can rattle and sound like an engine problem. You take off the wind deflector and se if the horn has been turned around. If it hasn't maybe that's it. You could take it for a spin with the deflector removed also. | ||
| Ronmold |
I put in a few gallons of cheap 87 yesterday instead of the 91 non-ethanol it usually gets. I now know what ping sounds like. | ||
| Hughlysses |
+1 to what Thunderbox said. It's been so long since that came up I'd forgotten about it. The stock horn is flex-mounted behind the plastic panel above the headlights. On a lot of bikes (particularly 06's), it can vibrate like hell at certain RPMs and hit the inside of the plastic piece. You'll see the scar on the plastic if it's been doing that. Easy fix. Running 87 octane is an easy way to teach yourself what ping sounds like! | ||
| J0hn0tt0 |
I've heard this noise before under hard acceleration when the bike is very warm (tearing away from a looong stoplight is a prime candidate). I used to hear a similar noise on my V-Strom when I accidentally lugged the engine 1 or 2 times. Something inside of me tells me that it's the clutch. Could it be that the clutch is overheating due to its proximity to the already scorching motor and the clutch is slipping or rattling or something? | ||
| Froggy |
John, come riding with us in the Catskills this weekend, we might be able to hear it and figure you out. | ||
| Firstbatch |
If your starter pauses then 9.5 times out of 10 it is a bad ground that will lead to other electrical gremlins if not corrected. If the battery is good it will read about 12.7V on a DVOM, and of course check the tightness of the battery connections. But,definitely check all the ground points on the left seat rail. There are two main points. One where the battery ground attaches and then just forward there are a group of 3 or 4 black ground wires. Remove the screws and check to see if there is any powder coat/paint on the frame lug preventing a solid metal to metal contact then you must sand off the paint. Apply a bit of dielectric grease for insurance. The Uly has some very poor ground connection points through the aluminum frame rails that then carry through to the main frame where the rails attach. With 12 volts it does not take much to lose voltage in the circuit. It would be a much better design to have a dedicated ground strap going to the main frame/engine. Starter should be strong from the second you thumb the button with no hesitation. | ||
| Tootal |
The most troubling is something that sounds like engine pinging that I hear sometimes during accelleration. Could that be a timing chain or something, or probably pinging. Seems to be less noticeable with 93 octane fuel. There is no timing chain on the Uly, the valves are push rod activated. If 93 octane helps then your pinging. Mine will do it one second and not the next, very strange. There is a lot of valve clatter and running synthetic oil makes it louder but it doesn't mean anything, nature of the beast. Run the 93 octane and go have fun! | ||
| Doylejj |
Firstbatch's comments are very interesting. I'll be following up on your suggestions. Tootal, thanks for your observation. I'm still confused about what's a ping and what isn't. Any downside to trying low octane fuel for a short experiment? | ||
| Froggy |
Nope, if your bike is a pinger, it will cause the ping to happen more often, so it would be easier to identify if it is pinging or not. It will still run fine as long as you aren't beating the hell out of it. | ||
| Chas1969 |
Normal "noises", be happy and enjoy (sounds of push-rod engines). Chas | ||
| Hughlysses |
+1 to the low octane experiment being OK.
"Ping" is a poor description of the sound (at least on an air-cooled engine) but it seems to be standard nomenclature. "Spark knock" is also used to describe it. Your engine will sound like it's got marbles bouncing around inside. The clearest characteristic is that your throttle will work like a volume control. If you're in the right conditions for spark knock or ping to occur (bike speed/gear/engine speed/temperature/fuel octane), when you open the throttle just a little too much, you'll hear it. When you open the throttle more it'll get louder in direct relation to how much you open it. If you back off the throttle the knock will instantly disappear. Re-opening the throttle will instantly bring it back. If those things don't fit the noise you're hearing, it's not "ping". | ||
| Pso |
Firstbatch-didn't someone fabircate a grounding strap to the engine and post it here somewhere? |
