Chain/sprocket noise...?

EISTO

EISTO

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I've clocked around a 1000 km on my second-hand GenII this summer and quickly noted a faint low-pitch wooshing/grinding noise that seems to disappear when I pull the clutch handle. The low pitch -and the fact that it seems to follow speed rather than engine rpm- got me thinking of chain and/or sprocket wear. Some facts:

-The chain seems well maintained and has no tight spots
-The rear sprocket has no wear visible to the naked eye
-Chain adjustment seems correct
-The noise is difficult to describe. The water pump of my washing machine makes a noise of similar nature and pitch when it runs dry, i.e. has finished pumping out the water. Slightly grinding. Roughly 1-2 beats per second at 40 km/h. Gets on your nerves like nothing else.
-I forgot to ask the previous owner if he ever replaced the chain and sprockets. The bike has clocked about 18000 km in total.

At 40 km/h the chain does a full round about twice per second, so this got me thinking that the chain could be the culprit. However, all online discussions regarding chain/sprocket wear tend to focus on measuring chain length, sprocket teeth etc rather than noise. Still, for a 530 chain I guess the margins are so small that even the slightest wear would cause noise...?

Has anyone else experienced this type of noise in relation to worn chains and sprockets?

Einar
 
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Sebastian F7 said:
Just curious when you cleaned it last. I slacked off and let mine go for like 900ish miles. It made a ton of noise.
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Hi Sebastian.
Never gotten as far as cleaning it. As I mentioned I've only ridden around 600 miles on the bike myself. Could definitely give it a try. When you say "clean" you mean leave it to soak in some kerosene for an hour or so?
 
Mine has been a noisy chain/sprocket setup from the day I bought it. I was concerned in the beginning but not any longer.... I accept it as a FZ1 "characteristic."

I also want to note that some people who do not have the OEM front sprocket (16 or 17T) have a lot more noise because of the lack of the rubber damper for the chain.
 
Hi, Cobalt!
Heheh....thanks for calming my nerves there a bit. I've been known to look for faults where there aren't any.
Haven't checked, but I think my front sprocket is standard 17T. The chain and rear sprocket seems to be the original ones, i.e. DID 50VA8 and Sunstar 45T
 
EISTO said:
Hi Sebastian.
Never gotten as far as cleaning it. As I mentioned I've only ridden around 600 miles on the bike myself. Could definitely give it a try. When you say "clean" you mean leave it to soak in some kerosene for an hour or so?
Click to expand...

Easiest way it to buy some chain cleaner and a grunge brush. Put it on the center stand in neutral and spray it down.
Scrub. Wipe. Repeat if really dirty. Spray with chain lube. Wipe excess lube
Maxima makes pretty decent stuff.
 
Sebastian F7 said:
Easiest way it to buy some chain cleaner and a grunge brush. Put it on the center stand in neutral and spray it down.
Scrub. Wipe. Repeat if really dirty. Spray with chain lube. Wipe excess lube
Maxima makes pretty decent stuff.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sebastian. To be honest, I don't think dirt is an issue here. The chain is bare metal all over and there's no clogged chain lube as far as I can see.

I've ordered a new chain & sprocket kit. Once I've dismantled the old one I'll compare new and old parts as well as noise level and give you an update.

Einar
 
Most important,..... Make sure the engine sprocket is the Yamaha part with the cushioning rubbers bonded to the sprocket...... A plain sprocket ,(like a Renthal), makes an awful lot of noise and can also cause the fairing to vibrate.
 
At 18000 km your chain should be nowhere close to being worn out. I suspect the chain is dry. Clean it well and give it a good lube, I bet the noise goes away.
 
Evitzee said:
At 18000 km your chain should be nowhere close to being worn out. I suspect the chain is dry. Clean it well and give it a good lube, I bet the noise goes away.
Click to expand...

+1 on that. I had the same issue on my gen 1 and after a good cleaning and generous lube no more grinding noise.
 
From day one, my 2012 FZ1 mad a nasty noise on the left side that sounded like an exhaust leak but it wasn't. Pull in the clutch or let off on the throttle it would go away. I went nuts looking for the cause. Finally found that the cushioning rubber that's molded to the front sprocket was offset just a little. Maybe 1 or 2 mm. This was enough to let the chain contact the front sprocket unevenly and make the noise especially under a load. I told the dealer about it and of course they didn't believe my findings. I left it with them for a day. They claim they could not reproduce the noise. So... I bought a sprocket my self from another dealer and put it on.

Problem solved. A bogus stock front sprocket. Believe it... Or not!
 
Absolutely........ Always use a genuine Yamaha front sprocket with the rubber bonding ... A plain sprocket such as a Renthal will create a lot of noise and vibration within the fairing/transmission.
 
I have 47K miles on mine. I ran a JT 16 tooth for over 40K miles with no issues.

Cleaning the chain is very important for the longest life. I use Purple Power degreaser, but any degreaser will work. The chain scrubber type brushes are great for cleaning.

Anytime I buy a used bike, the 1st thing I do is give a complete wash. Thats the best way to check things out and find any issues that need to be addresed.
 
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