Rattling/Buzzing noise from front fairing

Hey all,

Just picked up a '98 to replace the '94 I wrecked on last month. Rode it from Dallas to New Orleans today and love it, but there's one issue I noticed once I got home and took out my earplugs. While accelerating, there's some kind of rattling or buzzing noise coming from the dash or front fairing. It seems to follow engine rpm consistently while accelerating, is slightly audible at idle, and happens intermittently at part throttle or while deceleration. I tried hand-damping the dash, tank, and the fairings I could reach, but nothing seemed to make a difference. It almost sounds like arcing, so I'm wondering if there could be a bad connection somewhere?

Thanks for the help!

 

I noticed that on mine and while pushing on the fairing and dash while riding I think I narrowed it down to the gauge cluster, I always keep a sheet of thin black craft foam in my toolbox for curing rattles. I'll be surrounding the gauge cluster with foam today and see what happens.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Someone on VFRDiscussion posted about the same problem on a 5th-gen, and after inspecting the bike, discovered that a bunch of the "fingers" on his clutch basket were broken off. I can't imagine this could be the problem on mine though, the clutch feels just fine, the bike only has 13,000 miles on it from one previous owner, and that previous owner was about as easy on the bike as you can imagine.

 

Yeah I find that to be odd. Many owners, myself included often notice a faint rattling from the clutch when the bike is plenty warm while in neutral. I figure its just some rattle from the plates, think of how loud open dry ducati clutches are.

 

motographer, any luck?

I have the same problem on my '99 5th gen. Developed it a couple of weeks ago shy of 40k miles. Clutch has less than 5000 miles. At first i thought it was the fork connection bearings after a mild lowside. But it happens unpredictably when stopped and 1st gear engaged without moving the forks. It happens when rolling along in 2nd gear...any faster/higher gears and it gets hard to hear.

I can relate to the fact it does sound like electrical arcing!! It comes from the front (while seated sounds like it could be the fork bearings) but judging from my diagnosis earlier, sounds like its coming from the engine.

Exhaust connections look fine.

 

I still haven't traced it, but just from moving my head around at a stop and revving the bike, it's the loudest next to the left-side radiator and side fairing. I'm actually wondering if the fairing might be vibrating against one of the pipes, fittings, or even the radiator itself under there, there doesn't seem to be much clearance at all between the fairing and radiator, and I could easily imagine them contacting slightly if the engine moved while under load. Still bugging me, I can't hear it most of the time, but when I can, it's REALLY annoying!

Davis5g, I think clutch chatter in neutral is a trait of just about every VFR. My friend's 3rd-gen and the one I had for a week before returning it to the seller both did it, my 4th-gen did it, and my 5th-gen is exactly the same. I think it's just the clutch plates moving around a bit while unloaded and knocking against each other, nothing much to worry about. If I'm remembering right, the Ninja 250 I started on even did it a bit.

 

Had the same issue on mine. I searched and search and everyone pointed me in a different direction. If when you are sitting stationary on your bike and you slip the clutch it make wierd flapping noise it's probably your clutch switch. It's located on your left side handlebar. An easy fix. The switch operates a relay that opens/closes a flapper in the air box. I replaced mine and all is well. After all the mechanics I talked to I couldn't believe it was such an easy fix.

 

So, just to check in on this, because I think I may have the same issue (a strange, arcing-like buzz / rattle that sounds like it's coming from the right-front fairing area, which I hear while at a stop [and perhaps only when I pull in the clutch -- I'm checking that variable now]):
You're saying your experience says the noise is coming from the relay, or the flapper, but the cause is a funky switch at the clutch lever? Do I have that right?
Thanks for the help here; I'll be *stoked* if this thread has helped me solve this annoying buzz.
Cheers,
-- Jason

 

Mranes' post referred to the sound that the solenoid by the airbox makes at idle. This is an on/off noise (I also thought it sounded like electrical arcing or something) but it is not a steady buzz.

The solenoid valve uses intake vacuum to close the flapper valve on the top of the airbox below 5500rpm, but not while in neutral or with the clutch pulled in. With a dirty or faulty clutch switch the solenoid buzzes briefly (rather than changing once cleanly from open to closed) as the clutch is stroked in and out. Sitting at lights with the clutch in you could well have the clutch in a position where the switch is intermittently closing and causing the solenoid sound.

If that sounds like what you are hearing, you could disconnect the wire to the solenoid valve (front right side of airbox) which would disable the solenoid and eliminate it as a possible cause. Won't cause any engine drama, it is the same as disconnecting the flapper valve.

You could then try hitting the clutch switch (on the underside of the clutch lever assembly) with some contact cleaner and working it vigorously to clean the contacts. The switch is pretty simple/small so won't be expensive to replace if needed.

 

Here is an off the wall suggestion. In the first two years I owned my 2000 VFR there was a funny rattle coming from the front of the bike that sounded like a tinny rattling noise. For the life of me I could not figure it out. One day after a long ride, I washed the dirt off the bike and removed the side fairing to do some servicing work like oil, filter and plugs and thought I would spray off some of the dirt in and around the motor. After a quick hose down I used a leaf blower attachment for they shop vac to air dry the engine and such and out popped these three t-shaped pieces that looked like a washer welded to a short sleeve about a 3/8 inch high and washer about 1/2" diameter. Turns out that there is the exact same shaped washer/sleeve combo that prevents the bolts on the front of the tank from crushing the rubber washers. They slide up from the bottom through the center of the rubber grommet, and when you lift the tank the can fall off and land on top of the rubber flap that hangs over the top of the front cylinders. These three bits were sitting on top of the flap and vibrating against all kinds of things and creating an incessant rattle. After the leaf blower dislodged them, the noise disappeared for good. Any time I lift the front of the tank to check the filter or anything else, I wrap a piece of masking tape around the grommets at the front of the tank where the bolts go through so that the little washer sleeve thing doesn't fall out anymore. Was very annoying.

 

I had the same problem and yes it was the clutch switch. Easy cheap fix. Sounded like a relay going crazy and got worse as you pulsed in the clutch.