Noise from the front wheel

At slow speeds the front wheel is making a very rhythmic sound. It slows when i slow so it def has to do with its rotation. I do not want to call it a grindng, because that sounds too severe, but it does sound like a can of ball bearings, or something, that is being turned at the pace that wheel is spinning...

Any ideas? I should probably just lube up everything, it might just be due to age. Whats the best wheel grease?

I think i answered my own question by realizing that the wheel bearings have ball bearings and could be the culprit.

Guh, i hate when something goes wrong like this, as a city boy its a pain to not be with my bike for a week or so while its in the shop.

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I bet it hasnt ever been done, true. It is entirely possible that is my noise because it originally sounded like it was coming from the dash.

Geez, thanks, i never would have guessed being such a newb, but i love learning this stuff and cant wait to tear it apart and lube it up. Looks like i can do this myself in the alley by my house. I have tons of tools, but hardly any work space due to the city. : /

I would put the bike on its center stand and place a bottle jack under the front of the engine (using a piece of wood between the jack and engine to protect the oilpan) and jack it up enough to raise the front wheel off the ground. Then I could spin the front tire and listen for the noise. It could be coming from a bearing, speedo drive, front brake rotor, or someplace entirely unexpected. Locating the exact source of the noise would make fixing it much easier than trial and error. Ed

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I read through the Haynes service manual and it doesnt look very hard, i will try it myself, most likely, when the bearings come. I ordered a front set for $20 bucks from BossBearing. I'll do that and the speedo cable at the same time and see if that resolves anything.

Thanks guys.

Did you check to make sure it's not just the rotor?

The rotor looks ok to me, as far as i can tell. Smooth on both sides and it doesnt pulse while braking or squeak. However, it still could be the problem. The speedo and tach cables were easy to clean and were actually still very well lubed, so it was not the noisy issue.

I might need to have someone really check it out when the bearings come in the mail. My paranoia thinks it is getting worse and i simply lack the friends/family with any mechanical knowledge. Haha, i need new friends.

EDIT: arnt rotors permanently on motorcycle wheels? I hope that isnt the problem, sounds expensive to replace.

Brake rotors are replaceable, so don't worry if your's shows wear. Most bike's are secured to the wheels with fasteners. Some websites to look at:

www.cyclebrakes.com/index.html
www.apracing.com/info/index.asp?section=Motorcycle+Products_4
www.sbs.dk/index.dsp?area=98
www.dp-brakes.com/
www.spieglerusa.com/
www.metalgear.com.au/
www.ebcbrakes.com/motorcycle_brake/index.shtml

LewisKZ wrote: The rotor looks ok to me, as far as i can tell. Smooth on both sides and it doesnt pulse while braking or squeak. However, it still could be the problem. The speedo and tach cables were easy to clean and were actually still very well lubed, so it was not the noisy issue.

Is there a reason you hesitate to accurately diagnose the problem by lifting the front wheel off the ground as I described above? No offense intended, but it sure sounds like you're still relying on guesswork. If you raise the wheel you can disconnect the speedo cable and spin the wheel. If noise goes away, it's the speedo cable or speedo drive unit; if the noise continues unbolt the brake caliper and lift it off the rotor. If the noise goes away, it's the rotor or the brake caliper not releasing properly. If the noise continues with the speedo cable unhooked and the caliper off the rotor, it's the bearing(s) or the tire is rubbing on something (perhaps something stuck under the fender). This is not really as difficult as it may seem. Ed

I had it all set up in the alley this past weekend to diagnose the noise like you suggested 650ed, but after only a little time it started to rain. Like i said, i live in DC and only have a wide alley off a busy street by my rowhome to work in. I also was having a little trouble finding something i could use to prop up the front end, with no car i dont have a jack. I eventually had a neighbor hold it up.

Couldnt duplicate the noise before it started to rain so we gave up for now.