ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: gstrub on August 26, 2019, 08:14:52 PM
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Hey guys,
So I had my service done at 800 miles this weekend and got the bike out today. When I took off I immediately noticed it sounded different in accelerating, there is now a deeper pitched kind of groan and I feel it's vibration. I don't notice any difference in performance. Previously it was completely quiet and smooth.
The dealer is closed today so I haven't been able to call them to ask if this sounds normal. Do you think this is from adjusting the belt, and will it get better? I definitely preferred the sound and feel before:(
I attached a file of a sound clip and you can hear it pretty well.
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When I got my SR/F, I would hear a groaning buzz like that under moderate to hard acceleration for the first few hundred miles. I read a post on here by a Zero employee that noted it was normal and would slowly resolve itself after some break-in. Sure enough, by 500 miles it had improved a lot, and after my first service (which involved removing the rear wheel to patch a bit of tire damage.) it was better still.
I would guess it's a belt tension thing, and I would probably bug my shop about it.
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My guess.....
The belt tension was altered (can't say/tell which way) from what it was but I'm not saying there is anything wrong nor that this is normal as I don't know.
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I also noticed a very sticky film on the belt, I was checking to see if it was wet. I don’t remember that being there prior to the service. Is there usually some sort of sticky lube on it? It looked “beaded.†That’s why I thought it might be wet.
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Hey guys,
So I had my service done at 800 miles this weekend and got the bike out today. When I took off I immediately noticed it sounded different in accelerating, there is now a deeper pitched kind of groan and I feel it's vibration. I don't notice any difference in performance. Previously it was completely quiet and smooth.
The dealer is closed today so I haven't been able to call them to ask if this sounds normal. Do you think this is from adjusting the belt, and will it get better? I definitely preferred the sound and feel before:(
I attached a file of a sound clip and you can hear it pretty well.
Sounds like a tight belt. I'm not saying it's over-tight, but I'm guessing it's on the tight end of the spec. I couldn't stand the noise or vibration so I set mine on the loose end and problem solved.
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How easy is it to loosen? My dealer is 300 miles away so I don’t want to go back:)
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Hey guys,
So I had my service done at 800 miles this weekend and got the bike out today. When I took off I immediately noticed it sounded different in accelerating, there is now a deeper pitched kind of groan and I feel it's vibration. I don't notice any difference in performance. Previously it was completely quiet and smooth.
The dealer is closed today so I haven't been able to call them to ask if this sounds normal. Do you think this is from adjusting the belt, and will it get better? I definitely preferred the sound and feel before:(
I attached a file of a sound clip and you can hear it pretty well.
The vibration could have been caused by belt teeth hitting the sprocket wall. Do check that there always is 0.5-1mm clearance between the belt and the wall. If the wheel is not perfectly aligned, you may see a difference when rolling the wheel back and forth. If the belt is close to the side wall (like 0.5mm) it may hit the side wall slightly when accelerating, since it gets squeezed. If the belt stays well in place at all times, there is not much to worry about. If it travels visibly from one side to the other while rolling the wheel from one side or the other, you should re-align before driving again, or risk premature belt failure.
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How easy is it to loosen? My dealer is 300 miles away so I don’t want to go back:)
Check the tension first. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to adjust belt tension.
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When I took mine for in for the recommissioning and timing service, they adjusted the belt without asking me and of course, tightened it to the upper end of the range and I could hear and feel the difference as soon as I left the shop.
I had loosened it a bit to reduce the known noises and vibrations but dealers apparently have been instructed to keep those belts nice and tight.
I would love to try a high quality chain and see how it performs compared to this belt.
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There are plenty of threads on this forum about how to adjust the belt tension and position it on the rear sprocket. I always keep my belt at the very low end of the tension range. I'm sure a proper adjustment will make you're bike feel the way it did before. The adjustment is very easy.
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Well the Gates app says 31hz with my finger. I don’t have a stand so I can’t watch the belt move but it looks like it’s in slightly different positions depending on where I wheel it. Also there is an audible periodicity on the sound at 10-15 mph. The performance is fine.
I’ll see what zero says...it’s a bit frustrating to take a completely normal bike for maintanence at 350 miles away and return with a problem but let’s see how it works out.
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So after measuring the tension several more times, I confirmed that it was always below 40. I prepared to adjust the tension, and loosened the rear axle nut. After doing this, I checked the tension again, and it was now 58. I thought that was odd since I didn’t even touch the tension bolts. Anyway, I went ahead and tightened the axle nut back, and went for a ride. The noise was no different. I repeated this procedure and tighten the bolts until the belt tension was reading 64. Again, this did not help at all. The bike sounds like an injured animal, or some sort of spaceship in need of repair. I also feel A significant amount of vibration between my legs when I hit the throttle, and when the bike is slowing down I also feel a periodicity. I will let you know what the boys at zero say. Any thoughts from the belt experts would be most welcome:)
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So after measuring the tension several more times, I confirmed that it was always below 40. I prepared to adjust the tension, and loosened the rear axle nut. After doing this, I checked the tension again, and it was now 58. I thought that was odd since I didn’t even touch the tension bolts. Anyway, I went ahead and tightened the axle nut back, and went for a ride. The noise was no different. I repeated this procedure and tighten the bolts until the belt tension was reading 64. Again, this did not help at all. The bike sounds like an injured animal, or some sort of spaceship in need of repair. I also feel A significant amount of vibration between my legs when I hit the throttle, and when the bike is slowing down I also feel a periodicity. I will let you know what the boys at zero say. Any thoughts from the belt experts would be most welcome:)
You need to make that number lower, not higher. The higher the number, the tighter the belt. The tighter the belt, the noisier it will be.
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Well the spec is 62-82 hz so it was below that and still sounds terrible. I’m going back to the dealer...another 700 mile round trip:(
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Well the spec is 62-82 hz so it was below that and still sounds terrible. I’m going back to the dealer...another 700 mile round trip:(
Ahh! Got it.
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Two suggestions before you make the dreaded trek:
1. You mentioned there is a sticky substance on the belt. Belts can make some nasty noises when wet, e.g. in the rain. Use a towel, dish soap or laundry detergent or Simple Green and a brush to thoroughly clean and rinse it. No brake cleaner or anything else too harsh... hopefully it isn't some stubborn silicone stuff.
2. Get the $12 Gates 91107 belt tension gauge and measure tension for real. For my 8mm belt the tension gauge indicates 25KG, dead center range and I never have problems with it. The app says 54Hz when ostensibly it should be 96-125Hz.
https://www.amazon.com/Gates-91107-Belt-Tension-Tester/dp/B000MUTAGS
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Cleaning the belt and applying CRC heavy duty silicone spray (recommended by Zero to offset the stick substance) has fixed the issue for now!!
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Two suggestions before you make the dreaded trek:
1. You mentioned there is a sticky substance on the belt. Belts can make some nasty noises when wet, e.g. in the rain. Use a towel, dish soap or laundry detergent or Simple Green and a brush to thoroughly clean and rinse it. No brake cleaner or anything else too harsh... hopefully it isn't some stubborn silicone stuff.
2. Get the $12 Gates 91107 belt tension gauge and measure tension for real. For my 8mm belt the tension gauge indicates 25KG, dead center range and I never have problems with it. The app says 54Hz when ostensibly it should be 96-125Hz.
https://www.amazon.com/Gates-91107-Belt-Tension-Tester/dp/B000MUTAGS
Not sure if it's just our tension tester or what.. The click seems to come on from an early torque click or late and varies by almost double the weight. I personally like using the phone application because it has been consistent. Does your Carbon Drive app read 54hz though you have 'correct tension' (within spec) from the gauge?
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Not sure if it's just our tension tester or what.. The click seems to come on from an early torque click or late and varies by almost double the weight. I personally like using the phone application because it has been consistent. Does your Carbon Drive app read 54hz though you have 'correct tension' (within spec) from the gauge?
The Gates clicker is very consistent, showing 25 kg across every reading, while Carbon Drive is also very consistent showing 53hz or 54hz. One of them has a factor of 2 discrepancy. Before the Carbon Drive app was available I had tried a different app that gave few/inconsistent readings.
When I first brought home the bike it had an alarming bearing whine sound and Gates read 100 kg. After I reduced that to 25 kg, the noise was gone. After 3 yr and 8300 mi the belt appears in perfect condition despite some, uh, mistreatment.
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Hi Folks,
Thought, my question might fit into this "sound topic" :D
I drove my SR/F for about 600km so far. Works perfect and a lot of fun to drive, especially in sport mode 8)
Question to SR/F-Owners:
Does your belt-drive also sound a little rough and "wobbling" under no load and slight recuperation (<10%)? Under load and at higher speeds the acustic wobbling is gone, and despite that, the drivetrain works perfect. Its just an unconfortable feeling, when the bike makes such a cheap noise while coasting in urban areas. Tension is right within spec. (~65Hz in the Gates-App), and belt does not rub against the shoulder of the rear pulley.
Maybe its still a burn in process and will get better over time? My old DS' drivetrain was not perfect and wobbling too, but it was way less present all the time. I knew that the new and more rigid drivetrain of the SR/F might sound louder, but I hoped it will be machined and balanced more perfect.
Regards,
Marco
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Perhaps the wider and stiffer belt used on the SR/F contributes to the noise. I suspect it will quiet down as the miles pile up. I think it took about 1000 miles before the belt on my 2018 S became pretty much silent. ???
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Wash belt in mild soap and water.
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Perhaps the wider and stiffer belt used on the SR/F contributes to the noise.
I think so, also the resonance behaviour of the real stiff rear swingarm (which I like in comparison to the S/DS) and the storage compartment seems to amplify belt noise.
It is not the noise itself that sounds cheap (I really like the tie fighter like sound while accelerating 8)), it is more about the pulsating howl caused by tension variation while rotating under no load (which seems to be caused by not perfectly round pulleys).
Wash belt in mild soap and water.
I will try that. Thanks!