Clunk in rear when coasting to a stop...

[cgo]

Anyone have any ideas what might be going on? When I pull in the clutch and am coasting to a stop, I get a couple clunks/jolts from what feels like the rear of the bike. I thought I might be feeling the popping from the Special O.P.S. pipe, but it's not that. It's a significant clunk sensation that feels like a hit a small pot hole. It does it like 2 or three times randomly while coasting to a stop. Up on a stand, there's no wheel play that I can see and no clunkiness when rotating the rear wheel.

Not sure what is going on. It could be from the transmission doing something and transferring through the belt, but I feel it from the rear. Any ideas would be helpful...

 

[RuiP]

I've heard stearing head bearings may be the culprit.

 

[cgo]

Thanks for the reply. hmmmm... I don't get any clunks when pushing down and pulling up on the clipons with the front brake on and don't notice any clunking over bumps, only when coasting to a stop in neutral.

 

[d_adams]

Swingarm bearings, shock mounts, the shock itself, rear wheel bearings. Could be just about anything really.

 

[Kid1620]

Solve all your problems by not coasting to a stop.

 

[cgo]

Not really coasting for that long; I'm talking about the few seconds right before coming to a complete stop when you have to pull in the clutch to prevent stalling. Actually, it does it when slowing under deceleration before pulling the clutch in and after. It doesn't happen under higher speed deceleration though.

 

[Headbarcode]

While on the brake or off?

 

[user_deleted]

While on the brake or off?

yes to that. if doing it when coming to stop and applying rear brake....or coming to stop and only front brake. you can figure that out for yourself and repost. if clunking noise exists only with brake it's most likely in rotor/caliper combo. if noise exists with no rear brake applied is either in driveline, suspension, or wheel assembly. let us know.

 

[cgo]

Is with and without rear brake. Its a pretty significant clunk.......clunk......... clunk. I don't hear it but I feel it. Feels like hitting a pothole. I'm going to check all the bearings first then ill need to start looking into the trans and engine.

 

[Mark XB12r]

Cgo, are these the wheel bearings you just replaced? and now you have another problem with them? I cant seem to giggle inside just a lil...

OK that was a bit childish of me but oh well; now for some help.

Do this in a empty or near vacant lot or street.
accelerate to a speed above where this clunk happens, shift to neutral, kill the motor and stop like normal.
Trying to make the clunk. Have a buddy there around where the stop, clunk area will be to see if he can help determine too.

I cant help but think it may be something that was dissasembled and not reasembled correctly during your recient maintenance. Just my opinion... but it comes from years of experience.

good luck, hopefully it is something easy.

 

[Headbarcode]

Not for nothing, but have you checked the the belt tensioner? On acceleration, the top half of the belt is loaded, but during deceleration, the top will want to slack and skip if the tensioner spring is broken or the assembly is loose. The sprocket teeth being rounded and not square cut ( for structural integrity ), would only help the skip.

 

[joebuell06]

Do you think you may have a loose clutch? Maybe it is just biting and causing some "clunks" via slipping.

 

[cgo]

I knew you would chime in Mark! lol. It did it right before the wheel bearings which is another reason, I wanted to change them.

If I can't find an obvious reason, I may try the parking lot and buddy suggestion as a troubleshooting measure.

Headbarcode, no, I haven't checked the tensioner yet specifically for this. I will do so, thanks for the tip!

oebuell06, hmmm, might be an option. A little while ago before this started, I changed the clutch ramp because it had a small crack in it where the spring/nut fit in. I may have too much play in the cable (it's at a little over an 1/8 of an inch gap at the clutch lever) and the clutch isn't fully dis-engaging. It coasts smooth minus the sporadic clunk... It doesn't feel like a grab and doesn't seem to jolt the bike like a clutch grab, it feels like something hitting underneath the bike in the rear. Thought it might be a loose muffler, but all is tight. Thought it might be the kick-stand flopping around, but it too is tight. IDK, it's pretty weird.

Looking for the obvious, I checked the rear brake caliper, and I can move it with my hands a bit, but it's not the bracket, it's just moving on the slides. Not sure if there should be any movement at all, but it's just slight.

 

[xtreme]

Let me know if you need any troubleshooting assistance. I can run down during lunch.

 

[Mark XB12r]

CGO, Im so glad you took it the right way, I was not trying to be an azzhole, anyway if I can Help I would be glad to. what is your name by the way, unless you wish to remain abstarct

 

[cgo]

Thanks extreme. Ill have to troubleshoot on weekends mostlikely due to the constraints of the new job. I might be able to shoot over to Ordnance for lunch one of these days though. I plan to ride in tomorrow but if it still does it ill probably park it until I figure out what is going on. There was some air in the rear brake lines because the bleeder was slightly loose. I bled the rear brake again. Maybe that had something to do with it.

 

[cgo]

Mark, my name is Dan. Thanks again for the useful tips this time!

 

[cgo]

So, I tested it out today on my way to work. It didn't happen. So, it may have been my rear brake that had air in the line. [confused]. It also could have been pi$$ed that I wasn't riding it enough! Now that I've been riding it every day to and from work, it's been running better and better...