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Whining

10K views 37 replies 26 participants last post by  Lil Steve 
#1 ·
Just picked up a 2013 FJR...find the whining sound a bit unpleasant...any suggestions other than spending $1000 for new pipes?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
Spend $400 for new pipes. Seriously, there are plenty of slip ons available. Delkevics are very popular. No need for a full system, why spend $1000-$1400 for 3 top end HP.
 
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#4 ·
You can wait for a deal here on the forum too. Slip-ons get posted pretty often. I bought my Delkevics from a fellow forum member. You just missed out on these. I can’t believe they sat for a month before somebody scooped them up.

 
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#6 ·
Personally, I like the whine, but it does irritate a lot of folks. I have the Delkevic 18” Carbon cans on mine that have a very pleasant bass rumble that goes away with speed so there’s no drone, very happy with them and I did get them used from a fellow here who was more than fair with me ! They do help to cover the gear whine mostly, so just an option & opinion to help.

Also as Carlson suggested above ear plugs do a lot, that may be why I don’t really hear the whine anymore, I always wear them !
 
#7 ·
Between the almost a sportbike engine note and wind, I hardly ever notice the shaft drive gear whine.
 
#31 ·
Exactly...Honda ST whined worse and was too soft in turns and corners for it to be a "sport" touring bike for me...
If you hear the whine, you're focusing all wrong...get into to twisties - test your limits when away from cagers....won't hear any whine at all.. I promise!
 
#11 ·
Also creating more noise to drown out other noise is an express ticket to Tinnitusvilleington Pass. Unless you just wanna be a 1hr ride and done guy.
 
#18 ·
Mine is from a summer job in college where I had a Hughes 500e landing on a deck next to my head every 30 minutes. No ear protection of course.
 
#23 ·
It is not a whine, my friend... it is the delicate "Sewing Machine" sound of a perfectly balanced machine, expressing itself to the world! :ROFLMAO:

Yeah, my tinnitus, "filters" out most of those kinds of sounds!
 
#26 ·
Linton, here is an example of the "whine" that we are talking about.

In this clip, if you can filter out the exhaust note, and focus and the oscillating "whrrr" noise, that is the "whine" we are talking about.

I like it, it does not bother me.

Take a listen:
Delicate "Sewing Machine" Sound

Many describe it as a "sewing machine sound. I have a link here, I don't know how well this will work. In this clip, if you can filter out the "tapping" of the needle and bobbin, and just listen to the motor whrring, you may hear what we are describing:

Sewing Machine "Whrr"
 
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#27 ·
Hard for me to deciper the video clip, but whining at idle speeds is the balance shafts. Tranny and drive train noises would come at higher speeds while riding in gear.
 
#34 ·
Some Vstrom owners said the engine sound (with a stock exhaust) reminded them of a sewing machine also.

I like it!

I also don't dislike the sound of the Yoshi exhaust my bike came with. According to a friend with an Africa Twin & stock exhaust, it sounds "awesome." Not money I would have spent myself, but hey, it's one of the benefits of buying used. Sometimes you get really cool stuff.

Also it's interesting to see at least one other rider came to my same conclusion regarding Hearos. I buy them in the big jar of 200 pairs. Costco used to have a pretty good price on them.
 
#35 ·
I had an ST1300 and two V-stroms...... I don't have a clue how you could get those V-twins to sound like a sewing machine... no way.
 
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#36 · (Edited)
I believe that the whining sound is from the straight-cut transmission gears. My YZF600R sounded nearly identical. Keep in mind that it is a constant-mesh transmission, so the gears are running against each other, even in neutral. (How a MC transmission works.)
Probably why the newer FJRs have helical cut gears. Do those models whine? (I don't remember which year they introduced helical gears.)
 
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#37 ·
The whine bugs me too. It's more so when it is pulling, somewhat less on decel. Ear plugs and my Cardo make it bearable.
 
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