06 K1200GT Whining Noise (Is it a turbine?)

[ObiWan]

I just bought a 2006 K1200GT. I am coming off of a 94 K1100LT.

Yeah, I know, big difference!

The bike had 4990 miles on it when I picked it up. I rode it home about 300 miles and I noticed a high pitched whine coming from the right side. It is loudest between 3900 and 4200 RPM.

I noticed the same sound on day 2. Not wind screen noise. It changes pitch with the RPM and is loudest at the previously mentioned RPMs, no matter what gear.

Could be the fuel system, my pump went out on my 94 and it whined sumthin fierce before it quit.

But... I think it is related to ABS and servos. The sound is basically an intensified version of the start-up servo whine you get when you turn the ignition key.

The bike is under warranty for 5 more days and I live about 85 miles from Bob's, I could make it after work one day.

Should also mention it has Remus exhaust.

Anyone experience anything similar?


06 K1200GT
94 K1100LT (Limited Edition)
98 FXDL Dyna Low Rider
01 Buell Blast (Her trainer)

[ObiWan]

On second blush (or is it third?) it sounds like the fuel system. It is definitely on the right side very near (behind) the K1200GT badge.

The sound is faint at low RPM but increases with throttle application. As the RPMs increase, the noise intensifies, the higher the RPM, the higher the pitch.

The bike sat for a year before I bought it, started occasionally, but not ridden.

It seems to me the noise has lessened some. Maybe it will quiet more as the bike gets ridden more.

Still, has anyone else got a whine that sounds like the fuel system?

Thanks.

Blake

[ObiWan]

So the Service Reps says "they all whine, that is normal". To which I asked if I had just brought the bike 100 miles on a trailer for nothing.

The Service Rep brought a Tech out. The Tech said that they all whine. I ran it up to 4000 RPM and the thing was piercing high and loud. I then asked, are they all that loud and high pitched?

The Tech agreed with me immediately, definitely does not sound right. "Could be fuel pump..."

Hmmm, did I mention that before?

Anyhow, I will update the interested crowds here once Bob's calls back to tell me that I was crazy, "they all whine..."

[rockynight]

Thanks for the info. I will look forward to how everything turns out.

I have a 2005 K1200S that is very similar.

Thanks again.

[ObiWan]

Ok, so I waited a day (warranty expired on the 31st, so I figured the shop got me in under the wire) and I called.

The Service Rep told me that he is waiting for a response from BMW. He thinks it will be today since BMW is closed for that kind of thing on the weekend and he did not think BMW would let it linger.

The bottom line is that it is not the fuel pump, BMW says it is probably "the gear on the clutch" because they whine a little.

I explain to the Service Rep that this is not "a little" whine.

He says that BMW is probably not going to authorize replacing parts, maybe not even allow any disassembling for the whine.

"Call back tomorrow to see where we are..."

Ok, will do.

[ObiWan]

I called back today to see if BMW responded.

Yep. "A whine or noise is not covered, but duly noted if there is a problem in the future"

What?! Ok, so if I am flying down the road and the "clutch gear" lets go, I am covered? Or whatever it turns out to be?

Yep.

Uh, ok, well what does the Tech think? I have read that sometimes an oil change "quiets" the clutch, could that be it?

Dunno, I'll ask him....

So, the Service Rep comes back and says that the oil change did not quiet the whine. I asked what the Tech thinks, will he "disassemble" anything to chase the problem. BMW did authorize that after all (sort-of).

The Service Rep says he is not sure but after talking with the Tech and asking about the oil and what to do, the Tech says, he is not sure if the oil change quieted the whine or not. "He says the whine is all he can hear now".

Perfect! That is all I need to know, the Tech understands, he now hears what I hear, an unnatural whine that is not right and needs to be fixed.

Even if "they all whine". it is nothing like this and the Tech gets it.

Now, I will be patient to see what they decide to do...

Of course, more updates as I get them.

Any bets or good guesses out there?

[ObiWan]

Ok, the dreaded update:

I went to get the bike back yesterday.

The day started will a call to the Service Rep. I asked if the bike was finished. He said the bike was put back together, so perhaps the Tech was finished. But... the Tech had been injured as was likely out for the rest of the week. (Man, am I having good luck, or what?). Anyhow, he called the Tech's cell and the guy called back.

Nothing was taken apart. Several Techs had listened to the bike and they had used a stethoscope to determine the exact spot the whine was coming from. It is lower right side, behind the clutch cover area.

This is in-line with BMW's tech assessment that the cause is likely a "clutch gear".

My options:
1) The Tech could take off the clutch cover and take a look around. If he finds something wrong, part replaced, bike covered under warranty. If however, the Tech could not see anything wrong, I would be charged for the job, about $200.00
2) Leave it alone and live with the whine.

I asked the Service Rep to ask the collective Techs (at least a few of them) to see what the "collective" opinion was.

The anwser? "If it was my bike, I would leave it alone"

Ok, I trust the guys, so get the bike ready, I'll come get it.

When I started the bike, sure enough, it is piercing high pitched and loud at RPM, so no fix at all. I ran into Bob and I mentioned the whine. He tells me to get some earplugs;) He said some bikes whine loud like that and will go 140,000 miles and others will break at 10,000. Learn to live with it...

So, after many assurances that "Duly noted" really does mean it will be covered when it breaks, I took the bike home (with the gasket and new screws for the clutch cover)

Next oil change I will go to synthetic, see if that helps. Maybe I will use a Lucas additive or Marvel...

If the noise is to the point that I cannot stand it before then, I will take it apart and inspect it myself. (Service Rep says that if I do this and find a problem, call him, he will make sure I can bring it back and it will be covered.)

Clutch gear? Probably, it sounds like a gear whine. Will replacement parts help? Who knows. That is the whole reason behind "BMW does not cover noises or whines". I could end up throwing a bunch of parts at it and the thing could still whine. But, it is probably in the "clutch gear".

I can't tell y'all enough, the whine is AWFUL!!! Way too loud and high pitched. I absolutely love the way the bike rides and handles, but I am either going to wind up throwing $1000.00 at the clutch and hope that the whine settles down a TON or, if it drives me as crazy as I fear it will, the bike will be sold.

Love the bike, HATE the whine.

Looks to me that if BMW knows the clutch gear whines on all of 'em, then why not use a different material to make the gear and quiet the whine down or eliminate it?

Ok, done ranting, I'm gonna go ride (with my new ear plugs) :banghead

Thanks to everyone that took a look at this thread, I hope you enjoyed it or learned from it...

Thanks!
Blake

[6bikes34yrs]

I have an '06 GT that I picked up in '06 with 3000 mi on it. I have never heard mine whine like you are describing. I now have 25K on it, and the only noises I hear are normal sounding operating noises. Lots of luck with yours.

[ObiWan]

So, I rode a few times since I brought the bike back home.

When I first bought the bike, I rode home 300 miles wearing a 1/2 helmet. Maybe that is why I heard the noise so well pronounced.

I recently picked up a modular helmet and have been riding with it the past few trips. The whine is certainly much quieter with a full helmet.

However, it is still louder than the engine, the Remus exhaust, louder than the wind screen and I can hear it over all of the wind buffeting the helmet at 70+ mph.

It could be my imagination, but I think people are turning to look at the bike. I am just another bike on the roads, so it cannot be the way it looks, gotta be the sound, right?

At least deer will stay away!

The pitch changes slightly at times and sometimes it recedes slightly. Since it is not truly constant, that make me more suspect. It sounds like those timing gears guys used to put in their hot rods back when I was a kid racing cars in the streets.

The rub in this whole process is that I know the sound is there and I am in-tune to it. I listen constantly to see if I can tell if it changes at all.

When I try to ignore the whine I am successful for a while, but it always comes back to the top.

As a result, I cannot completely enjoy the bike. What a blast to ride, but the whine always wins the day :(

I will likely take the clutch cover off soon to look around, see what I can see. I am hoping to find a "wobbly", or at least slightly "loose" clutch gear. I do not know the tech specs, but I am betting the clutch gear is "off" by some degree. Its gotta be something... It is just not right!

Anybody that lives around here and wants to hear it (so you can tell me that I am crazy, to get over it), PM me, I would like to get some other opinions, hopefully hear another K12GT... to tell myself that I am or am not crazy!

[mfire1]

sounds like a gear is not cut perfectly and it has a front leadin or a backlash whine. had that on a timing gear once. sounded like a turbine on a 6 cylinder. I lived with it for 65000 miles on that motor. sold the truck.