Vulcan 900 - noise like belt rubbing or something

Mig21

Mig21

Well-known member
Hey guys

I dropped the bike. Maybe doing 20kph at most by the time I fell, on gravel the damage wasn't great. It has a scratch but also a bigger problem I can't quite diagnose.

It sounds as if the belt is rubbing against something, but I can't figure out what. I'm very sure it doesn't touch anything on the outside so the only other possibility would be it's rubbing against one of the wheels it's sitting on.

vulcan900belt1.jpg


vulcan900belt2.jpg


I tried to change the alignment a little, and I thought it made a difference but that was probably in my head.

Also this happened at the beginning of a 2000km trip a couple of months ago, I wonder if it were really rubbing against the metal there would have been some visible damage on the belt? I don't see any.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The only other thing I can think to try is to take the belt off and see if it still makes the noise - in case it's got nothing to do with the belt.

Thanks in advance.
 
Any chance the front tire is rubbing the fender or mounting bracket?


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Nope, it happens with the bike up on a jack too. Or did you mean the rear tire? I'm sure I would have noticed if it were.
 
Sorry I'm late to the party.

The VN900's are very sensitive to belt tension and alignment or they will squawk. Does it make the noise constantly, or in waves?
 
I wouldn't call it waves exactly - it seems to happen more at some speeds and less at others, but the noise stays more-or-less constant at constant speeds. It doesn't sound like a squeak - more like a fast grinding noise. As if the ridges on the outside of the belt were touching something.

Do you remember, does your belt sit in the middle of the wheel on the front or to the side as mine? I don't recall if that's how it was to begin with.

I hope to work on it a bit more in a couple of days from now.
 
I've done a few front pulley swaps on those Vulcan 900's. They are sensitive to belt tension, the factory tension guide line makes the belt howl. I removed some tension and it quited the drive right down.

Are you running a stock front pulley ?
 
frekeyguy said:
I've done a few front pulley swaps on those Vulcan 900's. They are sensitive to belt tension, the factory tension guide line makes the belt howl. I removed some tension and it quited the drive right down.

Are you running a stock front pulley ?
Click to expand...

Yeah, is there an alternative I could replace it with? It seems like I may not have any better ideas. What do you swap them with?

Today I finally got a chance to have another look. It's definitely the belt, and definitely on the front pulley.

To test I adjusted the rear whell so much that the belt was sitting on the right on the rear pulley, hoping it would end up moving to the middle in the front, it didn't move at all.

Then I took the belt off and the noise stopped completely.

I'm thinking to take the front pulley off and maybe add a washer behind it.. is that crazy? How did you hold the pulley when taking the nut off?
 
Mig21 said:
Yeah, is there an alternative I could replace it with? It seems like I may not have any better ideas. What do you swap them with?

Today I finally got a chance to have another look. It's definitely the belt, and definitely on the front pulley.

To test I adjusted the rear whell so much that the belt was sitting on the right on the rear pulley, hoping it would end up moving to the middle in the front, it didn't move at all.

Then I took the belt off and the noise stopped completely.

I'm thinking to take the front pulley off and maybe add a washer behind it.. is that crazy? How did you hold the pulley when taking the nut off?
Click to expand...

Yes, don't add a washer behind the pulley. The pulley is spaced on the shaft and the nut and lockwasher need enough thread to hold the pulley in plate.

70% sounds like your belt tension is off. If you want to swing by I can take a quick look at it....PM ME

Here is what the shaft looks like behind the pulley - https://www.facebook.com/motomechto...675950277239/1006316629413171/?type=3&theater
 
70% sounds like your belt tension is off.
Click to expand...
Hey, I think you're right! Thanks!

I loosened it as much as I felt was reasonable, and the noise is gone. While doing it I also noticed the rear pulley wobbles a little (not the wheel, just the pulley) and I failed to do anything about it, I don't know what's supposed to be holding it straight. I even jumped a little on it but didn't help much :)

Strange that the noise started after I dropped the bike. Meh, who knows what else is wrong with it :)

It's a little wet and cold but I'll let you know when it gets nicer whether the noise stays away!
 
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