R1100s "rattle"

["Kit Scally" <kitscally@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks all for your comments to date.


It was my (our ?) wedding anniversary on Fri-Sat and Sunday was spent with
my head inside the PA cavity of an NEC 10kW FM transmitter.  This is my lame
excuse for <not> sodding around with the fairing.

So far:  
* both front rotors are still as tight as the proverbial, both radially and
laterally.  There's a slight radial (angular) play - as to be expected.
* I'm 99% sure it's not brake pad rattle - I'm aware of <that> sound.
* Yes, fairing gets taken off every 10k kms  for a BMW shop service.  It
<may> have coincided with previous 2 services (ie 20,000 kms ago).
* The fairing and fuel (gas ... for those literally challenged!) tank are
still in 100% alignment (ie: all fairing gaps unchanged)
* Air intake "hose" (more like a moulding) feels tight when felt under, and
inside fairing.
* A long-shot could be the battery that's lost it's restraining strap

As to the "sound" - that's damn hard to explain (Where the hell is Valentino
when you need him ?).  It's NOT a metallic "clink" or a "thud" like
something with mass moving around.  More of a thump followed by a slight
"dink" rather than a thump & "clink" (OK, OK, we're not quite as 'odd' as
our Tasmanian cousins ...)

Nothing is loose/wobbly or has ever been removed from the front nacelle
assy.

So - will try and schedule a fairing "undress" next weekend and find a
"safe" (what a joke in Sydney these days!) sidestreet with a cats-eyes or
something similar to drive just the front wheel over (NOT front AND back -
doing this produces no noise.)

If I persists, I'll be forced to have another look at the new K series at
the local bike shop ...


OK 'bout there being NO allowable rear wheel movement (My thoughts also). 

More later ..


Kit
R1100s
Sydney

>>>>>  snip >>>>>
[...]

I assume the sound is a dull thud as opposed to being a metallic clank.

Have you done anything to the bike within the timeframe that the rattle 
started appearing, such as having some sort of service performed? It is 
possible that the issue arose during that time, and the sound manifested 
some time after, like a loose battery, or a part that worked its way loose.

If I was in your shoes, the first thing I would do is to remove the fairing 
and go for a test ride. If the sound disappears, you know it has to do with 
the faring, or wind noise now masking the sound due to lack of fairing, so 
beware of that possibility. The removed fairing *may* also let you see a 
loose part, such as the air intake hose.

- - -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

>>>  snip  >>>
[...]

Hi Kit,

Maybe the rattle is coming from the brake rotor bobbins (being worn).  
These bobbins are known to wear out allowing the rattle you may be 
hearing when you hit a bump.  This link is from the IBMWR tech article 
about changing the bobbins on a K bike.  The parts and procedure are the 
same for the R1100RS...check to see if the parts are the same for your 
S:  http://ibmwr.org/ktech/floating-disk-rollers.shtml

Hope this helps, 

John Van Deren
Montpelier, VT

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