Turbine like sound coming from steering column

icedfusion

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Having had my 1250GSA for a few weeks now, I have only managed to ride it a few times. However, there is this almight turbine noise coming from what appears to be the front end. It is so loud it is the defining noise I can hear even through my earplugs.
I have googled it and the consensus seems to be it is as a result of the tyres that are on it - currently these are bridgestones.

I am going to get some Conti Trail Attack 3's on them - however, would the speed rating make a difference in the sound that they produce, i.e

170/60 R17 72W or 170/60 R17 72V (W is rated for 158mph, V is rated for 128mph) - I have opted for the W rated, just in case i nudge in to high speed, accidently of course officer.

What tyre ratings do you go for on these big beasty bikes?
 
I find a similar issue with the Michelin Anakee and like you haven't long be a GS owner and also intend to swap over to the Conti 3's as suggested. I hear it mostly when on a bend on the motorway when I'm 'making progress'.

Would you really go anywhere near 128mph....I find that highly unlikely on a GS
 
I swapped to Michelin Road 6 and the front went completely silent. But there is a known issue with that model tyre (bike pulling left) so I will be replacing the front to Scorpion Trail 2 that I heard is also silent and very grippy.
 
leadfarmer said:
This post may interest you

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...-tread-depth?p=6127451&viewfull=1#post6127451

The CTA3s are almost universally loved on this forum but be aware that they will nevertheless “sing” a bit on the GS as do pretty much everything from what I can tell

Just ignore the noise and enjoy the grip :D
Click to expand...

If it sings, I can cope with that kind of noise....but if it's anything like these Bridgestones and I can't do anything about it then I am seriously thinking of changing the bike to something else......it is really very loud, I don't understand how more people aren't mentioning it.
I am going to try and record the noise because it is sooo fekkin loud! Really, I prefer the short screen on my K1300R that causes wind buffetting around my head because at least the earplugs filter it than this kind of turbine noise I am getting that is pretty much deafening.
 
icedfusion said:
If it sings, I can cope with that kind of noise....but if it's anything like these Bridgestones and I can't do anything about it then I am seriously thinking of changing the bike to something else......it is really very loud, I don't understand how more people aren't mentioning it.
I am going to try and record the noise because it is sooo fekkin loud! Really, I prefer the short screen on my K1300R that causes wind buffetting around my head because at least the earplugs filter it than this kind of turbine noise I am getting that is pretty much deafening.
Click to expand...

A peaked helmet doesn't help as it captures the noise and also you can buy a cover that closes off the area in front of the forks/under the dash.

But I must admit I don't think mine is as loud as you are describing, I certainly get no noise 50 and under or the bike is on a straight on the motorway, I only really notice it when on bends on motorways and like its already been described it more of sings that loud turbine whine.

Can others who ride with you hear it?? That would really be a concern then

I would be really interested in hearing this I'm Portsmouth so not that far from you so maybe one day we could meet up?
 
icedfusion said:
Having had my 1250GSA for a few weeks now, I have only managed to ride it a few times. However, there is this almight turbine noise coming from what appears to be the front end. It is so loud it is the defining noise I can hear even through my earplugs.
I have googled it and the consensus seems to be it is as a result of the tyres that are on it - currently these are bridgestones.

I am going to get some Conti Trail Attack 3's on them - however, would the speed rating make a difference in the sound that they produce, i.e

170/60 R17 72W or 170/60 R17 72V (W is rated for 158mph, V is rated for 128mph) - I have opted for the W rated, just in case i nudge in to high speed, accidently of course officer.

What tyre ratings do you go for on these big beasty bikes?
Click to expand...

Continue TA3 are excellent tyres, but still do produce a bit of noise, as any front tyre will. Ref the difference in V and W rating. Aside from the speed limitation, I’m pretty sure the V rating has more tread depth.
 
The Bridgestones didn’t make that much noise on my 1250GSA, but they wore out very quickly (which I found unusual as I’ve run them for ages on my 1150 and my 1200GSA and they lasted ages).

Now on CTA3 and they also sing a little but I wear plugs so I don’t notice it.

Not sure why this bike makes so much noise, my twin cam didn’t, but it doesn’t bother me one bit, it’s still a hoot to ride :thumby:
 
My Crosstourer used to do it too, with various different tires,

As mentioned above, it tends to happen on long fast bends and also seems to depend upon the road surface

Personally it’s never bothered me :nenau
 
Bigcats said:
A peaked helmet doesn't help as it captures the noise and also you can buy a cover that closes off the area in front of the forks/under the dash.

But I must admit I don't think mine is as loud as you are describing, I certainly get no noise 50 and under or the bike is on a straight on the motorway, I only really notice it when on bends on motorways and like its already been described it more of sings that loud turbine whine.

Can others who ride with you hear it?? That would really be a concern then

I would be really interested in hearing this I'm Portsmouth so not that far from you so maybe one day we could meet up?
Click to expand...

Happy to meet up when the weather gets a little better. Went out on the bike yesterday just to see how warm I would feel with my Keis gear - lovely bit of kit, jacket on medium gets very warm, so warm I started to sweat in 5c temp yesterday!
However, the turbine whooshing noise I can hear extremely clearly wearing my old HJC helmet and my newer Neotech 2 helmet.
I am due to have the tyres changed next Thursday at Protyre in Micheldever next Thursday, however, I will see if I can get out before that to record the noise with my phone - I am not a vlogger so that is all the equipment I have!
 
we see these kind of posts often on the forum, so its not to be explained easily.

Luckily for me Anakee 3s are silent, even though everyone else on this forum avoids them like the plague.
on the 2 GS bikes I've ridden I've only had Michelin tyres... Anakee 3s and Anakee adventure... both performed great and silent

i would be tempted to say its not the tyres its something else on the bike, but others have changed tyres and reported that it cured the problem?

It goes without saying that on any bike if you go from full road tyres to offroad nobblys you will get tyre noise on tarmac....that's obvious
but the noise your describing is something completely different.
 
Whatever you do don't get any thoughts of block tread tyres then! TKC80s might grip OK on the rough stuff, but vibrate and roar like a pneumatic drill. :thumby: It is the air going through the blocks of the tread, creates drag and saps MPG too.
 
icedfusion said:
Happy to meet up when the weather gets a little better. Went out on the bike yesterday just to see how warm I would feel with my Keis gear - lovely bit of kit, jacket on medium gets very warm, so warm I started to sweat in 5c temp yesterday!
However, the turbine whooshing noise I can hear extremely clearly wearing my old HJC helmet and my newer Neotech 2 helmet.
I am due to have the tyres changed next Thursday at Protyre in Micheldever next Thursday, however, I will see if I can get out before that to record the noise with my phone - I am not a vlogger so that is all the equipment I have!
Click to expand...

I take it your tyres are more off road orientated?? As that will have a huge effect to the noise if all you do is road ride 99% of the time.....I know we buy adventure bikes for a bit of adventure but most of us don't come off the tarmac

I bought this bike because I'm a big lad and I finally found something that fits me...not to cross the planet on dirt tracks.

Lets see if your new tyres change the noise but like I said go for a more road biased one
 
Thanks for the advice, the current tyres are definitely road tyres, I will check the exact model and report back, will do that tomorrow (Sunday)as well try and record the noise if it's not raining.
 
Yep my Bridgestones were shockingly loud. I have used both Road 6s and CTA3s on my 1250gsa and the difference in noise and handling is worth every penny.

Barry
 
CTA V rated are the right tyre for a GS, V speed rating is 149mph. W is up to 169mph.
There is a lot more tread on the rear of the V rated, I would say about 1000 to 1500mls extra.
 
CPJS said:
CTA V rated are the right tyre for a GS, V speed rating is 149mph. W is up to 169mph.
There is a lot more tread on the rear of the V rated, I would say about 1000 to 1500mls extra.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info - looks like my next tyres will be the V and not the W!
Checked the tyres currently on the bike: Bridgestone Battlax Adventures - it seems quite a lot of people report that these things are loud!!

If when I change the tyres it doesn't affect the noise I will remove everything that has been added to the bike (that it came with) - i am absolutely amazed at how this bike generally handles and the ease in which you can lean around corners, much better handling bike than my K1300R, it's shocking!
 
I seem to remember one of the after-market accessory companies making some type of plastic insert that fitted into the fork/cockpit gap to prevent this. Have a look around the normal websites.

I have had three LC GSs and have never experienced this well reported issue. Having said that, I've only used Michelins and Metzlers.
 
the woodster said:
I seem to remember one of the after-market accessory companies making some type of plastic insert that fitted into the fork/cockpit gap to prevent this. Have a look around the normal websites.
Click to expand...

I've talked to people who installed it already and they say it makes no difference worth of spending money on it.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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