pebble noise

[Frang]

On my 2011 triglide it sounds like pebbles hitting something when it gets up to 50 and in 5th gear.The noise comes and goes,isn't constant and only happens at 50mph or better.I can't really pinpoint the area but it sounds like it's low in the front of the engine.It goes in for 5000 mi service next week. :Shrug:

 

[rhino 2]

On my 2011 triglide it sounds like pebbles hitting something when it gets up to 50 and in 5th gear.The noise comes and goes,isn't constant and only happens at 50mph or better.I can't really pinpoint the area but it sounds like it's low in the front of the engine.It goes in for 5000 mi service next week. :Shrug:

If you said you hear it on hard acceleration i would say detonation.
But just maybe one of the chrome heat shield's on the pipes is a little lose and rattling, Had that happen on my 11 T/G one clamp was lose.

 

[Frang]

If you said you hear it on hard acceleration i would say detonation.
But just maybe one of the chrome heat shield's on the pipes is a little lose and rattling, Had that happen on my 11 T/G one clamp was lose.

Just went out and put it up on the lift.Heat shields are tite but found the cover around the oil cooler was not clipped up tite.maybe that's it.

 

[trikerider55]

I have heard the same noise on my 2011 triglide. sure sounds it coming from the front of the trike and for me its when i am at around 55 in 5th gear.. kinda worrysome but i too will have to check the tightness of those things up front.

 

[Oldmsocko]

If you said you hear it on hard acceleration i would say detonation.
But just maybe one of the chrome heat shield's on the pipes is a little lose and rattling, Had that happen on my 11 T/G one clamp was lose.

Detonation will also happen if you are lugging the engine.

 

[sandrooney]

50 in 5th gear is probably lugging the motor some. I would bet it's pinging. Try winding out the gears a little more. Is it stock?
SR

 

[rap47]

2011......50mph in 5th is not lugging the motor.

 

[TNTriker]

2011......50mph in 5th is not lugging the motor.

If going up a hill or incline it could. We have plenty of those hills around here!

 

[Greydog]

Might just be the transmission. My '08 Ultra sounds like a hay baler in 5th gear due to the way the gears are cut in the six speed transmission.

 

[delta]

Had a similar noise on mine a few thousand miles ago. When I really got into datalogging found out my spark was too advanced in a few areas. Reduced it per the Power Vision and all is great, no more pebbles. It wasn't a constant thing. I'd be cruising at 2500rpm, give it a little bit of gas and hear the noise.

 

[Frang]

Had a similar noise on mine a few thousand miles ago. When I really got into datalogging found out my spark was too advanced in a few areas. Reduced it per the Power Vision and all is great, no more pebbles. It wasn't a constant thing. I'd be cruising at 2500rpm, give it a little bit of gas and hear the noise.

This is exactly what mine is doing.Does it on the flats so i'm not lugging it up hills.This just started a couple months ago.give it a little gas and there's the pebbles.Took it out today for a hundred mile ride and it seems to do it now in 4th,5th at 50-55 mph and 6th when i get up around 60-65 mph.Hate to sound stupid but what is power vision??:Shrug:

 

[delta]

I think you'll find that the hotter it is outside, and the hotter your motor is, with the crap gas we have today, it will do this from time to time. You can try an octane booster, some say it's snake oil; but, I carry a bottle when on a road trip just in case. The best way is to tune it out. The Power Vision is in the same vein as TTS and SERT, SEPST. These allow you to record what your motor is doing, and the programs will make changes to whatever map you have started with. It enables you to reprogram the ECM. I have used them all over the years with different bikes and for me, the Power Vision works best. Lots of folks swear by the TTS, another great tuner. Do a search then make an informed decision. Dynajet makes the Power Vision but I purchased mine through FuelMoto. He gives free support and maps. His customer service is second to none. Of course without knowing what modifications you have made to your ride, it's hard to steer you in the right direction. Some people are happy with the HD Stage I download. Hope this helps.

 

[Frang]

After searching thru other trike forums i've come to the conclusion it's pinging.It sounds like what others are having in those forums.I'm gonna try the octane booster and see if the dealer can tune it too.I know i'm not about to drop a lot into this thing like new headers and stuff to stop it.I'll get rid of it first and start looking at the hondas.loyality only goes so far.

 

[SEAlaskan]

I find that my engine is the happiest around 2700 rpm's and above, at 2500 rpm's I'll in the pebbles every time at 50 mph and up.
Butch

 

[gbsb]

I have a 2011 Triglide i put a PCV on last fall because of all the pinging tried octane booster and it didn't help. Now that it is hot agan I'm not getting the pinging but this thing gets so hot I don't know what keeps it from melting. When it gets real hot out trike looses power. I have to down shift on hills a lot and it is real sluggish. I had a Ultra with a TC 88 that had twice the power this 103 has. I know the trike is heaver and blocks a lot of wind but it is not that much heavier.

 

[Frang]

I tried the octane boost and sea-foam stuff.To my amazement it actually worked.I'm going to carry it with me from now on.

 

[msocko3]

I tried the octane boost and sea-foam stuff.To my amazement it actually worked.I'm going to carry it with me from now on.

I wouldn't be using both at the same time, I'd be nervous about what kind of problems the chemical concoction could possibly do .

 

[Frang]

I wouldn't be using both at the same time, I'd be nervous about what kind of problems the chemical concoction could possibly do .

i agree.I was having major pinging so i wanted to see if i could clear it up.Now that it seems to have worked i'll only be adding the sea-foam about once every 1000 miles or so.The thing is gas around here is a crap shoot.You never know what your getting.The last time i used Mobil which is suppose to be decent gas and that's what caused the problem.I feel that as not to many vehicles are using high octane anymore the gas in those tanks goes stale after a while.:Shrug:

 

[Frang]

I tried the octane boost and sea-foam stuff.To my amazement it actually worked.I'm going to carry it with me from now on.

Update- it didn't work.pinging now worst than ever.

 

[delta]

Have you brought it to the dealer? If so, what did he say?

 

[Maryland Triker]

I did'nt have a tuner on my 2004 Ultra Classic with motortrike kit don't know why, I had used a Power commander on all my other bikes so when I got my 11 TG I had a Screaming Eagle Super Tuner put on and it makes all the difference in the world I even ran mid grade fuel when prices were $4.50 gal high test and she runs fine I did have to have the dealer hook her up to the computer 3 times before she was where I wanted her to be, but now she just purrs like a kitten but goes like a jaguar.

 

[Maryland Triker]

Oh yeah doing 50 in 5th is not lugging the motor I generaly run 40-60 in 5th on back roads

 

[Frang]

Have you brought it to the dealer? If so, what did he say?

Pretty much what i expected-"try another brand of gas ".He didn't say much when i told him i've already tried 3 different brands (mobil,shell, sunoco).They did do a compression check though,which he said was right where it should be, and put in new plugs.Maybe i gotta try rocket fuel.He did say they could do some modifications (new headers,map sensor,air intake).Didn't say anything when i asked if the moco was going to pay for these.

 

[Frang]

Oh yeah doing 50 in 5th is not lugging the motor I generaly run 40-60 in 5th on back roads

I know i'm not lugging it.It pings at 55 in 4th even.

 

[rap47]

I think you are hearing the trany. If you don't where ear plugs like i do, you are going to hear all kinds of sounds. What gear you are in, speed, power on, power off, wind direction,etc. You are sitting on top of a mechanical monster with heavy duty stuff doing alot of things. With fairing, lowers, fenders and even the pavement to bounce all this mechanical noise right up your ears. And the hotter it gets the more pronounced these sounds will be. Sounds like your dealer did not find anything wrong and did not say the plugs he took out were bad. Wherling flywheels, pushrods, lifters, primary chain, trany gears, fuel injectors, etc. Do yourself a favor and at least try a good set of ear plugs. You will still hear that great exhaust note, but everthing else is pretty much low key. I can still hear the radio or a horn honking, but the ride is much more enjoyable. These are what I use and would highly recommend them.Howard Leight | Quiet Earplugs

 

[screwball]

Something is wrong with your scoot. There are tens fo thousands of trikes out there, and most don't ping. Just like cars before computers, mess up the timing and you get pinging. There isn't an 'acceptable' level of pinging. If it pings, something is wrong. If your moron dealer says it is OK, have him put it in writing, so when you burn a hole in a piston Mo Co will fix it. We live in the SoCal desert and ride in Southern Arizona where 110* days are common, neither of our bikes ping. We ride from 1400 feet above sea level to over 5000 to get out of this valley.... in the heat and the trikes don't ping. Something is wrong! Get lots of paper from your dealer of your complaints, cover your ass!!

 

[trikerider55]

Like i said in my earlier post, i also have that pinging noise or as you put it, pebble noise. for me its right around 55 in 5th. i really dont beleive its pinging persay. soo for me it does sound more like soemone throwing a pebble and hitting the lower front of the bike. It might be as soemone stated that its just noise bouncing off the pavement because last week i bough a 3/4 helmet and with thta on all i hear is the engine purring away and no pebble noise BUT i am still leary about what it can be.
i know last year when we took a ride out to n carlina and thru the montains getting there it sure did ping and putter then. they should have put a bigger engine in then they did, BUT thats a whole differtn story.. there are LOTS of other things Harley should have done but didnt. its called cut corners and make money..
Plan to go visit my dealer one of these days to see what they say.
ride safe everyone!

 

[Frang]

Something is wrong with your scoot. There are tens fo thousands of trikes out there, and most don't ping. Just like cars before computers, mess up the timing and you get pinging. There isn't an 'acceptable' level of pinging. If it pings, something is wrong. If your moron dealer says it is OK, have him put it in writing, so when you burn a hole in a piston Mo Co will fix it. We live in the SoCal desert and ride in Southern Arizona where 110* days are common, neither of our bikes ping. We ride from 1400 feet above sea level to over 5000 to get out of this valley.... in the heat and the trikes don't ping. Something is wrong! Get lots of paper from your dealer of your complaints, cover your ass!!

I agree 100 percent with you Screwball.If you folks can ride in 100 degree heat why does mine do this in 80-90 degree heat.i think my best option is to set an appointment with the dealer and have a tech actually take it out and ride it.It just seems when i talk to the service manager he thinks i'm making this up.Of course he told me for around $2500 they could do some mods which should take care of the problem he thinks i don't have.

 

[delta]

Try and beg the dealer to give you a free stage I upload. Might help, might not, you should not be having pinging problems. If all else fails, and I know you don't want to hear this....... spend the extra money and buy a Power Vision from Fuel Moto. That way, as you upgrade your trike with a new a/c or mufflers, pipes, etc., you'll be able to tune it yourself. Fuel Moto will give you a pretty good map to begin with. Might not even have to change a thing. But as you do some datalogging, this will also tell you exactly where you have to adjust your timing. It will get rid of the ping. Sometimes you just have to divorce the dealer and pay the cost.

I guess you could always call HD directly and see if they can encourage the dealer to fix your bone stock new trike.

 

[Frang]

Try and beg the dealer to give you a free stage I upload. Might help, might not, you should not be having pinging problems. If all else fails, and I know you don't want to hear this....... spend the extra money and buy a Power Vision from Fuel Moto. That way, as you upgrade your trike with a new a/c or mufflers, pipes, etc., you'll be able to tune it yourself. Fuel Moto will give you a pretty good map to begin with. Might not even have to change a thing. But as you do some datalogging, this will also tell you exactly where you have to adjust your timing. It will get rid of the ping. Sometimes you just have to divorce the dealer and pay the cost.

I guess you could always call HD directly and see if they can encourage the dealer to fix your bone stock new trike.

I know Harley Davidson doesn't want to hear this but i like the looks of the Honda trikes too.