Fork squawking

ChipToothy · 06-25-2018, 10:04 PM

When sitting on the bike, rolling backwards etc you can hear a bit of a rub/squawk/knock noise from the front shocks. You can feel it a little in the bars as well. Makes me feel like a little grease on the silver portion that slides up into the gold would help? Thanks in advance.

Hawk 229cc · 06-25-2018, 10:36 PM

i would take it all part an greace the crap out of it ,they dont put much greace on things from china after those 16 hour days an replace the fork oil ,you should have 2 to 4 bearings in your steering post,not sure wich bike you have but the sway bar bushings need greace too ,as well as the wheel bearings ,get a couple pounds of it

pete · 06-26-2018, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChipToothy

Makes me feel like a little grease on the silver portion that slides up into the gold would help? Thanks in advance.

Never never never never etc.... you get the idea...
put grease on the fork sliders.... dirt / grit / dust
will stick to them and become like grinding paste
it will migrate past the dust covers/ wiper seals
and end up going though the fork oil seals...
And it won't do the internal fork bushings any good either...

..

Megadan · 06-26-2018, 06:00 AM

What Pete said x2. Plus, how do we know its the forks? If the forks squeak going backwards, they should do it sitting still or going forward, basically any fork movement. I would suspect something else is at play. Get the front wheel off the ground and spin it slowly in the direction of reverse and see if you can recreate it.

Hawk 229cc · 06-26-2018, 12:42 PM

there all ideas for the safety i longevity of your bike an what i said ,do we just got a case of lets repeat what the other guy said on this forum,if you dont have the skills to take the forks apart an do what i said find someone who can do it guess we all seem to know it all hear right ,or not

Megadan · 06-26-2018, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawk 229cc

there all ideas for the safety i longevity of your bike an what i said ,do we just got a case of lets repeat what the other guy said on this forum,if you dont have the skills to take the forks apart an do what i said find someone who can do it guess we all seem to know it all hear right ,or not

yep, there is a definite case of the echo chamber in here. Some of us are much more well spoken than others and can get the point across in a more sensible or organized fashion than others.

Kivi · 06-26-2018, 02:24 PM

I would say the front brake is making the noise.

timcosby · 06-26-2018, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kivi

I would say the front brake is making the noise.

yep high pitched squeak is coming off the rotor! lets take the engine apart just to make sure.

Riggs · 06-26-2018, 04:20 PM

I need to drink 12 more beers & read this Thread all over again! LOL

**JerryHawk250** · 06-26-2018, 05:33 PM

It could be a number of things.
1. Does is make this noise if you rock it back and forth when you have the front brake applied ? if so could be lose brake caliper and/or steering column. I've had a bolt loosen on the brake caliper that made a similar noises.
2. If it turns out to be the brakes making the noise you can clean the rotor and pads with a brake cleaner. You may still have film of the shipping corrosion protection oil on them. or what ever they use.

Ariel Red Hunter · 06-26-2018, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChipToothy

When sitting on the bike, rolling backwards etc you can hear a bit of a rub/squawk/knock noise from the front shocks. You can feel it a little in the bars as well. Makes me feel like a little grease on the silver portion that slides up into the gold would help? Thanks in advance.

..be Serious. Grease plus dust and/or mud makes a very crude but very effective grinding paste. I would start by taking the brake pads out of the front caliper and really scrubbing them with brake cleaner. Then check them for straightness with a straight edge. If they have a hump or hollow, sand them level on a bench top or table top that is level. Make sure the rotor is clean, spotlessly clean with brake cleaner. Before you put it back to gether try it again before installing the pads and see if the noise is gone. If the clicking is still there adjust the stem bearings. Megadan just put up a video on steering head bearings. It shows the steering head adjuster nut, and the lock nut. ARH..

ChipToothy · 06-26-2018, 06:08 PM

I'm just curious if it is a point of concern is all.

It does it just sitting on the bike, you can't hear it with the engine running. Brake is irrelevant and there is no high pitched squealing. Sitting on the bike walking it backwards across my crap driveway to park is where it's most annoying. A very short and dull squawk noise like rubbing your thumb on a dish to feel if it's clean is the best I can describe the noise. At the very top of the shocks un-compression there is the knock that can always be felt in the bars. Rolling over terrain or stationary is the same knock feel. It's the exact opposite of the rear shock, it clunks at the bottom and squawks when you get off the bike.

Is there anything we can do to the rear stock shock to improve performance? That thing is a joke

jimwildman · 06-26-2018, 06:47 PM

Id worry about the steering head, "there is a set of holes in the side of the steering head big enough to squirt in some oil". for a temporary solution. Id recomend taking that apart and adding some marine grease, mine was dry as a bone when I got my bike.

If it is the forks maybey they forgot to put in the fryer oil at the factory? Dry stuff will chirp for sure. it's the death moan.

I wonder now if those holes were for a info plate of some kind, Hmm weird. Use a bendy straw spray lube and you could hit the top bearing too.

Megadan · 06-26-2018, 07:08 PM

Sounds to me like it may be low on fork oil enough that the fork seal is dry rubbing. Did you check/change the fork oil during assembly?

pistolclass · 06-26-2018, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

..be Serious. Grease plus dust and/or mud makes a very crude but very effective grinding paste. I would start by taking the brake pads out of the front caliper and really scrubbing them with brake cleaner. Then check them for straightness with a straight edge. If they have a hump or hollow, sand them level on a bench top or table top that is level. Make sure the rotor is clean, spotlessly clean with brake cleaner. Before you put it back to gether try it again before installing the pads and see if the noise is gone. If the clicking is still there adjust the stem bearings. Megadan just put up a video on steering head bearings. It shows the steering head adjuster nut, and the lock nut. ARH..

Wait... Is that what Brake cleaner is for? I thought it was for killing bees.

06-25-2018, 10:04 PM	#1
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Fork squawking When sitting on the bike, rolling backwards etc you can hear a bit of a rub/squawk/knock noise from the front shocks. You can feel it a little in the bars as well. Makes me feel like a little grease on the silver portion that slides up into the gold would help? Thanks in advance.
	0

06-25-2018, 10:36 PM	#2
Hawk 229cc Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 214	i would take it all part an greace the crap out of it ,they dont put much greace on things from china after those 16 hour days an replace the fork oil ,you should have 2 to 4 bearings in your steering post,not sure wich bike you have but the sway bar bushings need greace too ,as well as the wheel bearings ,get a couple pounds of it __________________
	0

06-26-2018, 06:00 AM	#4
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,030	What Pete said x2. Plus, how do we know its the forks? If the forks squeak going backwards, they should do it sitting still or going forward, basically any fork movement. I would suspect something else is at play. Get the front wheel off the ground and spin it slowly in the direction of reverse and see if you can recreate it. __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	2

06-26-2018, 12:42 PM	#5
Hawk 229cc Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 214	there all ideas for the safety i longevity of your bike an what i said ,do we just got a case of lets repeat what the other guy said on this forum,if you dont have the skills to take the forks apart an do what i said find someone who can do it guess we all seem to know it all hear right ,or not __________________
	0

06-26-2018, 05:33 PM	#10
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,569	It could be a number of things. 1. Does is make this noise if you rock it back and forth when you have the front brake applied ? if so could be lose brake caliper and/or steering column. I've had a bolt loosen on the brake caliper that made a similar noises. 2. If it turns out to be the brakes making the noise you can clean the rotor and pads with a brake cleaner. You may still have film of the shipping corrosion protection oil on them. or what ever they use. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	0

06-26-2018, 02:24 PM	#7
Kivi Join Date: May 2017 Location: Serbia Posts: 217	I would say the front brake is making the noise.
	2

06-26-2018, 04:20 PM	#9
Riggs Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: FLORIDA Posts: 81	I need to drink 12 more beers & read this Thread all over again! LOL
	1

06-26-2018, 06:08 PM	#12
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	I'm just curious if it is a point of concern is all. It does it just sitting on the bike, you can't hear it with the engine running. Brake is irrelevant and there is no high pitched squealing. Sitting on the bike walking it backwards across my crap driveway to park is where it's most annoying. A very short and dull squawk noise like rubbing your thumb on a dish to feel if it's clean is the best I can describe the noise. At the very top of the shocks un-compression there is the knock that can always be felt in the bars. Rolling over terrain or stationary is the same knock feel. It's the exact opposite of the rear shock, it clunks at the bottom and squawks when you get off the bike. Is there anything we can do to the rear stock shock to improve performance? That thing is a joke
	0

06-26-2018, 06:47 PM	#13
jimwildman Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 237	Id worry about the steering head, "there is a set of holes in the side of the steering head big enough to squirt in some oil". for a temporary solution. Id recomend taking that apart and adding some marine grease, mine was dry as a bone when I got my bike. If it is the forks maybey they forgot to put in the fryer oil at the factory? Dry stuff will chirp for sure. it's the death moan. I wonder now if those holes were for a info plate of some kind, Hmm weird. Use a bendy straw spray lube and you could hit the top bearing too.
	0

06-26-2018, 07:08 PM	#14
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,030	Sounds to me like it may be low on fork oil enough that the fork seal is dry rubbing. Did you check/change the fork oil during assembly? __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	1