ST1300 Front end squeak

esdinges

esdinges

Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
32
Location
Little Rock, AR
Bike
2006 ST1300
This morning on my commute to work I noticed a squeaking noise. When I raised the windscreen, it was very apparent that the noise was from the front. The frequency did not change with engine speed and it did not seem to change when the brakes were applied and road speed was reduced. The squeak did go away when coming to a stop. Also the squeaking noise is not constant. Sometimes it is quiet only to suddenly reappear. The noise reminded me of an old 1991 Chevy ST10 truck when the water pump was about to give up.
This is from a 2006 model with 25k miles. Any ideas as to what this could be? Anything operating on the bike that is not road or engine speed related?
 
caldercay said:
Have you ever adjusted the counter balancers? Is the noise emanating from that area?

CounterbalancerAdjustmentQuickGuide < ST13 < STWiki

stwiki.notonthe.net stwiki.notonthe.net
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Thank you for your response caldercay!
I have not adjusted counter balancers. It is difficult to pinpoint where the high pitched squeaking is coming from as it is only audible while driving. It is very prominent from (coming up from) the gap in the fairing where the handlebars/suspension are/is.
 
esdinges said:
It is very prominent from (coming up from) the gap in the fairing where the handlebars/suspension are/is.
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Description sounds similar to the squeal the counter balancers make. It certainly can't hurt to adjust them and it's an easy enough job - at least they can be ruled out if nothing else.
 
caldercay said:
Description sounds similar to the squeal the counter balancers make. It certainly can't hurt to adjust them and it's an easy enough job - at least they can be ruled out if nothing else.
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He said the sound stopped when he stopped. A easy test is fine a deserted road and get up to speed and pull the clutch in and hit the kill switch to cut the engine off. Coast and listen. I wonder if you have a dragging brake pad or dry axle shaft? Or put bike on center stand and have someone sit on it to raise the front wheel up. Spin the wheel and listen. Igofar will be along soon with more insight!
 
You could guess and worry yourself to death about something like this.
Try to eliminate circumstances Eg
  • Cutting the engine when moving as @MI-St1300 suggested will either identify or eliminate the engine as the source.
  • Empty the fairing pockets.
  • Redo the front axle installation
  • Check the wheel bearings.
  • Check the clearance between brake disc and caliper bracket. 0.7mm
esdinges said:
The squeak did go away when coming to a stop.
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Presumably you mean just coasting to a stop, as it doesn't go away when braking?

If so, it might suggest it is vibration causing parts to rub together - as the bike is moving.

On the 1300 the 3 metal mirror locating pins and spring clips will squeak if the clips have become deformed or loose, or the circular springs have widened. The clips can be bent back into shape and the spring re - formed a couple of times.

Clutch, break levers will squeak if dry. But usually only when applied Or touched.

Sometimes grass, plastic, paper that has caught in the airflow will whistle at just one frequency.

One remote possibility is the pad spring in the caliper roofs. Not seated properly, or put in the wrong way round. The latter problem takes a little time to develop and shows itself as the pads wear down.
 
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Thank you all for your responses. I have several points to look at now thanks to you.
Just too clarify on the squealing noise. When it happens, it is constant and sounds very much like a dry pulley rotating. It doesn't change whether the brake is applied or not, just when the ground speed became about 30 MPH or less. When I noticed, I was traveling about 45 so maybe there was not enough speed difference to realize if a change in speed affected.
I think the easiest and first thing I will try is to kill the engine while the sound occurs, just to eliminate the engine as part of the equation. Will probably have to wait until this weekend though.
One of the best things about owning an ST is the group support realized on this site. Thank you very much!!
 
My guesses

1 brake squeal. Remove both sets of pads, clean, reassemble, add brake squeal if you wish

2, wheel bearings, remove front tire, feel for notch bearings

My guess..
 
Ok I re-read the clarification part again. The brake squeal noise would go away when the brakes are applied.


WHEEL BEARINGS
 
A big part of trouble shooting is trying to islolate diffferent parts of the problem that could BE the problem. While the bike is on the center stand, have a helper push down on the rear of the bike (sit on the pillion) to elevate the front and slowly turn it by hand. This is not really equivalent to pulling the wheel and feeling the bearings, but it might give you an idea if you feel roughness. This is quick and easier than pulling the wheel, and brake drag might make it worthless, but since it's so easy, give it a try.
 
Thanks for the clarification. That eliminates some of the 'squeak' suggestions.

It will be interesting to find out the results of the engine kill test. If the noise disappears, then repeat it a few times to be sure that it reappears when the engine is running and disappears each time. If you leave it in gear and pull the clutch in, use the kill switch, the engine will bump start easily when you turn on the kill switch and gently let the clutch out.

Also find out if the noise disappears just by pulling in the clutch.
If the noise does disappear check that it reappears when you release the clutch or restart the engine.

In the meantime it would be useful to know whether this is recent behaviour, and if so what work has been done on the bike in the last 1000 or so miles.

I have plenty of theories, but they will wait until the engine has been eliminated or identified as the source of the noise.

But while out on the bike if you can coast to a stop when the noise has been happening, and listen for when and if the noise disappears when slowing down. Do not use the brakes (which would generate heat). Jump off and cautiously feel the front hub around the bearings, brake disc, brake caliper and bracket for any hot spots. That might be useful info. The front end should cool very quickly when riding if the brakes have not been used for a couple of minutes, so excessively warm spots will be obvious.

Cool, warm, hot, too hot to handle are all that we need to know.
 
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**Update** I took the bike out for a ride this morning to help isolate the squealing noise coming from the front of the bike.
Outside temp was 72 degrees (not sure that is relevant but noted anyway)
Bike was quiet for the first 3 miles before a "slight noise" was heard. It was faint but there for a short time. At around 5 miles the squeal was intermittent and progressively became constant.
Killed the engine - noise still present (Yay!)
Started the engine again (bike still moving) and tried to determine if the squealing frequency changed with road speed. Maybe it is just my ears but I could not determine any change in the frequency of the squeal from 30 Mph to 60 Mph.
The squeal would stop while decelerating around 30 - 25 Mph, with and without the use of braking. Tried multiple times.
The squeal would pickup again around 35 Mph.
I drove around like this for another 10 miles repeating the above steps trying to isolate further. The squeal would come and go and then the squeal suddenly disappeared. I rode for another 10 miles without any noise. Finally, I had to come to a stop (traffic signal). When I drove off again, the squeal faintly tried to return but then disappeared.
On my way back home I came to a stop and felt around the front end: brakes, brake rotor, axel and wheel hub (bearings). Everything was very cool to the touch. The only difference was the left side axel at the end of the fork. It was warmer than the right side but only slightly. Not hot at all but not cool either (as compared to the right).
My bike has been in storage for varying lengths of time for the past 8 years. All fluids have been recently changed. The tires were replaced in 2016 (had a mechanic do this as the back tire is a !@#$ for me to replace). Wheel bearing were not replaced a this time and I honestly do not remember when they were replaced. I know i had replaced once before storing the bike in 2012.
 
Thinking back on my latest ST purchase, I had a squeaking noise, but more like a squeal. And it was in that same speed range.

Turns out, the front axle nut (right side) was missing.

No, not because I left it off, it was like that when I bought it from Northwest Honda. It never occurred to me that I should check for missing axle nuts purchasing from a Honda dealership.

Anyway, gotta be brake or axle or bearing related.

Have you put it on centerstand and pumped downwards on front forks (standing on pegs)?
 
I'd suggest doing what @caldercay suggested to see if its coming from the forks, though I would think a continuous squeal would not be produced by an oscillating (reciprocating) motion. You could loosen the fork clamp bolts and do the bounce the forks/tightening the fork clamp bolts sequence to double check the fork alignment, though it still sounds like something rubbing (tire on inside of fender?) or a wheel bearing to me.
 
That is brilliant information. Yay, indeed. Its not the engine.

So it has to be brake related or wheel related.

The wheel is an easy one - you just have to check that it has been installed correctly - once it is checked, you know it is right and can eliminate it from the list of suspicions.

Look at this post - watch the animation and read the pdf.

Article [13] - ST1300 - Maintenance - Front & Rear Wheel Install and Front Axle Animation | ST1300 Articles

Animated sequence to show the correct procedure when installing the front wheel into the forks of a Honda ST1300. The right hand side of the bike is the side with the brake lever. Left is the clutch lever side. This is the convention used in the Honda manuals. The video and the photo below...
www.st-owners.com www.st-owners.com

I would slacken everything off and re-tighten everything in the correct order.

(My instructions refer to a 17mm Hex driver to hold the axle at the left hand side while tightening the axle bolt on the right. If you don't have one, then you can hold the axle by temporarily clamping the left hand pinch bolts - but make sure that the end of the axle is flush with the face of the hole in the left fork leg first. Also, slacken the pinch bolts as soon as the axle bolt is tight.
 
Thank you all for your replies and helpful information. I will keep you up to date when I find the root cause.

Cheers!!
 
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