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I started hearing a metallic clunking / clicking noise when riding to the house intown Saturday. There is less overall noise than the highway so you can hear shit better.

When I heard this noise last time...summer 2103..we finally diagnosed a loose top motor mount bolt on water pump side of bike. When you shook the trike with the motor off you could hear it easily...sounded like a cracked frame...YIKES!!

Yesterday I looked at the top motor mount bolt and it looked tight. But grabbed a 9/16 wrench and turned the bolt at least 2 turns. DAMN.

I will keep a way closer eye on that from now on and maybe others had better check their's whether it is a bike or trike the motor is mounted the same.

Scary!! another spring time maintenance tip -Thanks Canuck!

The motor mount is tight but I have a weird / never before heard clicking in the front end...I am thinking wheel bearings???...can kind of feel it in the bars when it clicks at slow speeds. I left the shop with it tonite to go thru town and home and turned back after a block as the clicking was quite regular and noticeable.

Came home with the 2005 red 57 Chev I grabbed Thursday at the Border.

I'm sure you examined the motor mounts closely but maybe not close enough . Are you sure one of the motor mounts is not broken . It has happened.

hogv8 wrote:I'm sure you examined the motor mounts closely but maybe not close enough . Are you sure one of the motor mounts is not broken . It has happened.

Not sure...We are so swamped in the Service side that I am not sure when I can get the guys to look at it. Not riding it for sure this way. We just need to lift the front end and check the bearings first. When rolling at 5 mph or less there is a definite click (also at 10 or 15 mph) you can feel in the bars and hear almost perfectly timed seconds apart which to me signifies bearings rather than frame...a cracked frame or motor mount should not give a repetitive sound like that on smooth surfaces...I think anyways.

I agree , it's probably the front wheel bearings by the way you describe the clicking . If it were the motor mounts it would probably clunk when you hit a bump .

Josh and I just rolled the trike a few feet back and forth this morning and wow...the clicking was heard and felt in the forks. we had time to jack up the trike and the bearings are fucked....ooops...Fubarred!!

Too bad that there was not an easy easy way to check wheel bearings....getting the wheels off the ground is always a pain just to check but I am scared to think what would have transpired 5 or 10 or 20 miles down the road.

I will be more vigilant about checking more things.

Wheel off Thursday late and one bearing was really really bad...lots of grey metal in the grease...filings...the other looked ok

New bearings and tire yesterday and up and rolling again last nite.

Glad you found it early before them taking a shit at 70+. Had that happen to me about 55, front end stated feeling weird and as I slowed to a stop and could hear/feel a crunching sound in the front - both bearings toast. They were the cheap Chinese kind. Went with Timkins as a replacement. Were they the sealed or tapered?

V8Bikers wrote:Glad you found it early before them taking a shit at 70+. Had that happen to me about 55, front end stated feeling weird and as I slowed to a stop and could hear/feel a crunching sound in the front - both bearings toast. They were the cheap Chinese kind. Went with Timkins as a replacement. Were they the sealed or tapered?

They were sealed bearings.

Really Sucks that the bearings did not even last the length of the front tire.

Wheel bearings on my 2011 Road Glide Ultra seized up on me at 14000 Miles. It was in Daytona in the Summer. I felt a shudder on the way over when the speedo said 95 so I backed it down quick. Unpacked at the Condo we were staying in and off to Rossmeyers I went. Headed up 40 to 95 and about 3 blocks before the Interstate the right bearing seized completely forcing me to make an Immediate right turn. Luckily I was only doing about 10 mph as the vibration went from a feeling to an audible sound. I didn't dump it but it was close. VERY thankful it didn't happen on the way over "at Speed" as I had a passenger on the back.
The Way Rossmeyer handled everything was a nightmare from the towing in to the warranty work done. I actually had to pay for the left bearing because it wasn't roached and they didn't see the value in swapping it out when it wasn't bad. Thankfully I do not have to worry about using them for anything ever again except the bathroom During Bike week
Bearings are cheap Insurance and I now swap them out with a Quality brand name every other tire change. It's cheap Peace of mind.