Loud sixth gear?
 

Hey yall, I'm new to the superhawk game...got mine a week ago and going through it....and I notice that 6th gear seems to be excessively loud. I posted on another forum and I was told I'm probably just hearing things, or that as long as it shifts fine and has oil, to not worry about it.

Just figured I'd ask you guys since, well, you all have superhawks! It's a whining noise accompanied by a slight vibration. Only present in 6th gear, noticeable at all speeds including highway.

My 02's 6th gear seems quiet...

someone on here today stated they had a 5th gear noise and was asking if the trannys were the same from '98 on and they are.

Hmmmmm........I don't like the sound of that. Mine is quiet after a full rebuild of the gearbox, as part of my engine job.

There is no reason I cn think of as to why sixth gear should make any more noise than any other gear. I think this needs looking into before you have a major problem. Remember if you have a failure, and broken bits will be rattling around with your crankshaft in the sump. Not good.

Stick with the advice the three mechanics on SBN gave you. It was correct.

Concerning the advice, I was just told "ignore the noise", and I was told to ask others with the same bike. Which is why I posted the same question here in the first place.

I'm not saying I don't value the input, but it's not something I'm just making up, it's very noticeable and accompanied with a shimmy feeling through the bike and also through the clutch lever during engagement. Every time I've had a problem like this that I was told to ignore, when I did, it got worse and turned into a catastrophe costing three times as much. So don't take it personal when I'm told to "ignore it", and I refuse.

The short answer is that the noise and vibration you are experiencing is not normal. Not sure what might be causing it...

The bike has been laid down by the previous owner, at least once, maybe more....and from the looks of it, both crank covers...or whatever they might be called....appear to be new, no scratches whatsover....whereas parts further back, such as the rear brake assembly, were broken off and welded back together...... Maybe it was damaged in the accident....

If so, would just not using 6th gear help to prevent a future problem?

Might be a good short term solution.

Obviously the best option is to attend to the problem, if there is one, rather than take a shortcut. I would look at it further before riding it.

See if you can find a mechanic familiar with the bike, or another owner in your area who is prepared to let you ride their bike, or them ride yours to compare them. Maybe you can find a Honda dealer with a demo you can take for a spin.

If you can ascertain for certain there is a problem, I would then look at fixing it before riding any more. No point destroying the rest of the engine as well as having a gearbox to fix.

I have a similar thing, only it just appears to be rattly in 6th gear and a little less so in 5th. Took it to Honda and they said that they are a little noisy in high gear and that all, in their opinion, was fine... Then I read here:

"Hmmmmm........I don't like the sound of that. Mine is quiet after a full rebuild of the gearbox, as part of my engine job. "

so now I'm worried again. There is no associated vibration and no impeedence to the movement of the bike - damn these things go well.

ponders....

Haha, hell of a thread re-opening!

After having owned the bike a little longer, I honestly think it's just a characteristic of the bike, such as the carb slides clacking on decel. I've had no ill-effects whatsoever and the bike runs great in every gear, no problems whatsoever. I have a hell of an ear problem....had major ear infections as a child, over and over......they almost put a tube in my ear so I wouldnt lose hearing, but a second opinion changed that. So I do technically have normal hearing in tests.....but I actually have very poor hearing in noisy enviroments but acute in quiet ones. Strange I know....

Old thread, but I am having the same issue with 6th gear as well. Simply sounds like a bearing is going (sounds like a loud "Shhhhhhh!"). If you're still around Superhawkins, anything to report up to this date? Anyone else have this issue?

I would hate to tear into the bike with such awesome weather as of late.

Really old thread...

Took my '98 Firestorm out for first real ride of the season. My 6th gear has been loud for a while. As in, for a number of years. It's never caused any problems. I just don't like the different noise it makes compared to the other gears. So I actually don't use it unless I'm really gett'n going. With mostly city riding, that doesn't happen often.

Still got the same issue. It hasn't got any louder, but not any better either. It just sounds like crap and only in sixth gear.

Many oil changes & many miles, yet no metal at all on the magnet. Not sure of the cause, but I have a few theories.

I do know one thing, and that is the more power you give the bike while in sixth gear, the louder the noise gets, just slightly, but noticable.

Example:
Zero power (coasting) in sixth gear, just barely noticable noise.
Any amount of throttle and sixth gear makes the loud SHHHHHHH! noise.