[ahbah13]

Hello I recently purchased a 1994, 1100 cc honda shadow, i have noticed that it has a rather noticeable vibration and noise coming from drive shaft area. :?: I was wondering if any one has any ideas on solution .
I appreciate your incite and advise.
Thanks Jay

 

[DavidT]

Rebuid, at least I would.

How many miles on the bike?

The true wrenches will be along soon.

 

[ahbah13]

Hello Again

It has a little over 26,000 miles, on it.

 

[gotopage69]

What does the final drive oil look like? Change the final drive oil and look for metallic particles in the oil.

Remove the wheel and look at the splines. Parts, including the axle, should have a coat of grease on them to prevent rust.

Has the bike always lived in Key West? I would think the salt air would be hard on a bike.

I thought everyone in Key West rode a scooter. What are you doing with a big bike, you trying to look like a tourist?

 

[bullzeyet]

You don't say anything about the mileage, but like "goto" mentions, I'd check the rear oil then pull the rear wheel assembly and check all the "splines". Look at the "drive flange teeth". No grease, teeth look rounded??? That's the 1st possible noise/vibration. These DO wear faster if no grease (moly-lube).

This drive flange fits into the final drive unit and it has "teeth" in there for those from the drive flange. They could be "rounded" as well. These two parts get the power to the wheel/ground. If you need to see all that's in the rear drive unit go to: www.ronayers.com They have a parts fisch for your year bike and exploded views of this area(rear drive unit).

Other possible vibration/s causes maybe the "rubber cushions" are worn out in the final drive unit. Brake pads may be hanging as well. Again look at the Ron Ayers site if you have no service manual.

I replaced my drive flange and ring gear about a year or so ago. Had the vib/whinning sound while riding on my 95, 1100. It's not a common problem...but it do happen.

Bullzeyet

 

[PainterD]

Vibration? Sounds to me like maybe one of the U-joints on the shaft could be shot? Worth a look!

 

[bullzeyet]

I was hoping "13" checked the final drive unit's bolts on the housing AND the axle bolt/pinch bolts torque. Maybe they changed a tire and didn't tighten any of this stuff. If not tightened it does make vibrations.

They haven't gotten back to the board for any more input to help US. :roll:

Bullzeyet

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

I know it's a dead thread, but has anyone fixed this issue? I'm having the same and it's driving me nuts.

 

[jpr1968]

Explain exactly what your problem is.

 

[swifty2014]

My old '83 has noise from the rear also but so much as a vibration. I even got another rear diff from ebay to replace it but it still has noises. I found a lot of noise from my transmission and gearing so it can transfer down the shaft and echo out that whole area. But a vibration , could be excess slack from the U joint or in the rear drive bearings. If you can put it up on a secure stand and run it slowly in gears you can listen with a piece of hose or stethoscope to pinpoint the sounds.
Also try to shake your rear wheel side to side to see if any slack is there. Possible wheel bearings.

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

JPR, 2013 shadow phantom, had the tires replaced around 5500 miles, now I've got 6500. After the tires were done I felt a resonance that would present from 20 to 30 mph, and 50 to 60. I took it back to the installer and he just dismissed me, said he felt it with the tire off the ground just spinning it by hand but that was that.

This past week I checked the oil in the final drive, had a little sparkles in it but no big chunks that sunk to the bottom, I decided to change it, put some Mobil synthetic in it, did fifteen miles, no real change, figured maybe it just needed more time.

A day later I hop on the interstate to travel seventy miles away, and by the time i get to the interstate, the vibration has gotten way worse, whole bike is shaking but I have to get where I'm going, just hoping it doesn't fall apart. I make it and make it seventy miles back home. I drained the oil and as far as I can tell the gear on the wheel looks good and I see no metal at all in the oil.

Ideas are much appreciated, I'm at wits end, I'll take it somewhere if I need to but I'd rather not.

Thanks.

 

[smilie]

If you just had tires done recently, i'd strongly suspect an out of balance situation. Have you possibly lost a wheel weight or two. I'd pull the rear wheel and check for balance. It would also give you the opportunity to reinstall the rear wheel which may not have been done properly at the shop you used. I have a hard time trusting an unknown wrench with my own safety which is why I do my own repairs and maintenance.

 

[jpr1968]

JPR, 2013 shadow phantom, had the tires replaced around 5500 miles, now I've got 6500. After the tires were done I felt a resonance that would present from 20 to 30 mph, and 50 to 60. I took it back to the installer and he just dismissed me, said he felt it with the tire off the ground just spinning it by hand but that was that.

This past week I checked the oil in the final drive, had a little sparkles in it but no big chunks that sunk to the bottom, I decided to change it, put some Mobil synthetic in it, did fifteen miles, no real change, figured maybe it just needed more time.

A day later I hop on the interstate to travel seventy miles away, and by the time i get to the interstate, the vibration has gotten way worse, whole bike is shaking but I have to get where I'm going, just hoping it doesn't fall apart. I make it and make it seventy miles back home. I drained the oil and as far as I can tell the gear on the wheel looks good and I see no metal at all in the oil.

Ideas are much appreciated, I'm at wits end, I'll take it somewhere if I need to but I'd rather not.

Thanks.

Read this from another Forum. It's about a Sabre but your bike has the same rear end set up.
When you removed the final drive to move the drive shaft out of the way, did you remove the drive shaft from the pinion cup?

If you did remove the drive shaft from the pinion cup, did you make sure that the spring was still in it's location in the center of the drive shaft big end that goes into the pinion cup?
That spring does 2 things:
It keeps tension moved forward (toward the front of the bike) on the drive shaft and it keeps the drive shaft from 'bottoming' into the pinion cup where the oil holes are that supply final drive gear oil to the pinion cup.

 

[h13man]

I just got done pulling the rear wheel on the Valk to chase a similar problem but I got to mine before catastrophe struck. I found a bad wheel bearing. Now the minute vibration I felt was at speed (55-60 mph.) thus this told me it was a bearing or possibly ring gear isolators. The vibration didn't get worse but I put on the rear brake yesterday @ 60 mph. and the rotor/pad engagement started vibrating. If you have a rear wheel bearing failure to this extreme level hopefully it didn't damage the axle, wheel, etc. Bearing failure is more common due to China being maker even for some upper end manufactures. If this is the problem go to your local power motion supplier and buy a set of Japan made bearings. Its a concensus on the Valk forum that Honda OEM bearings suck and cost way more than GOOD off the street bearings.

 

[PhantomRider64]

I did a search the other day for the bearings in my bike (nothing wrong with it, just looking). SKF and other manufacturers make these bearings. They are common bearings and many manufacturers make them. I rebuild industrial gearboxes for a living and we prefer to use SKF bearings. F.A.G. and Timken are also good bearings.

You will need to search the actual bearing number, not the Honda part number. The bearing numbers are,,,6204UU and 20X47X20.6.


Hope this helps

 

[swifty2014]

Can you lift the whole bike and spin each tire and look for out of round? You may have a cord seperation if it is getting that much worse.
But is the vibration at wheel speed? If it is very rapid that could be the drive shaft since it turns about 3 to 4 times faster that the wheel speed, because of the gear ratio.
And when it is vibrating badly at speed did you try to pull the clutch in and let the engine slow down to feel the frame, suspension, wheel motion?
Just different ways to pin point a vibration source.

 

[h13man]

Bearings, #6204-2RS and #5204-2RS street sizes. These are the same as the Valkyries. Not trying upstage PhantomRider 64 but I got to go and buy mine tommorrow so the info is fresh and written down. :shock: :lol:

 

[TGR-MAVERICK]

Can you lift the whole bike and spin each tire and look for out of round? You may have a cord seperation if it is getting that much worse.
But is the vibration at wheel speed? If it is very rapid that could be the drive shaft since it turns about 3 to 4 times faster that the wheel speed, because of the gear ratio.
And when it is vibrating badly at speed did you try to pull the clutch in and let the engine slow down to feel the frame, suspension, wheel motion?
Just different ways to pin point a vibration source.

I was gonna look for out of round tomorrow, I work 70-80 hours a week and don't have much time to wrench. It sounded like bearings before, I've had bad bearings in my old van and it sounded the same, at the time I couldn't believe it would be that because of the low mileage, but now I'm wondering if that is the problem.

Pulling in the clutch calms it a little, definitely in the rear wheel, I stuck my hand on the housing. I think I'll find the speed when it's really bad and see if I can get my wife to take a video driving next to me or something... Maybe I'll be able to see something then.

 

[swifty2014]

If the bearings are bad enough to cause a vibration it should show some looseness or side to side play it you can get the weight off the rear wheel. You can get a big screwdriver and hold it to your ear and spin the wheel and listen for bearing noises.

 

[h13man]

Or just take the time to tear it apart and find out whats really going on before you destroy it any further. Guessing, speculating, procrastinating, etc. is going to fix the problem. Dig in!