I could be way off here, but I had a similar noise that I though was coming from the belt drive. I tried everything to track it down. I finally ended up looseining off the rear axel and the noise ceased to exist. Worth looking at anyway. Cheap and easy to check, espescialy if you have a good stand.

 

That's not it....it only does it with the clutch pulled in. Louder when in neutral, but still there when in gear. Not there with the clutch out.

 

Well that sounds like the idler bearing. At least that's what it was on my old muscle cars. Never heard of one going on a motorcycle but It must happen.

 

Hay
How many miles do you have on your bike?

T Rex[/emoticons/emotion-2.gif]

 

Could be the bearing against the pressure plate, On a car I called it a throughout bearing.
Here is the part from the manual.


30 BEARING (B6003C4)
93306-00315-00 1 $10.71

 

I'm around 9,000. Way earlier than I would expect any bearings to be going out, or clutches either for that matter.

 

Thanks for the part # gunny. I think I'm going to stop by the shop on the way home today and let them take a look. I just wanted to know if anybody else had a similar issue and what might be the cause. I don't want them telling me I need a new transmission, or piston rings, or continuum transfunctioner or some crap like that.......I think that would put me over the limit on stupid people I can kill for the year.

 

If you clutch is not adjusted properly and not completely disengaged it would ride on the bearing all of the time. The bearing is only designed to have pressure on it when the clutch is pulled in. That is how a car works anyway. Same thing happens if you ride the clutch a lot like my wife.

 

I'M sure if its only when you push in the clutch you should be OK. Its one of those parts that can last for 10 miles or 100,000 miles.

 

Well, my clutch is definitely not adjusted too tight. The cable has a little slack in it when the lever's at rest.

 

also check that dam front pully nut.

 

Ok, so I leave the office on the way to the yamaha shop and this guy pulls up next to me in traffic. He leans out the window and says, "man that don't sound too good." It was that loud. So I get to the shop, no noise. The guy at the shop takes it for a ride.....you guessed it, no noise.

So I just brought it home. I'm not quite sure what to do at this point.

 

wouldn't the front pulley nut be making lots of noise all the time? not just when the clutch is pulled? Have their been a few people who had a problem with that nut coming loose?

 

I would check the front pulley out anyways, best to rule out the simple than to tear into the tough. Seems to me it would make more noise without a load on, clutch disingaged, than with the out, if it was the pulley. and yes there has been a few reports of this happening.

 

As an update, I've ridden 1,000 miles since the day I heard that noise. I haven't heard it again and haven't noticed a different feel of any sort in the mechanics of the clutch or shifting.

 

Anybody know if this might happen to be a symptom of the possible transmission problem/recall?