Strange Squealing noise

pdiddy · Jun 19, 2004

Ok, so I was on a ride Friday (outside of Potlatch, Idaho, near Laird Park campground and Whitpine campground. Amazing area, amazing trails :cool: )

I was going down the trail and my bike started making a squealing noise. Really loudly. The kick starter started flopping around all over the place and hitting my leg. When I gassed it, the noise got louder. My first thought was that something was seriously wrong with my clutch or transmission. I stopped and had the two guys with me listen to it. They at first thought it might be clutch problems also, but the bike seemed to be shifting correctly and had just changed the oil in the bike the last week. Then one had the idea that it might be the cooling system/water pump/radiators heating up. It was during a technical, slippery, long climb that the noise started and it was hot outside, over 80 degrees I would guess.

At any rate, I had to ride out anyway, so we got back on and continued down the trail. The noise stopped. But the rest of the day, whenever there was a long, slow climb, the noise would start up again. I paid more attention when it happened again. Power was very good, the bike seemed to be running fine. Shifting was good, I upshifted and downshifted without problems. Everything felt good, the bike was just making a screaming noise. After a few minutes, the noise would go away. So, is it just my cooling system making noise? This is my first water cooled bike, so I am not sure what they should sound like when the heat up.

Thanks! :aj: :yeehaw:

dsndblm · Jun 19, 2004

You said, "The kickstarter started flopping all over the place and hitting my leg". I would start the trouble shooting with the kick starter. Does it slip, stick, sound, return different? Try draining the oil from the trans. Catch it in a clean container and strain the oil through a paint strainer or coffee filter looking for metal. I wouldnt think you would have a whole lot of stuff in the oil after one ride. Lets us know, I'm curious :think:

jdbrusch · Jun 19, 2004

I bought a left over 02 220 just before December and that happened to me also about a month ago,we were riding thru some 1st-2nd gear slow stuff and the bike started to squeal also,started out faint then slowly got louder,road a total of about 150 feet and shut the bike off to give it a look over,thought I may have punched a hole in the cases or something,could not find anything,started the bike back up and the sound was gone.No problem for the rest of the day.I did not have a problem with the kickstarter bouncing around like you did,and the next day I removed the right case to see if there something was wrong.Checked the clutch bushing,plates and bearings on that side,could not find anything,have riden the bike several times since then and everything seems ok.
I did change tranny oil (looked clean not contaminated)to a different brand and a heavier weight 85 to see if this may have had something to do with it.But to what caused the problem I can not be sure.
The best way to describe the sound was as if a bearing was siezing up .

JasonWho · Jun 20, 2004

pdiddy · Jun 20, 2004

Everything with the kick starter seems fine. I shut the bike off and then started it no problem, it just was making some interesting noises. Tonight I tightened it some with the hex screw that is at the base of the kickstarted.

I read the Fredette tip on oil and it has about a quart of Bel-Ray light gear oil in it (75w I think) in it. I am not talking about the normal noisy KDX transmission noise. A sqealing noise. The guys I was with thought that the coolant around the cylinder was starting to boil, causing the noise. I did check the amount of coolant in my overflow bottle and it was full.

know_fear · Jun 20, 2004

When my '02 220 was new it had the same symptoms while I was out on the very first ride. I knew it wasn't normal so I cut the ride short and had the dealer strip down the started mechanism (on warranty). The said that everything inside was normal and that I just wasted some of they're shop time but it never happened again so I was happy.
I would experiment with different tranny oils but if that doesn't work, dissasemble and re-assemble. Good luck.

pdiddy · Jun 20, 2004

But if it is transmission problems, how come the bike shifts normally and runs fine, aside from the noise? And the noise does build. I could hear it starting very quietly and it would slowly get louder.

Ugh........I dont want to tear it apart............

dsndblm · Jun 20, 2004

Unfortunately there isnt a whole lot to do other than taking it apart to see what the problem is if oil and oil level changes change anything.

You could have a bearing going out somewhere that is making the noise. The bearing could be bad and not yet putting enough load on the bike to be noticed, other than the noise.

I still keep thinking about the kickstarter whacking you in the leg.... My 88 has a ratchet mechanism and a return spring for the kickstarter, Im sure yours is basically the same. Can you take off the cover on the left side of the engine and take a look at that stuff? How did the oil in the trans look? Any chuncks of metal?

Knobbyjake · Jun 21, 2004

"Strange Squealing noise " >>>" pdiddy" :think: hmmmm, maybe it was all your adoring fans! :laugh: ;)

canyncarvr · Jun 21, 2004

There are a couple of things that can make noises in the kicker assy...and yours isn't the only one asked about recently.

I wondered about the 'squeal' description last time. It's usually more of a ratcheting noise...which I guess could be 'squeally' depending on pitch.

If you kicker was thrashing around it's a pretty good guess it's a kicker assy problem. I wouldn't call that a 'transmission' failure.

I've read a good number of these, especially on new bikes (yours is an '04, so it's certainly not an OLD bike). My riding buddy's did the same thing. If it goes away, don't worry about it.

If it don't, take the RH cover off and look for a problem with the spring return part of the kicker.

levert · Jun 21, 2004

Have seen bikes with low transmission oil make a loud skreeching noise.I'm not sure but is 75wt the correct viscosity?
There is only two springs in the assembly, a return spring and one to keep the ratchet gears apart.Possibly the return spring popped out of its locator hole?Sometimes kicking hard right to the bottom against the foot peg might cause this.

dsndblm · Jun 21, 2004

Re: My previous post. Remove the RIGHT cover. I was thinking about the problems that I had with my KTM 495, sorry.

dan1608 · Jun 21, 2004

My sons 2003 220 did the exact same thing you are describing two weeks ago. When I got home I changed the trans oil and rode up and done the block a couple of times. No problem. I'm itching to get out in the woods and see if it's gone. I was glad to hear this has happened to others and has not turned out to be serious (fingers crossed). I'm thinking low transmission oil.

JasonWho · Jun 21, 2004

Strange Squealing noise

Similar Topics

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency