(edit) MYSTERY SOLVED Cold weather makes your tires hum while cornering????

[Leskid]

(edit) it was just cupping, as a few of you mentioned. For other forum noobs like me, explanation and links are on next page

I searched the site and can't find anything close on this one:

I rode up to Mont Tremblant today and it was only 7 degrees celsius or 44 fahrenheit (it sounds so much warmer in fahrenheit). On the way home, when I'd lean the bike down into a curve, I kept hearing this very audible humming sound. Reminds me of the sound a car makes when you have a wheel bearing on it's way out. When I lean over either side, hummmmmmm. When straight, nice & quiet.

So I thought I have a bearing problem. There was a yamaha dealer en route so I pulled-in and asked the guy to check it out. Can't take more than an hour to swap out front bearings, right? He looked at my bearings, tire pressures & a couple of things and said everything is fine. My front brakes could use cleaning but he said that woudn't make the noise I'm talking about. He suggested that since it's friggen cold out, my tires are warm in the center and cold on the edges so they make different sounds...... :glare: (loud enough to hear with earplugs and make me stop riding 60 miles from home!!!!)

Front & rear rubber are nowhere near the wear bars. I shred rubber all the way to the edges all the time and have never noticed this before today. I have to admit, it was a pretty frosty ride today. But that explanation just doesn't make sense to me.

Thoughts? Anyone heard of this?

PS: One time, I reported a strange (to me) whizzing noise from my brakes just after I got the Feej. Warchild called me a ******** and said it was normal. I'd be thrilled to be called a ******** again, if this is nothing to worry about. Warchild?

 

[FJRay]

I am not Warchild but I will call you anything you like if it will help. :yahoo: :yahoo:

Depending on road conditions I will get tire noise. some times more on down hill. Maybe the diff in loading

 

[Knifemaker]

I I'd be thrilled to be called a ******** again, if this is nothing to worry about.

********.

My tires hum sometimes too, (I guess they don't know the words?)

Have not noticed it being tempature dependant however, always thought is was more a issue of the type of road surface.

KM

 

[Leskid]

Depending on road conditions I will get tire noise. some times more on down hill. Maybe the diff in loading

My tires hum sometimes too, (I guess they don't know the words?)
Have not noticed it being tempature dependant however, always thought is was more a issue of the type of road surface.

KM

Same roads I ride all the time. No difference in load. I always ride the same way (no bags) and the tire pressures were exactly where I always have 'em. Hmm

thanks!

 

[Bungie]

I rode up to Mont Tremblant today and it was only 7 degrees celsius or 44 fahrenheit (it sounds so much warmer in fahrenheit). On the way home, when I'd lean the bike down into a curve, I kept hearing this very audible humming sound. Reminds me of the sound a car makes when you have a wheel bearing on it's way out. When I lean over either side, hummmmmmm. When straight, nice & quiet.

********.

Seriously though I've never come across this one before. I know that your tires do make different noises depending on temperature but nothing like that. Are you sure somebody didn't drive a link belt down the road and scar the pavement recently? Is it still doing it on different roads? I guess you should be glad they don't sound like this: Tire noise that'll make you crazy

 

[08FJR4ME]

********,

My front tire was whistling dixie to me today!!! ;

Now on a serious note: I noticed the same thing today while I was weaving down the road. Every time i weaved left and right I would get a humming noise.

I must be humming ******** too!!! I am sure some will chime in and let me know.

 

[kaitsdad]

I knew a girl in high school that would hum...... :blink:

And for her I'd remove my earplugs.

 

[CrabbyJack]

I'm pretty sure it's your tires cupping. My OEM Bridgestones do that with only 4K miles on them and it doesn't need to be 44 deg.

 

[na1g]

Tire pressures drop in cold temperatures. Something like 1 psi for every 10 degrees F.

BTW, my Metzlers hum the Beach Boys' "I Get Around" in the summer and Dion's "Run Around Sue" in the winter.

pete

 

[FJaRlo]

Agree with Crabby Jack... the front tire is cupped. Had the same "front wheel bearing must be bad" feeling the first time this happened, on a set of Conti Road Attacks at ~4k miles. Guarantee it will go away with a new front tire. PR2s eventually did the same thing, although not quite as bad, at ~5k miles. Current Pirelli Angels STs show no signs of cupping at 4k miles...

 

[Leskid]

I'm pretty sure it's your tires cupping. My OEM Bridgestones do that with only 4K miles on them and it doesn't need to be 44 deg.

Agree with Crabby Jack... the front tire is cupped. Had the same "front wheel bearing must be bad" feeling the first time this happened, on a set of Conti Road Attacks at ~4k miles. Guarantee it will go away with a new front tire. PR2s eventually did the same thing, although not quite as bad, at ~5k miles. Current Pirelli Angels STs show no signs of cupping at 4k miles...

Eeeeenteresting,

If that's the case, I shouldn't bitch. I have 13000kms (8000 miles) on this front and I was impressed at how it was wearing (and sticking).

I thought cupping left visible 'swirl' marks on the tire though... think I'll spend some more time on google to see what I should look for.

 

[Leskid]

I rode up to Mont Tremblant today and it was only 7 degrees celsius or 44 fahrenheit (it sounds so much warmer in fahrenheit). On the way home, when I'd lean the bike down into a curve, I kept hearing this very audible humming sound. Reminds me of the sound a car makes when you have a wheel bearing on it's way out. When I lean over either side, hummmmmmm. When straight, nice & quiet.

********.

Seriously though I've never come across this one before. I know that your tires do make different noises depending on temperature but nothing like that. Are you sure somebody didn't drive a link belt down the road and scar the pavement recently? Is it still doing it on different roads? I guess you should be glad they don't sound like this: Tire noise that'll make you crazy

you *******! That stupid song will NOT stop playing in my head lately. We watched that episode last week, it got stuck in my head and just keeps playing over and over and over, even yesterday on my ride a few times.....

arrggh! No escaping it. You're off my xmas card list Steve

 

[Patriot]

******** ******** ********

Cold weather to this thin blooded deep southerner makes me do da hummin' to keep teeth from chatterin'

Tire sings "the wheels of the bus go round and roung"

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Bungie]

you *******! That stupid song will NOT stop playing in my head lately.

I know!

Rob and I spent a night in Weston WV on the way back from EOM. We were sitting around the hotel room and that episode came on. We were laughin' our ***** off at it. Next day, we were somewhere in Pennsylvania, stopped at a light, Rob pulls up beside me and goes ..

"Steve, have you heard? Bird is the word!"

Damn song was in my head for the rest of the ride home.

 

[HaulinAshe]

My '05 used to do exactly the same thing. The slightest cupping or tread pattern irregularity on the front would produce a distinctive hum, exactly as you described. I went so far as to change front wheel bearings just to make sure. It sounds JUST LIKE A BAD WHEEL BEARING, but it's not.

My '07 doesn't hum, instead it roars. Same cause, different effect.

Put the bike on the center stand, jack the front up slightly, lock the steering column, then use a belt sander to slightly resurface the tire tread pattern. The noise will go away for a while.

 

[Intech]

I left MA last Tuesday morning and it was 29.7 F (-1.3 C) and didn't hear any unusual tire noise. The song that was repeating in my head was "F**K IT' S COLD, F**K IT"S COLD...."

 

[Fred W]

I always just thought that was completely normal for a worn tire. It's your bike's way of telling you it's time to get online and order some new skins for it.

 

[chrisflock]

Your bike is trying to tell you that you are taking it too easy in the corners.

If you go faster, the annoying hum will be replaced with a pleasant screech.

And if the tires start to smoke and you smell burning rubber, that just means they're working.

 

[Leskid]

Your bike is trying to tell you that you are taking it too easy in the corners.
If you go faster, the annoying hum will be replaced with a pleasant screech.

And if the tires start to smoke and you smell burning rubber, that just means they're working.

No screeching sounds on pavement this cold, just the odd slip & slide. I just checked the weather in La Crosse. It's 1 degree warmer than here so I predict that if you leaned over much more than I was yesterday, the sounds you're most likely to hear are metal scraping & plastic shattering

Oh, and*: clicky

* nothing helps misery like spreading it around

But seriously, thanks to all for your experiences & insight. Glad to know there's nothing to worry about and I'm not nuts... about the bearing sound anyway.