I was riding home on Friday night, through Downtown San Fran, and everwhere there are these metal gratings over the sewers but they are huge, like 10 feet long and 6 ft wide. Everytime I go over these, I can feel my tires sliding around like a car on ice. Is there a way to stabilize myself over these grates, also the train tracks are just as bad? Also I thought I heard my engine making a huge loud noise, and then I started noticing people looking at me and some would yell. Am I just being paranoid or is this just the sound of Helmet wind? I stopped and looked back at my exhaust to see if there was any smoke coming out. There was none, so I classified this noise as wind hitting the helmet, and the people yelling at me being ********. Sound about right? The sound I heard was a BOP BOP BOP sound, not very fast but like a heartbeat, only around 1 and 2nd gear.

 

Sorry I haven't got a clue about the noise. As for the riding on the metal drains, I always try to avoid the drain covers we have in England in the middle of the roads as with the metal you're highly likely to slide if it's wet and to a degree if it's dry. If you have no choice about going over them then it's best to sit upright & keep your feet on the pegs to help the bike balanced. Try not to make sudden movements if possible and be gentle on your brakes. Thou the best thing to do is just avoid them whenever possible.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Just thinking about the noise actually, where abouts is it coming from? Does it by any chance sound like it's in front of where you sit and down and to the right?

 

The sound may be an exhaust backfire, could be why people are looking at you.

 

It sounded like it was coming from the stator cover, but It could have been on the description of the place you said, bottom right of the cockpit (a.k.a.) the seat.

 

do you have a pipe if you have an after market pipe and no jet kit that could be the sound

 

pipe is stock, the noise has turned into a clicking sound that is insync with the idle rumble, any ideas? When I had a Ford Probe and I blew it up, someone said the lifters were messed up and it was making a loud cracking sound, eventually the noise became extremely loud and one of the pistons shot thru the hood of my car, maybe thats why they were discontinued? I just don't want a piston to shoot out of my bike because it's going to take my leg with it!