[brwk]

02 FLHTCUI, V&H Basic slipons.
"Chirping" noise at idle and up to 2200 rpm.
Not loud just annoying to me. Belt and Primary adjusted. Another set of muffs installed. "Chirping" now a little less after new muffs. Still can hear this at idle and low speed. I guess at higher speeds the "chirping" is drown out. Also checked for birds...none found.
brian

 

[JimmyK]

If you want to run a quick test to isolate the cause try this.

With the bike running, hit the two clamps that hold the mufflers to the rails with some WD40. If it quiets down, it is your clamp bolts.

If that is the case, then let the bike cool down. Remove the muffler bolts, dip in lock tight, and secure em well.

 

[brwk]

Thanks, I'll try that when I get home. Also, I was thinking that it might be a poor seal at the joint.
brian

 

[JimmyK]

That could be as well. One thing, the V&H clamps that come with the mufflers are NOT as good as the stock clamps that came with the bike. If you still have the original clamps you may want to put them back on.

Let us know what ya find.

 

[brwk]

OK....Not the:heat shields, clamps, joints, bolts, baffles, 2nd set of pipes. Sound coming from back of muffs. Maybe my ears are too good, for my friends don't here anything annoying but my whining
Seems to be the loudest when cold. Don't hear it when above 2100 rpm.

 

[brwk]

Just got off the phone with HD. I confirmed what I was hearing to be true and unfortunately my ears can hear it. I was told that any free flowing, open baffle muff would have the potential of one hearing this noise. Now I'm screwed because I can't stand the noise but I want the "good" sounds. So I guess I'm stuck with getting the touring muffs. Hope they are a little bit louder than stock.
I'll honk my horn so you know I'm passing through. <G>
brian

 

[JimmyK]

Check out the Sampsons.

 

[HIPPO]

Did you try to squirt some silicone into the muffler bearings?

No $hit, the two little rubber hangers with a plate going thru them that hold the canisters up at the very rear of the bike.

If the silicone makes the noise go away replace them. The plate with the two bolts also has to be centered in the hanger, if the canister is in too far or not enough they make all sorts of noise.

 

[brwk]

HIPPO....
Tried silicone on the rubber hangers, all other clamps, moved shields, kicked the tires. Put stock muffs back on and the sound is still there but at a lower frequency due to being muffled. It's coming from the motor area and many have told me that their bikes do the same thing. Much worse when cold and lightens up a little when warm. Also above 2100 rpms it goes away. Had 2 wrenches tell me that..."yup, that's how they sound". How could the Moto Co put out something that has the potential of really annoying people? Ok...you don't have to answer that. The Moto Co told me to have a shop listen to it. The Moto Co knew what I was talking about but of course wouldn't tell me what was causing the noise, God forbid they admit to something. At this point I don't really care who pays for it...I just want to know if I can fix it. These Touring Muffs really $UCK.
Brian

 

[ajaxn47]

I have a 2002 Twin 88 and occassionally hear a "chirp" normally after a quick rev and release on the throttle. It isn't consistently heard and not annoying. I didn't hear it until I removed the baffles from the stock mufflers. It is definitely is related to a a quick drop off in engine speed for me but is seldom heard. If you are hearing the chirpping noise to the point of being annoying it may not be the same as what I have experienced.

 

[HIPPO]

Well, I'm pretty deaf in particular when it comes to high pitched sounds (like some female voices for example), so I'm probably not much help.

If you really have gone thru it systematically, there have been some discussions in the past by people that should be in the know that it may have something to do with the antireversion step in the exhaust port, and I suppose it could even be related to the Y pipe protrusion that varies from bike to bike.

The reason I don't hear it could just as well be that we mostly run bikes with ported heads and 2 into 1 exhaust systems, in fact the only stock bike I have any long term data from is my own. Would be a pricey experiment though.

Why don't you try to run the thing with all the heatshields removed and it might point you in one direction or the other, if it bothers you that much.

 

[HIPPO]

Other ideas would be to remove the pipes and see if there isn't any protrusion into the port at the exhaust manifold gaskets, and check the mounting brackets at the trapdoor and the starter bolts for tightness.

Sometimes the exhaust system can also get mounted under tension and resonate in strange ways, and in extreme cases develop miniature cracks.

 

[04FLHTC]

I hear the chirp too 01 FLHT/V&H

Brwk,

Yep, I'm in the same boat. I especially hear it when I go over bridges. I've got a 2001 FLHT with the V&H basic slip ons. The pipes sound great, but I'm with you on the chirp. I'm going to try some of Hippo's suggestions and see what happens. Like you, none of my friends hear it either. I'm not too concerned. It's a pain in the butt to pull those mufflers on and off, and the factory mufflers are NOT going back on. I'll just turn the stereo up! I would be interested to know what you find.

Fastlane

 

[brwk]

Sorry I haven't been around but I'm having trouble at work getting into this site. I had the same issue last time then all of a sudden it came back. Everything loads but the stuff on the left to get around in here and the above buttons don't work. At home and with IE, it works. ANYWAY.....
Stock mufflers still have the sound but muffled.
Took heat shield off, sprayed everything.
Couldn't stand the quiet so put on a set of Touring muffs (actually after 1500 miles they are getting louder).
Noise is coming from the engine for sure.
Noise does quiet down after warmed up.
Noise is not as annoying and at a lower frequency with the touring muffs.
Took the bike to 2 trusted wrenches and they both said that the 02's sound just like my bike and the Ultra's are worse due to the lower fairing that bounces the noise back up to your ears.
V&H are making a new slipon for the 02 touring bikes with a new part number and a new baffle. I bet the baffle quiets down the noise when it goes through the new baffle.
I was told here and by the shop that they bet if I put SE heads on the noise would go away. The shop hasn't tried it yet and are waiting the V&H to get in (they are really really back ordered).

It just kind of stinks. I can get by with the touring muffs but I don't like it at all. I won't drop the subject and will keep on trying and thanks to all for your help.
brian

 

[Texxen]

I have to bring this back up...was hoping to see an answer. I have V&H StraightShots..chirp real bad all the time at lower RPM's. I guess I'll have to diagnose this myself. Took out the slip-in baffles,checked torque on clamps,nothing changed yet. If I find anything I'll let everybody know.

 

[cox9000]

I'm looking forward to hearing an answer (the cause) to this problem. This has been an interesting and educational thread.

 

[solo ryder]

I have an 02 R.K.C. with the same chirp. Its only at idle & worse when cold. I've checked everything. My stealer told me that he has heard it before on F.I. bikes only. He thinks it might be in the injection system but is not sure. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[brwk]

Many, many have the "noise" but no one has the "fix".

Brian

 

[Antonio Pendejo]

My '03 Ultra has the same VW exhaust chirp. It did it stock, it still does it after the stage 1 with Kerker mufflers. The Kerkers even have a 2" to 1.250" reducer in them at the tail end for backpressure, but they still sound like a VW with a bad muffler. I can only hear it at idle. Friends '03 RK with BB 95, 203 cams, and Supertrapp E mufflers has the same VW sound.

 

[Miles Luchtenbu]

Wow...I just found this site after suffering with the same noise myself. I have tried everything on my '02 Road King and now my FLHT to stop the sounds, but nothing helps. I have a big bore kit, hooker muflers, thunder slide, high comp pistons and module. My new FLHT sounds the same as the Road King and having to listen to rattling coming from the back of this bike while cruising makes me start to think a Honda might be in my future.
Is this a problem with all twin cams, and is the factory aware of it? Maybe they think their buyers are so old they can't hear it anyway! I have to take it to the dealor for the 1000 mi., and am going to tell them to fix it or keep it. I've spent 20k + on something that bugs the s**t out of me.
Good luck with yours, I'll let you know of any success I might have with mine.
Thanks,
Miles