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Buzz Resolved/ Cowling /(Unexpected Culprit)

78K views 149 replies 90 participants last post by  BaileyMan 
#1 · (Edited)
I own a relatively new '09 model with only 1400 miles on it, and the dreaded harmonic buzz emanating from the cowling area at around 4500rpm has been active on this bike for about half its life.

This kind of thing DRIVES ME CRAZY!

I have owned previous bikes with harmonic buzzing, and I've always been able to find and fix the source.

I almost gave up on finding the buzz on this Versys, but after a lot of effort I was successful.

The search process started as usual, trying to physically touch and thus quiet the offending piece while riding. Next, I tried revving the bike while parked to try and identify the buzz.

I could not find the buzz. Frustrating...

Next, I tried to be unorthodox, and applied Dynamat to the upper-inside of the gauge cowling, as well as the insides of the side-front cowlings. I went out and test rode the bike. Result, I wasted $20 on Dynamat.





So, the cowlings came off again. I started rapping lightly on the metal cowling/gauge frame with a rubber mallet. I could hear the instrument gauge unit buzzing lightly each time I did this. However, touching the gauges while rapping did not reduce the buzz.

This is an "AH-HA! I GOT YOU NOW, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!" moment.

The buzz is coming from INSIDE the instrument gauge unit.

So, I removed the headlight to access removal of the gauge housing.





Then I removed the 9 screws on the back side of the gauge housing. Don't be afraid to do this. It is very easy and nothing falls apart or is difficult to put back together. No seals are broken either, so no worries.



I found 2 possible buzz sources inside the housing.

The first source is less likely, but I fixed it anyway; the white face of the gauges "floats" on top of the inner gauge body without really being very secure, even when it is sandwiched between the top and bottom of the gauge cases, so it still has a slight gap around most of its outer edge. I fixed this potential buzz source by minimally tack welding the white gauge-face edges to the inner gauge body using superglue. Easy, and I can easily use a razor to break the bond if I need to replace bulbs later.



The second possible buzz source was definitely causing most, if not all of the gauge buzzing. Looking at the picture below, you will see the two housings for the "Mode" and "Reset" micro-switches. The little "X"-looking pieces inside the round tube of the switch housing have too much free-play inside the round tubes. When the bike engine revs, the "X" pieces rattle against the inside of the round switch tubes.



So, I found the main buzz problem, but how did I fix it without affecting the performance of the two switches? That is the question.

The answer; with 2 small pieces of 1/4" heat-shrink tubing, slid between the "X" portion of the switch and the inner wall of the round switch housing. Looking at the picture below, you will see the top switch has the shrink tubing already installed, and the lower switch still needs to have the shrink tubing slid down into place. The shrink tubing must be cut short enough to allow the switches to function. If the shrink tubing is too tall it will limit switch function. Once the tubing was in place I heated it a little to keep it there. There is still enough play in the switch, but the "X" no longer rattles in the round switch housing.



So, I put the gauge unit back together, and tested the "Mode" and "Reset" switches before I installed the gauge unit. I reassembled everything else to the bike. A test ride revealed that I had indeed fixed the problem. No more buzzing, just the ability to enjoy the sound of the engine. :cheers:

If you want to test this potential buzzing source on your bike, try holding these switches down simultaneously while riding and hearing the buzz. If the noise stops, you know how to fix it.
 
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#70 ·
Well, I've been reading about the dreaded cowling buzz in the Versys now for the past two years. I wondered whether perhaps I was just deaf after 20+ years of working in my woodworking/cabinet/furniture business as I hadn't heard anything that detracted from my auditory enjoyment of riding my 08 Versys. Apparently time finally caught up with me after 32k miles on the bike, and I developed the rattle on my recent ride to Zihuatanejo. At first I thought something was going horribly wrong with the bike, but soon found it to just be a harmonic vibration coming from the front end. [*sigh of relief*] I didn't take the instrument cluster apart to insulate the two switches, but started with the standard foam insulation as detailed here and in other reports. I also used the stick-on velcro as an insulator between the black plastic instrument surround and the side farings, and having broken one of the plack plastic connectors between these two parts when removing them, I replaced those with a bolt, lockwasher, and nut. Problem solved. I really appreciate this forum, the wealth of knowledge collectively embodied in all the posters, and their willing to share said knowledge. This is a great online community. :cheers:
 
#71 · (Edited)
Anyone try this?

I just bought a 2008 with the buzzing at full volume, I am getting a used inner cowling and will shoot Gatorhyde front and back, it will give it a slight textured look but I figure I won't be trying to keep tape in place.

Thought it would be interesting to see if it works as I have access to the Gatorhyde, we use it to make bumpers for large trucks but it is just spray bed-liner material.

Kevin
 
#72 ·
One other solution exists that I have not seen mentioned....New exhaust! :)

It either somehow changes the harmonics, drowns out the buzz, or you're just paying so much attention to the sound of the exhaust that you don't notice it anymore...what ever it is, I no longer hear the buzz that had re-developed in the 4000-5000 RPM range a few weeks ago. :D
 
#78 ·
I found applying a short piece (width of tab) of foam tape to the top side of the tab - see circled tab in picture, eliminated 80% of my very loud buzzing. Note the picture shows the underside of this panel, not the top side where the tape goes. This prevents the noise generated by the tab shaking in the slot it goes into.

Note used weather stripping, adhesive backed, foam tape.
 

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#79 ·
Thanks for the drinking straw idea + OP...almost all my buzzing has gone now. I checked the bike while progressively removing plastics, still buzzy, so whipped off the insturment cluster. Short of popping the circuit board to fix whatever rattles around under there I think I've gone as far as I can go
 
#80 ·
Can anyone let me know if this buzz problem exists for the 2010-2011 models? I just picked up a 2011 and want to know if I should expect this to occur
 
#83 ·
Just adding to the miriad of fixes for this.

My buzz was right around 45mph. After that, it went away. The motor just found a certain frequency with the frame I suppose. My radiator guard was vibrating against my crash guards. It had caused some damage to the plastic by the time I found it. Some velcro between the two solved the problem. No more buzz.
 
#86 ·
Headlight Reflector...



Yes, Sadly...one of too many sourses to buzz on my 09, was inside the headlight... like I posted at #46 in this thread, one of bolts that holds the reflector , not the adjusters but the other one needed a nut ,it was stripped ,and it was hard to do...after 15,000 miles ...I give up :confused: I do love this Versys ...it's such a fun bike...cheap thrills...:cheers:
 

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#85 ·
Mine has a bit of a buzz but I haven't taken the time to investigate the source yet. One thing I did discover last night is that the windscreen was mounted incorrectly. It was mounted directly against the brackets and the rubber isolator/bushings were used as washers on the back side, under the acorn nut. I corrected that but haven't taken it out to see if that makes any difference. At the least, it'll probably save me a stress crack down the line.
 
#88 ·
380 miles and the buzz has arrived. Just did the basics I would do to any new bike within the first few weeks of ownership: went over it with a torque wrench and the shop manual.

I checked torque on all the engine mounts, sub-frame fasteners, footpeg mounting plates, upper/lower triple clamps, axle pinch bolt, calipers, sprocket nuts, brake disk mounting bolts and everything else I could access......including the exhaust. That was loose.

Head pipes required roughly 1-2/3 turns before the torque wrench clicked off.
The headpipe-muffler clamp wasn't doing anything. 3-1/2 full turns before the torque wrench clicked.

Will that cure the buzz, unlikely, but I've at least eliminated those items as variables. I'll see what happens next ride.
 
#89 ·
Just repaired mine. The buzz was consistent around 3K RPM and the culprit was the tab that mounts into the the top of the headlight cover to keep the the instrument cowling in place. A 1/4 piece of foam rubber where the tab inserts does the trick. I have to admit that the repair which is the subject of this thread seems too elaborate but I'm sure it's possible there are other sources that can buzz. Just seems pretty minor compared to what I experienced.
 
#93 ·
I did the straw fix before and it seemed to work....for a few hundred miles. Then the buzz returned, though not as loud this time. This tab was my suspicion, so off came the fairings again, and I shoved a rubber washer between it and the headlight plastic, and it seems like the buzz is gone again!
 
#91 ·
Dug deep into the spedo to attack the buzzzzzzz

I dug deep into the spedometer for my own sanity and resolved the "baby rattle" noise that was driving me crazy. See pictures. If you gently pry the tachometer needle off and use a flat head screwdriver under the plastic plate you can view almost everything, unfortunately this didn't uncover any thing. As a last resort I took out the dremel tool and cut away the top right corner of the plastic that encases the LCD. Still didn't see anything, and rattle still persisted. However; as I was shaking it, and thankfully I held it just right and the noise stopped. For some reason if you pinch the top and bottom towards each other it must snug up the LCD in some way. I took some gorilla tape and a screw for good measure and wrapped the tape which applies pressure "simulates pinching the top and bottom of the spedo" and problem solved. I think I had to cut away all the plastic for it to flex enough and create the solution. I know this is a bold move and you risk breaking the spedo doing this, but my sanity was on the line!

Combine this with the straw idea around the pushbuttons, the weather stripping in various spots and I finally have a quite ride, even with the givi windshield on, I once again love my Versys. Hopefully all the pics load!
 

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#122 ·
I dug deep into the spedometer for my own sanity and resolved the "baby rattle" noise that was driving me crazy. See pictures. If you gently pry the tachometer needle off and use a flat head screwdriver under the plastic plate you can view almost everything, unfortunately this didn't uncover any thing. As a last resort I took out the dremel tool and cut away the top right corner of the plastic that encases the LCD. Still didn't see anything, and rattle still persisted. However; as I was shaking it, and thankfully I held it just right and the noise stopped. For some reason if you pinch the top and bottom towards each other it must snug up the LCD in some way. I took some gorilla tape and a screw for good measure and wrapped the tape which applies pressure "simulates pinching the top and bottom of the spedo" and problem solved. I think I had to cut away all the plastic for it to flex enough and create the solution. I know this is a bold move and you risk breaking the spedo doing this, but my sanity was on the line!

Combine this with the straw idea around the pushbuttons, the weather stripping in various spots and I finally have a quite ride, even with the givi windshield on, I once again love my Versys. Hopefully all the pics load!
I did almost the same thing, except i didn't cut away any material, i found that the source of this buzz was a little clear plastic peice behind the lcd screen. you can barely get to it through the plastic surrounding the backside of the screen. my guess is that it is meant evenly distributes the backlight for the lcd screen. all i did was let a little superglue drip in the holes in the plastic speedo housing (where the back side of the LCD screen is) then i just held it so that the glue would run along the edges, seems to work pretty well. and my guess is that they were supposed to be held on from that factory and maybe the glue holds on some bikes and not others. it seems like a hard job, but it really wasn't, if i had to do it again i would guess it would take about less than an hour from start to finish. most of that would be spent removing and installing the speedo on the bike.
 
#94 ·
Brave Man...Mattsterofall...

Yeah , while my straw mod operation was a success, I considered your option for 2 days...staring at it...shaking it... cussing at it...:mad:,however, I could not chance the possibility of breaking the speedo... so I put it back on and now that I have seen your very informative post and photos...:thumb: I think a surgery is in order...Operation Baby Rattle...Damn you Kawasaki...
 
#95 ·
Yes, I misunderstood my wife when she said she found an after market Spedo for $100.00, so I thought what's the worst, I'm out 100 bucks if I break it, then I buy the after market and good to go. Wrong! Found out after I did the modification that it is actually closer to $500 and requires a new harness to be soldered on and a new way to mount it. False sense of security, Glad I didn't break it! Thankfully as you will see from the photos no electrical componets or wires run in the whole area that was removed. I used the dremel tool to make X cuts, then a needle nose pliers to twist the chunks of plastic off (you will notice the jagged eges to the open areas). Just remove a little bit at a time. Actually it wasn't that bad once I got into it (shouldn't have to though - Damn it Kawasaki is right!), and like I said something had to be done for my sanity. Good luck if you attempt it, start by cutting out the very corner, just don't cut the green board or too close to the LCD (about 1/4 inch under is good).
 
#98 ·
Ok so I removed the fairings again and tried to find the source of the buzz.

I removed the instrument cluster, shook it like hell, but no buzz.

I did the same with the headlight unit, but again no buzz.

So I began tapping everything on the front end of my bike (because I know it's coming from somewhere at the front), and finally found a new source of buzz that I haven't heard about before: the coolant reservoir.

I found that just shifting the tubes that are jammed between the reservoir and the bike helped get rid of any buzz when I tapped it again. So back on came the fairings and sure enough, no buzz!

We'll see if it lasts.
 
#99 · (Edited)
New 2011 here with a console buzz at 2500 to 3500 rpm. Went for a 5hr ride today and it started at about 320 miles.

Dove into tearing down the front end and the instrument gauge. nothing rattles when shaken but i went ahead and did the "button fix" with heat shrink.
Of note, The white face plate on mine was tacked down already and not free floating as the OPs was. I also put thin sticky foam on all the contact areas around the headlight bezel.

I just put the spedo and head light back on and will ride in the a.m. to isolate the buzz before adding the rest of the console and fairings.

Hoping for a buzz free ride tomorrow.

Sean
:confused:

EDIT:

Found a fix for my buzz!!!! Wrote it up here!
http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18897
 
#100 ·
Rubber Mount Cowling Bracket...



Great photos and post :thumb: On my 2009 ...23,000 miles...after stuffing and shimming foam on everything many times...:confused: I have found the best result was to rubber mount the whole headlight and cowling bracket...yes...the metal tubing that holds all the front plastic that bolts to the steering tube on the frame with 2 bolts...spread the mount apart...place 1/8 rubber gasket shims ...with bolt holes...in between the frame post and cowling bracket...and tighten the bolts just a little to isolate the frame buzz from transfering to the bracket...also the one that bolts to the frame on the right side behind the coolant bottle...brilliant motorcycle ...but the buzzing is getting on my nerves...:cheers:
 

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