09 RS Venture GT Noise & Vibration

[nnovak]

I just bought a 2009 RS Venture GT and took it for a 810 mile ride. The dealer set up the suspension wrong in everyway. I had to use my friends spanner wrenchs because my sled tool kit did not provide any shock tools. Did this sled come with a spanner wrench? I have adjusted the suspension in everyway and I now like the ride and handling. I would have liked the drivers seat area a little larger, I find myself sitting on the ridge between driver and passenger seat area. At the end of the day I was frustrated by the high pitch noise, I believe was coming from the stock track. I wore ear plugs it was so loud, if anyone was working in a factory with this amount of noise you would be required to wear hearing protection. I didn't see any decals plastered on this sled warning me that I would suffer hearing loss riding between 30 MPH to 60 MPH. I found that if I took my helmet off the noise was more tolerant with my ear plugs still in. I have an HJC Helmet and the high pitch sound radiates inside the Helmet. Does anyone know of a sound proof Helmet or one that is very quiet ? I might have to go to a beaver cap and goggles with ear plugs to continue riding this sled. I also experienced my fingers a little numb at the end of the day from the vibration coming off the hand grips. I will purchase better padded gloves and I can tollerate that. I bought this 4- stroke for the motor reliability. I'm tired of rebuilding blown 2-strokes. I ride a lot of big lakes and this 4-stroke motor looks to be the answer. I like this sled and and want to keep it. But I have to do something about the noise or I'm going to be deaf. I did check and adjust track tension twice. I noticed a large empty chamber looking down into where the back rest mounts are coming out of. I was thinking of filling any voids up with expandable foam under the seat to fill any echo chambers. Does anyone have any better ideas. I'm open for suggestions.

 

[True Blue]

First of all please fill in your profile info.

You will enjoy once you get it dialed in. I never found any more harmonic noise than any other sled just a little track howl and that is
common with Yamaha and i can't comment over other brands. Maybe Hondo or some of the higher milage guys can help you out just do a search on his name and you will find lots of info.

TB

 

[nnovak]

Track Noise

10-4 I updated my profile, Thanks for the tip. Do you have any recommendations on a good helmet to stop the track noise. I have ridden sleds all my life and never had track noise bother me this bad. but until now I never owned a 1.25 x 144 Ripsaw track. I like the bite on the snow and the ride of a long track but I have to do something different to tollerate the noise I'm hearing. Thanks for your reply !

 

[pat the rat]

don forget that you dont hear the engine much now with these quiet 4s,before on my older 2s all i would hear was the motor,i say this cuz i drove an old vmax 700 triple the other day,and i couldnt believe how noisy it was,even if it did had track howl,you would never notice it cuz the motor is so loud

 

[nnovak]

Your right about that, The engine is quiet. with the ear plugs in I can hear the motor pure like a race car, that would never get annoying. With the big windsheild blocking wind it is also keeping the track noise from blowing back to the rear. Maybe a big sheep skin rug drapped over the entire seat and snaped to the edge of the floorboards would quiet it down. So what if I look like Grizzly Adams it may be more enjoyable to ride a quiet sled. My ears are still ringing.

 

[VentureGT]

I ride a 2007 that was my complaint also. Get used to it, nothing you can do.

 

[hondo]

Here are some links for additional information:

http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=71553

http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?p=616493#616493

There is a very fine tune balance that needs to be found with this sled.

Make small adjustments to find the "sweet spot".

As far as harmonics it seems everyone has their own tolerance level.

In my opinion the 2009 RS Venture GT is not nearly as helmet splittting as the older RS chassis sleds.

I also have worn wear ear plugs for years and feel comfortable wearing them.

Hope this helps!

 

[Vectornut]

I have the same noise on my 05 Vector ER and thought, early-on, that it was the motor but found it was the track making all that racket. Like Hondo, I use ear plugs and all you hear is that beautiful motor humming along. But, I have always used earplugs in the past. Even on my prior Polaris sleds. Mike Hayden, Eden, Vt.

 

[nnovak]

Thanks for the input. I thought I may have bought a lemon, I guess I will have to live with it like everyone else. Ear plugs from now.

 

[studdog]

These sleds are crazy noisey at speed. Apexs are as well. Yamaha b illed them as quieter. BS BS BS. Of all the areas they could improve this sled noise is the biggest problem. I now have 5300 miles on mine. Great sled overall.

 

[Geezer 2]

noise

Shouldn't he be more concerned about the vibration of the bars making his fingers numb? That seems unusual to me. I don't get that.

Geezer

 

[chasedan]

I also noticed high noise level

I just completed a 230 mile run yesterday. I have a 2009 RS Venture GT. I noticed the track noise is at maximum when travelling on hard pack at exactly 50 mph. If I am over or under 50 mph the noise level drops off considerably.
It seems like there's some natural acoustic resonance occuring at 50 MPH that shouldn't be too hard to discover and adjust. I believe it may have something to do with the vibration of the jack shaft driving the track and the natural acoustic frequency of the track tunnel. The vibration causes the tunnel to howl or resonate, similar to the effect observed when you rub your wetted finger around the rim of a partially filled water glass.
By changing the natural acoustic frequency of the tunnel, the speed at which high noise level max'es out should change. I would expect that by bolting on some weight to the tunnel that the resonant frequency would change causing the speed at which the high noise occurs to change. I don't yet know how much weight to attach and I don't yet know the best place to attach the weight(s).
Snow conditions in Northern MN deteriorated badly today. Temps were in the high 40's and low 50's F. Anybody want to give this test a try? You will have firmly attach weight to the side of the tunnel, say 10 lbs per side and observe the speed at which the highest noise occurs.

 

[studdog]

Sorry I can't help you with the vibration issues. I don't have that problem. george

 

[shed]

i don't think adding weight to the tunnel will stop the reasonant vibration
i have the noise on my first run out (no snow)
and the same noise when i have 20pounds of snow and ice built up inside the tunnel.
it is just a combination, of the clutch, track, engine and frame
i hear mine cycling up quicker from 30mph, up to a constant hum at exactly 53 mph then cycling again above 55.
it is the most annoying thing about this sled.
mine is a 151" track

 

[Sasquatch]

I have a AC Pantera that would drive you up the wall at 25 to 35 mph. I believe its the wheels running over the track lugs that causes the harmonics but have no proof of this. I've been told that the quiet track used on Cats works quite well. If so I hope all tracks soon come that way.

I hated riding on tight trails because of it. Any other speed it was fine. Only fix I found was don't drive at that speed. LOL