Noise level with a Delite?

[Alanzo]

Wondering if anyone else with a Delite has frame vibration noise when riding on rough pavement. After several weeks on the road I began noticing a higher noise level when pedaling on rough roads. Lot of cracked road pavement in my local area

I did a google search for noise with the Gates belt drive and added a minimal amount of RC heavy duty Silicone spray lubricant to the underside of the belt. This helped to reduce the amount of noise to some degree. When I ride over smooth pavement, no noise. I cannot figure out what the noise may be as it sounds similar to rubbing metal or plastic. I have checked everything imaginable with the bike when on a work stand I cannot find anything loose or with metal contacting metal surface near the bearings in back of the bosch motor. Ik see nothing unusual. Thought the noise might have been the Arbus loc. I added a velcro stop with a layer of rubber between the rear rack and lock which made no difference.

Is it possible this frame design with dual suspension will always be a noise maker on rough roads? Other than the noise it's an excellent bike. Hoping there is an easy fix to reduce what I hear while spinning on rough pavement.

 

[mglennp]

was in LBS the other day watching the mechanic pull the motor on a new bike, apply grease to where the motor & bolts contact the frame...he said that it stops the noise that shows up after one or two hundred miles...

 

[Rider777]

I ride a 2020 Delite Touring now with about 4500 total miles and the only noise I hear is the kickstand rattle over medium or larger bumps.
I did the drill a hole, tap and attach an old piece of tire which works for about 200 miles until the kickstand chews it’s way thru it and then I install a new piece.
Other than that the Schwalbe Super Moto (not the X) tire tread pattern does produce a noticeable vibration at different speeds but doesn’t bother me.
I would classify the bike as a smooth vibration free (other than the tire issue mentioned above) ride .
Oh and I removed the fenders as they were prone to produce a vibration that I didn’t like.

 

[Alanzo]

was in LBS the other day watching the mechanic pull the motor on a new bike, apply grease to where the motor & bolts contact the frame...he said that it stops the noise that shows up after one or two hundred miles...

Thanks for the feedback. I get the bike serviced in a couple months and will mention this to the dealer if I continue to notice noise after a secure the kickstand.

 

[Alanzo]

I ride a 2020 Delite now with about 4500 total miles and the only noise I hear is the kickstand rattle over medium or larger bumps.
I did the drill a hole, tap and attach an old piece of tire which works for about 200 miles until the kickstand chews it’s way thru it and then I install a new piece.
Other than that the Schwalbe Super Moto (not the X) tire tread pattern does produce a noticeable vibration at different speeds but doesn’t bother me.
I would classify the bike as a smooth vibration free (other than the tire issue mentioned above) ride .
Oh and I removed the fenders as they were prone to produce a vibration that I didn’t like.

Thanks Rider777 After your post I searched for other posts with kickstand noise issue. Very helpful!

 

[Alanzo]

I learned other people on this forum had similar issues with kickstand noise and saw the psted photos and videos.

My fix was similar. Drill and tap a small hole in the kickstand. Cut a small strip of rubber with a small hole in the center for the stainless steel screw. The lower portion of the kickstand also rattled. I placed a very small bead of epoxy in the open gap of the metal.

There is no more rattle or metal wiggle coming from the kickstand.

 

[Jay Kay]

I have had no noise issues on the 2020 Delite I had for a year, nor on my SD Mountain which I have had for 5 months. I ride mostly off-road single track so it can get rough at times.

On the kickstand, my wife's Homage suffered from it, but my Delite didn't - quiet a ghost for the year I had it despite the punishment. This all points to inconsistent quality control during manufacture as clearly when working as intended the designs work, its just some with defects (for whatever reason) slip through the quality-control nets.

I don't think R&M have nailed quality control yet.

 

[Alanzo]

Jay,
After dialing in the kickstand I have had no noise issue.. Every bike I have owned required some fine tuning of the components. Overall the quality of the Delite is superb!