QuestionHi Jim. I am hearing a rubbing/grinding noise coming from the front wheel
especially in higher gear. One repair shop thought it was related to
brake/rotors and after an adjustment it was no different. Another repair
person thought that it was due to the speedometer cable to the gear changer
(?) to the front wheel. He lubricated this connection and though it is a bit
better it still has this rubbing grinding noise present at the higher (3 and
above) gears. Can you advise me? Would spraying WD-40 onto the area
where the cable connects be a useful attempt? Thanks in advance.
AnswerIt's probably the speedometer cable. You can lube it with some general purpose grease or you can just replace it. They are not expensive. The too ends screw off pretty easily. If you want to lube it, remove the cable and clean it first (with some WD-40 and maybe some compressed air). Then pack it with grease.
If that doesn't fix it then the problem may be the speedometer itself. It's a sealed unit but you can try putting a drop or two of light machine oil (not WD-40 which is a solvent but more like 4 in 1 oil) into the cable hole (you'll probably need to remove the speedometer to turn it over for this). Let the oil ooze into the hole and get to the bearing. Let it sit overnight if you have to.
Finally if that doesn't fix it, I would look at the front bearing.
I would start by putting the bike on the center stand and supporting the front wheel off the ground.
Rotate the front wheel and listen for noise. I doubt your noise is the brake rotor since the brake rotor usually gets quieter as you go faster.
You may want to remove the brake caliper from the fork (let it rest on a coat hanger).
Rotate the wheel without the caliper and listen for any grinding noise or any places where it might hangup. We are checking that the front bearing is in good shape.
