[t-rav_12]

Sit on or stand next to your brand new R3. Enjoy the way it loox (you know it's beautiful). Now squeeze the front brake lever. Compress the forx a few times, listening carefully. Anything?
Mine does it, as does every other one at the dealership I bought from. My service guy emailed Yamaha, and so far, we all collectively agree that it's jus stiction.
Any thoughts?

 

[Xyzzy]

The easiest way to reproduce the sound is to push the bike forward, with no rider on it, and hit the brakes.

At first I thought the steering bearings were loose but I checked and they are tight.

I don't think it is stiction. It feels like a valve is opening and closing or something like that. I don't know enough about suspension internals to talk about it intelligently.

I cannot get it to make that sound while riding it. It only happens at the very top of the stroke of the forks.

 

[Navin]

It's just the floating front rotor. Nothing to worry about. Have a friend hold the rotor as you do it but don't cut his fingers off!!!

 

[Mase]

Interesting that my front end has just started doing this after 2400km. It definitely did not do this from the start. It seems to be getting worse as the days go on. I get a bit of a pop when I accelerate then decelerate sometimes when in traffic, and it isn't always dependent on braking, yet it still feels like it's coming from the brakes if that makes sense. Should I bother taking it back to the dealer?

 

[Stirz]

Some Showa forks will do the clunk thing due to the way the bushings are designed - the R3 bushings are similar, but that doesn't mean that's what's causing the issue. Mase, if it's getting noticeably worse, then yeah, take it to the dealer and let them check it out (be sure they can reproduce what you are experiencing). Please post up what you find out. Could be fork design, could be loose steering head, could be brake rotor - not sure.
Xyzzy - no valves in stock internals, so that's not it.

 

[Junpower]

I noticed this also and sat on 3 other bikes at the dealer with the same results. At home I checked for loose steering but it's just the shocks making that sound/feel.

 

[Cloud]

I realize I'm reviving this thread; I'm experiencing the same thing. Sometimes it'll do it at low speeds on uneven surfaces around town. Anybody else experiencing this and are you concerned? I don't think it's noticeable enough to warrant taking it in, but I don't want to ignore a real problem. I tend to make mountains out of molehills with things like this.

 

[CBRpilot]

Mine does it too.
It's the floating front brake rotor. Totally normal. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Tal]

Brake caliper and pads my mates MT07 does it too.