I've had my 2000 Foxfire VX for about a year now, and I've also concluded that the whirring and clunking is normal! For me, I've been able to minimize and even eliminate the whirring sound with the right amount of tire pressure in each tire. I've had a slow leak in one of my tires since I bought the VX and the whirring serves as a reminder to put some air in that tire when it starts again. Just my 2 cents!

Mikey-