Who needs frame bolts anyways!?

[Josh_ST]

I'm on my way home from an epic cross country trip in the fifth wheel with the bike in the toy hauler. This morning, when I was back in the toy hauler working at my desk, I looked down and noticed a larger shouldered nut laying on the floor. It was on the left side toward the middle rear of the bike. I pulled the pannier to look t see if it was a nut from the exhaust, nope. Headed to the service manual to look for "nut" as there aren't a lot of fasteners that have nuts on these bikes. This was helpful, so I went to Partzilla to look at an exploded parts diagram. I decided to look at the frame section which led to seat removal and this discovery:



Has anyone else ever seen this happen? I'm lucky it fell off while I was towing the fifth wheel, not riding!

I guess maybe using her as a D/ST1300 on some of those nasty gravel/rutted/rough Utah, South Dakota, Nevada roads proved a little too much?

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I have not, and good thing that you caught it.

Your experience is a good reminder that the pre-ride inspection included in the owner's manual includes a statement to look for;
Leaks, Loose Parts. Walk around your motorcycle and look for anything that appears unusual, such as a leak or loose cable.

I don't write this as a critique. I just thought that your experience is a good reminder to us all that we should be looking at more than tires and checking for working light-bulbs when we do our pre-ride inspection. These motorcycles generally are so reliable that they can lull us in to becoming complacent in doing the pre-ride.

 

[Josh_ST]

The manual says: Upper flange bolt: 29 lb ft

Should I also put a little blue Loctite on it and it's mate? Just in case?

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I would, and I wouldn't bother altering the torque value to compensate for the use of the Loctite either as many suggest.
This is not a fastener that is normally removed so I would use red Loctite if I had it handy.

 

[Igofar]

I'm on my way home from an epic cross country trip in the fifth wheel with the bike in the toy hauler. This morning, when I was back in the toy hauler working at my desk, I looked down and noticed a larger shouldered nut laying on the floor. It was on the left side toward the middle rear of the bike. I pulled the pannier to look t see if it was a nut from the exhaust, nope. Headed to the service manual to look for "nut" as there aren't a lot of fasteners that have nuts on these bikes. This was helpful, so I went to Partzilla to look at an exploded parts diagram. I decided to look at the frame section which led to seat removal and this discovery:



Has anyone else ever seen this happen? I'm lucky it fell off while I was towing the fifth wheel, not riding!

I guess maybe using her as a D/ST1300 on some of those nasty gravel/rutted/rough Utah, South Dakota, Nevada roads proved a little too much?

That does not look like the correct fastener for that position.
Those two should look like this.
10x65 flange head with a counter sunk center.

 

[Josh_ST]

That does not look like the correct fastener for that position.
Those two should look like this.
10x65 flange head with a counter sunk center.

That's the exact bolt that's in both sides, I just didn't get the pic where you could see the center of the head being dimpled But thanks for the heads up!

 

[Josh_ST]

Got all set up in the garage last night for the repair, removed the seat height adjuster for more room. Slid the bolt in, dosed some blue Loctite on the threads(no red on hand), put the nut in a boxed in wrench as to not drop it. It started on and was apparently cross-threaded, when I tried to adjust the wrench the nut fell in to the abyss of the frame

I was too tired to care at that point, so I closed the garage door and went inside, lol.

I want to attend the Marietta RTE in a few weeks, and REALLY want to de-install the Rostra cruise that's currently on the bike and install the MCCruise I bought second hand on the board here last year for the haul there, so the Tupperware will be coming off later this week. Hopefully the nut reappears...

 

[Larry Fine]

I want to attend the Marietta RTE in a few weeks, and REALLY want to de-install the Rostra cruise that's currently on the bike and install the MCCruise I bought second hand on the board here last year for the haul there, so the Tupperware will be coming off later this week. Hopefully the nut reappears...

Please let me know if you want to sell the Rostra, presuming it still works.

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

an epic cross country trip in the fifth wheel with the bike in the toy hauler

Did I miss the pictures or a ride report? Just remember @Josh_ST when/if

 

[Josh_ST]

Did I miss the pictures or a ride report? Just remember @Josh_ST when/if

Just haven't had time yet... Spent Sunday harvesting the lawn and making the house look presentable again from the road, lol.