Belt guard removal

[2003buellxb9s]

Wish I invested in those tools.. I ended up cutting it off with some tin snips and a serraded butchers knife.

 

[XBChrisalto]

TechMagic,
Since you have been correcting the entire world, it is time for you to be corrected as well. It is an allen key, not a allen key.

 

[TechMagic]

you sir, are correct, except that was a typo, I corrected mistakes that were not typos.

LOL at the serrated butcher's knife.

 

[onelogue]

I ended up cutting it off with some tin snips and a serraded butchers knife.

This is what I did! [mad]

I've even bent square stock like a allen key before

And this is what I should have done! Good idea TechMagic [up]

 

[tuneport67ss]

My 08 12r must be different. I removed mine the other day and the top one was the easiest. It was held on with 2 bolts that were right out in the open. Came off no problem. The bottom was a different story. One of the bolts in the metal bracket was siezed up and I broke 3 sockets and ended up stripping the torx out. Had to weld a nut to it to get it out. [mad]
Thats ok though. It gave me an excuse to buy polished stainless button heads. I just put the bolts back in the holes.

 

[XBChrisalto]

I don't know why some people are having trouble removing the upper belt guard. Are they referring to the Firebolt or something, because the removal of the XB9 upper guard is extremely easy.

 

[ADAMLEE]

Must be the older models, my 06 Lightning was simple as pie!

I paln on usind a Drimmel to grind off the attachment nuts. Don't want to do it until I get the touch up paint.

 

[onelogue]

Yeah its the earlier generation. I'll take a pic later but on my '04 xb12r the bolts for the top guard are between the swing arm, tire, and belt . Pretty much impossible to take off with out the tire and belt removed.
I took my brothers off his '08 and it was easy as heck!

 

[Midnight82]

I have an '04 Firebolt that's being a BRUTE!

Tech- Thanks for the spelling correction. I knew I had it wrong, but I wasn't smart enough to google it.


I might take the butcher knife approach. [cool]

 

[xtremelow]

Took my GF's '03 Scg belt guards off and eventually had to rip and break some of it. My '03 R has the '04 setup and was much easier to remove.

 

[Midnight82]

Xtreme - Maybe I'm just a pansy. [sad]

 

[LVsleeper]

Took (or borrowed) a couple of shots of the '04 XB12R guard that is the culprit.
I don't know what other years/models are attached in this manner. Seems to me, that once removed it doesn't look like anything was ever there. ie, naked mounting nuts.

if you notice guard is attached between swing arm and tire/wheel one or two bolts can be reached with the use of a T-handled Torx-wrench set but that last one is tricky with the wheel on there.

 

[TechMagic]

These suck, they're too tall. This is also the same for getting hex-stock torx bits and putting them in small sockets.

This is what you want, these are the dope's tits:

worked like a charm on my 04. Also if you need to you can pull the swingarm brace off of the swingarm itself (since that's what the belt guard is attached to) and then replace it once the guard is off. I used a cut-down allen key to get the bolts for the swingarm brace that are behind the belt.

 

[onelogue]

Tech you are the man! Good detail. [up]Cause it was hard as hell to take off without removing the belt.

 

[TechMagic]

Pull these 4 bolts, pull the swingarm brace out, remove the guard, replace the swingarm brace.

 

[Midnight82]

Oh dude! I can pull that brace out with the bike on the ground without any issues?

If I can do that, this job is a piece of cake.

(bangs head on desk)

 

[onelogue]

k I tried that but those were torqued like a b*tch! Ended up stripping a bolt and left it :-/

 

[LVsleeper]

could it really be that easy?

 

[TechMagic]

Midnight, I pulled and replaced the brace no problem, bike on the ground and everything. I did so after I observed that the brace engages the swingarm at both ends, no way belt stresses could torque the swingarm out without it (at least not for a minute or two)

Onelogue, I've had success finding a torx wrench that snugly fits into a stripped socket head, then going to the next torx size up, tapering it on a grinder, and then driving it into the stripped socket head with a hammer. (the torx should be a socket style) use a length of rod behind it to hit with the hammer. I used 1/4" square stock that fit the back of the socket. Then once it's in there really good, I carefully and slowly applied torque with a small ratchet. You should test your torx "tool" on another stripped socket head bolt of the same size in a vise. Make sure it doesn't split the head open when driving it in, and see how much torque it can take as well. Then you'll go into it having a "feel" for what you're doing.

Mine weren't torqued that tight, you may have been indirectly pulling the wrench.

 

[TechMagic]

LV, yes it really is that easy as long as your swingarm brace bolts aren't torqued like a mo fo.