can you get kickstand bolts in without removing exhaust?

[sinikl]

Rode for about an hour Saturday and almost dropped the bike in a parking lot when I learned that one of the kickstand bolts was completely gone! this let the stand twist instead of bearing weight. It looks like it just vibrated out from the bottom.

If there's enough room for it to fall out and disappear, i suppose it's possible i could worm a new one in there but damned if can see how.

Funny enough i had been planning to drop the muffler (it's a Ulysses box for some reason the PO knows but I don't, and I want to make sure the valve in it is in the open position since my xb9 doesn't have the controller solenoid) but not if i can't put the bike on a stand.... but if i have to i have to.

One of the chin spoiler torx-headed bolts is gone too; anyone know that size for my next trip to the hardware store?

 

[user_deleted]

T-27 on the bolt. should be shouldered just like airbox base plate and front fender. needless to say just remove one of the other 5 from either left or right and take along to purchase correct one. the bolt also has factory thin wall plastic washer on it. without a similar or identical washer the bolt will eventually damage the chin spoiler. to properly diagnose what's going on with the stand and repair properly i always remove the muffler. it's straight-forward but be damn sure to soak the front header-to-muffler clamp and the front mounting hardware as well as the 2 rear straps with penetrant like PB blaster. then do the job correctly with the muffle removed. it's time well spent and 0 frustration.

 

[submax]

Good advice as usual, John! :up:

As far as the T-27 bolts, I had to replace a couple from the rear drive belt cover. I don't know if they are the same length as the ones for the spoiler. They weren't available anymore and I couldn't get them at my local ACE Hardware. I ended up ordering a box of these: https://www.mcmaster.com/#90910a537/=1b4sk5g. They head slightly smaller diameter than stock, so I added a thin metal washer to go with it that I did get from ACE. As far as the thin plastic washers for the spoiler, I did purchase a few of those a year or so ago from HD, so they might still be available. Sinikl...I'm happy to send one of these T-27 if you like (free of charge) since I ordered a box of 25.

As far as the side stand bolts. Funny you mention those. When I installed my Drummer SS exhaust last year, I initially forgot to put the kickstand back on before installing the muffler. I was not able to get those bolts to go with the exhaust in place. (I was using brand new bolts I had purchased from HD). Yet, I had been able to get the old ones OFF with the old exhaust in place when I was taking it apart. After much head scratching, I looked closely at the old bolts and noticed that they were shorter than my new ones and it was clear that the PO had cut them. So, my guess is that he had removed the exhaust at some point and after reinstalling had forgotten to put the bolts in just like me. So, he cut them shorter so he didn't have to take it back apart. :black_eyed: I really didn't want to lose that much thread length on the bolts that hold up my bike. So, I took the exhaust back off, put the kickstand on with the new bolts, and then finished the installation.

 

[user_deleted]

Good advice as usual, John!

I'm happy to send one of these T-27 if you like (free of charge) since I ordered a box of 25.

thanks for the kind words james. your offer to this guy and generosity is one of the reasons you're a titan on this board. very generous of you.

 

[submax]

Thanks, John. Just following the lead of you and others on the forum that I've seen be extremely generous with advice and parts and such. Hope you were able to kick that flu bug, by the way. :up:

 

[sinikl]

Thanks guys for the replies! I will post back when it's not in the 20s when I get home from work (supposed to warm up this wknd)

I appreciate the bolts offer (but I might order some of my own because I'm missing some from the tank and these things seem to cast off hardware), too!

tempted to put the sidestand in with green loctite sleeve retainer but i'll be reasonable and use red

 

[sinikl]

Got stuff off today.

1. Missing 3 chin fairing bolts
2. Straps were easy to get at, thankfully.
3. Is the side bracket on the exhaust right side supposed to bolt up to the case? I can't see how and mine looks to have just been to mount the chin fairing.
4. uly exhaust valve was 'wired open’ with zip ties. Which melted. Because of course they did.
5. Only one kickstand bolt, severely bent, remaining... I wonder if this is why PO said it ”takes a set” on the stand after you put it down, like there were two loose bolts ND then there was one and I almost dropped it in a parking lot....

 

[user_deleted]

3. Is the side bracket on the exhaust right side supposed to bolt up to the case? I can't see how and mine looks to have just been to mount the chin fairing.

NO! the muffler is attached to your bike via 2 rear straps....one front strap secured to front mount....muffler to header clamp. the chin fairing then mounts to the muffler attachment points which are 2 on left...2 on front...3 on right.

 

[sinikl]

Argh.

1. One of the kickstand bolts didn't vibrate out... It snapped off inside the case. Curse you, PO!!

Since the other one vibrated loose, I'm hoping it's not stuck and I can get it out with an ez out, but my set is at a friend's.

2. The only bolts I could find at Lowe’s with the same thread depth have a longer shoulder. No problem, I think, I'll just get washers to take up the slack.

The factory bolts seem to be the way they are so they don't sit proud and prevent mounting the exhaust. Think I could use shorter bolts that are grade 8 and get away with it maybe?

I surrender for today, beer time

 

[submax]

Like I said, the PO of my bike had cut the kickstand bolts short in order to get them to fit with the exhaust on. You might be able to get away with shorter bolts. I tend to stick as close as possible to stock with these kinds of parts. I want to have the most threads I can holding my kickstand on. But, that's just me.

 

[sinikl]

Called Kevin at Drummer/KDfab about how fast could he do my exhaust and he offered a good tip on getting the bolt out....
He said to put a nut up against the case and then use a wire-feed MIG to weld the nut to the bolt, since the wire won't work on the aluminum case... you can just basically fire wire in there until the nut is solid when cooled, and then back out the welded bolt/nut combo later.

He'll get my exhaust business for sure, even tho I don't have access to a welder to try this out.

 

[sinikl]

I got the bastard out using a chisel, then a Dremel cutting wheel to slot it.

Got it all back together with grade 8 bolts and red Loctite. All buttoned except for the chin spoiler, which I am going to leave off and do an oil change (my faith in the PO saying he'd done one recently is fading).

Of course it's raining so I just pulled the airbox cover to strip the paint off it, doh another project underway.

 

[Cooter]

Glad that worked out.







PUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!!!!!

 

[racepro716]

Well then... this happened to my 08 Bolt the first year I had it. I parked next an R-6 at work and thought mine looked funny, leaned way further over than the Yamaha. Found out both kickstand bolts had backed out, neither fell off but still.. I know people laugh at saftey wire on street bikes but an hour after getting my bike home I know the bolts will never back out again. These things shake like hell, not that there's anything wrong with that, LOL. I raced two stroke GP bikes for years and they teach ya when in doubt saftey wire is your friend.

Wayne

 

[sinikl]

1. I no longer have a decently hard safety wire drill bit, nor the pliers. But i remember (not fondly) drilling oil drain plugs when i raced Vespas [i am NOT "chicago" and that's a thing that really happened, i swear!)
2. I have no idea how long it would take to drill a grade 8 bolt head with some consumer grade BS lithium cordless drill, but the answer is "a While"
3. putting my faith in loctite but now that it's right -- it was leaning far too much all along (since i've owned it) i hope i'll be able to see the problem coming, if it comes back
4. I should have known when the seller said "you have to let it 'take a set' on the stand" that something was up (in defense of the seller, it was his kid's bike, and the kid is deployed in the AF, so when I say PO i mean the actual PO, not his pretty great dad who sold what he knew from his son, don't believe he was BSing me, seems like a great guy)
5. name your favorite 2T oil for smell (mine's Klotz R50, i always think Motul smells like cough syrup i had to take as a child)

and Cooter? You. are. Terrible. You are Terrible! for that pun

 

[racepro716]

Wow, name my favorite two stroke oil smell? Really? That was always the best part of getting back to the track in the springtime, the smell! I'm gonna go with Castrol 747 mixed with Cam -2 purple racing fuel. I raced an 81 Honda RS- 125 by the way. That was a long time ago and you just made me smile at the memories. Thanks.

Wayne

 

[Cooter]

Red Loctite for a bolt you never want to remove. But Blue is my favorite safety wire.
It will be plenty strong enough to hold those bolts in place. Cleaning the threads on the bolt and in the hole is key. How many times have I seen a guy squirt Harbor Freight thread locker on a greasy bolt and whine that it doesn't work? Too many:down:

Kick starts, spokes, and drum brakes. That's motorcycling baby! Worth every late night curse word when she fires up cold and fills the garage with that sweet blue fog.

 

[Cooter]

You're probably right on the money siniki, that it's been an issue for awhile. Replace them, torque them properly and you shouldn't have to think about it again.

Not sure where you're at, but I'm lucky to be surrounded by Aerospace and desert racers. It's pretty easy to buy surplus or used F-9 safety wired bolts and other weird fasteners by the pound pretty cheaply. Drilling?? The only hole I'm getting straight through the head... is my own... (when my past catches up with me lol:angel.

 

[sinikl]

i'm in Durham, NC, Cooter. not a lot of cast-off race parts *that i know of* but you never know -- i'm not "in the scene" at All. Quit riding when my son was born because, well, he took over my life (as it should be), not because I was suddenly anti-MC or whatever... just priorities change, you know ?

I realize that Red is for "never getting removed" and i ... can't think why i'd ever want to remove these bolts? They are brand new grade 8 fwiw so i hope they never need to come out.

Sweet smoker, btw! I love suzi 2Ts; they seem sort of like the red-headed stepchild of 70s 2T bikes (almost bought a suzi trip instead of my RD350), esp the non-water-buffalo ones (GT380, 550, etc).

I have an RD that is way crustier than it oughta be but this Buell purchase was designed to get me back into riding (worked) and wrenching because I liked riding (turns out it's been wrenching on the Buell but OK) so i could fix the RD, 3 Vespas, and a 62 vw bug.

fun fact, if you literally quit working on stuff for 9 years and turn 42, lying on the ground with a chisel trying to get a broken bolt out seems a lot less like "this is fun! guys in my club will love this story! i'll go riding after" and a lot more like "i need to go to bed, immediately" when you're done.

 

[sinikl]

racepro it is fun to meet another 2T guy. admittedly most of my memories are all scooter based, but one thing about coming from 2Ts to Buells that is crazy is the torque. I always likened a 2T powerband/pipe hit to "you're already going fast and it's wound up, then God gives you a little nudge in the small of your back" versus "did this thing just pull my arms straight because i asked for throttle?"

full-synth Klotz (not Benol) always smelled to me like pork fat rendering on a grill, which is why I like it so much maybe. The castor 2Ts just smell like, well, racing-go -fast to me, which isn't bad but they'd gum rings in bikes that aren't always wrung out 100 percent of the time (i did not own such a bike). I do love that smell tho.

it is Nice that the Buell will actually stop when I tell it to, however, unlike 10-inch-wheel drum brakes or my yam's single disk