XB12R Shifter bolt - hole is stripped - Any ideas for repair?

[bfd305]

I am about done putting a wrecked Buell back together. The hole in the Primary cover that holds the actual shifter pedal is stripped.
Has anyone else had this issue? My first thought was to try some JB Weld, but now I am thinking a Helicoil should work. There appears to be enough metal around it to support drilling and a helicoil.
I just want to see if anyone else has done this fix or if there are any other ideas out there.

Thanks

 

[Thorivola]

I think you can use the top hole instead of the bottom one to fit a GP style shift setup, I recall someone having put up a how-to or something about that

otherwise, I would think a helicoil would work just fine

 

[firebolt020283]

so is that what the top hole is for?

 

[afinley]

No. The Uly has a bracket that hangs down that bolts into the two holes.

I'll warn you that the metal is very thin once you get in there. My girlfriend lowsided and it pulled that bolt out, along with all the oil in the primary case. A new primary case is $195, plus like $20 for a gasket.

 

[BeDaring08]

My bike was attached to the top hole when i got it and i have had no issues with it what so ever. 04 xb12r

 

[Sir Tragen]

I am dealing with this problem right now. The bottom hole was fuggered up to begin with when I purchased my bike last July, and I have removed and replaced this bolt a couple of times since then.

Riding home from work the other day, I find that the shift lever is a bit loose, so when I get home, I tighten it down and strip the threads.

I see that other people use the top hole to mount their shift levers, but I have the plastic cover on mine.

So here is my question. Is this just a protective cover that I can pop off with a screw driver? I would rather not destroy this plastic cover by feebly messing with it and to perhaps put it in the bottom hole.

Thanks for your advise.

 

[wolfo68]

Yes, you can just pop it out or twist it counter clockwise to loosen it. I would also recommend using a tap and an insert to fix the lower one.

 

[themachineking]

Bought mine with the same problem. The guy downed it at sturges. It has come loose 3 times so i finaly drilled it out an tapped it to the next bigger size an made a custom bolt. Been working good but there right theres not alot of material you can remove before breaking thru the case. Best bet is a new case. They come up for sale on ebay but sell for almost new price. Motorcycle superstore has them in stock. Good luck!

 

[konarider94]

Use a helicoil, they really do work well. They dont need a lot of extra metal around the hole. A threaded insert has a much bigger major diameter than a helicoil.

 

[themachineking]

Im sorry guys i meant american sportbike stocks the primary case, not motorcycle superstore. My bad.

 

[Bad Karma]

Older thread but I just wanted to impart some learned wisdom.

I low sided in a parking lot 25mph one day snapping my shifter off. Got dizzy practicing putting knee down and leaned too far. Snapped the shifter bolt off and part of the cover, so no heli coil. Too thin for helicoil anyways IMHO. I already did the GP/Reverse shift so I just moved to the top hole and it worked just fine.

The only problem with using the top hole is that my shifter hit the shifter cable when moving so I had to get a longer bolt, and use a few washers.
May be wrong lever? ASB sent a second that was thinner and only has one ear for mounting linkage?!?!?

Tip 1. - Use the rest of those threads available

The threads are cut deeper into the primary cover than the stock bolt goes in. Go buy a longer bolt and make sure it's hardened. It'll be so much stronger.


Tip 2. Safety wire is your only true friend.

OK so this is a part of the bike that regularly takes a beating with your foot/vibration/and repetitiveness of shifting. Constantly standing on the shifter(Not literally guys) But you keep putting pressure on that bolt in that soft aluminum and over time it works the threads and loosens, to never be the same again. Safety wire will forever keep it tight and from deforming threads should it try and back out. At a minimum, large dose of blue loctite works ok for a while.

I think you can use the top hole instead of the bottom one to fit a GP style shift setup, I recall someone having put up a how-to or something about that

Works!!

So here is my question. Is this just a protective cover that I can pop off with a screw driver? I would rather not destroy this plastic cover by feebly messing with it and to perhaps put it in the bottom hole.

That plastic plug is a bitch to get out, but with some picks, get a corner/side up(it's a circle lol) with a pair or good needle nose and rotate/unscrew the plug. It'll distort a bit but if you unscrew not just jerk it out
Put it in the other hole.

 

[thrstrmech]

Timesert...better than helicoil hands down, installation is very similar to that of the helicoil, takes a few minutes to do

used 'em on the primary cover at the clutch cover, the top and lower rear threads were stripped, a co-worker let me use his kit