Plink---Tink, what was that noise

[M61A1MECH]

So I was riding back home the other day after looking at a used 98 Tour Classic just like the one I had before the Venture and I hear a Plink --- Tink noise, look around as best I can going 50 MPH and nothing seems a miss, so I chalk it up to some sort of road debris that hit under the bike. When I get to a stopping point I give the bike a quick once over looking for any damage or missing parts, nothing, so I journey on. Two days later I embark on a 300 or so mile ride thru Central Florida and over to Barrycuda's place and back, no issues everything is fine. Today for who knows what reason I glance over and look at the right side of the bike and immediately I see that the fuel tank mounting hard ware (chrome cover and screw) are GONE!! , So I say to myself, Oh crap that is what the noise was, I bet they don't sell those anymore:depressed:. But as luck would have it, the screw stayed in the cover and the both wedged up on top of the front valve cover, "Great" I say ! Until I notice that the end of the screw is broken off! I Pull the other side to see how much I am missing, a good 1/4 inch is missing. Sure enough it is still inside the threaded hole in the frame. After trying to turn it out with a sharp punch it is obvious there nothing to do but drill and blast. After carefully center punching the remnant I was able to drill a nice clean hole straight thru. Insert and set an easy out and out she comes easy as pie no damage. Now to find a suitable replacement 6-35 Metric screw, hopefully ACE is really the place, I will be checking their Metric SS stock first thing in the morning, otherwise it will be someplace like McMaster Carr.

 

So the moral of the story is "If you hear a funny noise, do a very complete inspection before you chalk it up to nothing more than road noise"

[Mike G in SC]

I have heard exactly that sound,, plink.

 

I was on I-77, headed to Frugal McDougal's (my Dad would call a booze run).

Heard the sound, about mile marker 88. Knowing it was a small metal something.

Same thing, maybe just some road FOD. Hmm.

 

So, exit 90, signal, down shift,,, holy shift! No shift-er.

Well shifter was still there but flopping around my left foot.

Got to think fast,,, clutch in, coast.

Plink,,, oh that noise,,, shifter bolt bouncing off the pavement, into my pipe and,,,, gone.

 

Put the shifter back on the shaft and played heal/toe to Frugals.

Do I go in and buy Capt Morgan now or later?

Later, I figured out that the side cover spare bolt would fit the shifter.

 

Got home just fine,,, Captain.

[M61A1MECH]

You better believe that was one of the first things I looked at, fiddled with the shifter with my foot to see if it was loose.

I had previously lost a billet engine mount bolt cover, not sure if it was on my 98 or the Venture, but it made a similar noise, it hit a couple of things on the way down finally made it to the pavement and parts unknown. I stopped right after it happened and then went back and walked the road side a few times looking for it, cagers thought I was nuts, poking around in the grass with my foot.

[Barrycuda]

That stinks Steve!!! I am sure you'll be able to do your magic and all will be well.

[djh3]

Steve to bad man. So the bolt is chrome or something I'm guessing? Possibly is it used somewhere else on the bike that is not visable and you could swap it for plain jane replacement. I too have heard the clink-dink thing and hoped it was a piece of FOD off the road.

[M61A1MECH]

Dion

It appears to be stainless steel, (not magnetic) it is unique to the application that hold these on. http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/accessories/acscitemdetail/5/4/83/404/all/all/4628/0/detail.aspx

I am sure I can find a replacement some where, I just puzzling over what caused it to shear off, looking at the pattern on the broken parts it sheared off as opposed to a twisting pattern, so maybe I will look for a replacement that is a bit longer to ensure enough engagement, because there was not more than one diameter's worth of engagement, that is a bit marginal in my book, I normally like to see 1.5 x diameter engagement. I happy no Foreign Object Damage (FOD) to the bike or the cover, they are just about $100.00 to replace.

[Mike G in SC]

Steve,

We all pull that part(s) when we pull the tank to change plugs.

Seems to me the screw does not hold the part on.

They only hold the tank front.

 

Just looked. Both my bikes (2006 RSTD Midnight & 2009 RSV-s) only have black rubber covers. Guessing yours is OEM accessory.

Mine press into place and hold on by magic of the molding.

They also have a pea sized plastic button that fits in the allen head, just for dressing.

(which does not make a plink noise when it falls into the radiator fan housing!)

 

Does seem that is an odd long screw, don't recall another one on the bike,,,,, except on the twin on the other side of the tank!

Maybe yours is different than stock. Stock is just a long 5mm, black, for my bikes.

 

Do you need to change your plugs? You're half way there!

 

Mike

 

PS: Can tell people that have done FOD patrol on the flight line.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Mike G in SC

[M61A1MECH]

Mike

Mine are not the OEM part, but rather the billet chrome cover from STAR accessories catalog, (see link I posted above) needed to buy those after one of the OEM plastics blew off, these are held on by the screws that fix the tank.

 

Barrycuda now has the one OEM cover I had left , so if anyone has a OEM black plastic OEM cover laying around, he needs one to finish off the pair. I not sure if they are the same left to right or unique left to right.

 

I will check on the plugs, but as often as I have my tank off for this or that , I am sure to hit a change interval sometime when the tank is off.

 

Wish I had a nickle for every piece of FO I ever picked up.

[Mike G in SC]

Steve,

I added a picture of the left side stock cover to my previous post. The cover and button is laying on my cowling (RSTD).

Just pulled both. They are mirror opposites and actually have a L or a R molded inside of each. Likely have to buy pairs. They just hold on by their mold shape. They go on last, after the screw and the plastic cap.

[M61A1MECH]

Yeah I figured they would be left and right specific, so Barry you need to look at the one I gave you to see which side it is.

 

Mine is all fixed, ACE had just what I needed:cool10: even had them at 5mm longer and with allen socket instead of Philips head.

I am back ready for the road.

[N3FOL]

Hmmm. After reading this thread, I should double check my bolts before the afternoon ride.

[djh3]

Seems really odd that a rubber bushing bolt would be in a "shear" application. I would suspect maybe the bolt had a flaw in it. Just a guess.

[Barrycuda]

Yeah I figured they would be left and right specific, so Barry you need to look at the one I gave you to see which side it is.

 

Mine is all fixed, ACE had just what I needed:cool10: even had them at 5mm longer and with allen socket instead of Philips head.

I am back ready for the road.

 

Will see which side I have...

[M61A1MECH]

Dion

It is not in a rubber bushing, everything on the front tank mount is ridgid , the mount hole is threaded into a steel bushing that is swedged into the frame.

[Big Lou]

if the bolt broke and is not rubber mounted.. does the frame flex?

 

do you see a reason this bolt broke??

[M61A1MECH]

I doubt that anything is flexing, I do not see any reason why that bolt would have broken.

 

I am sure it is not torque fatigue, it was a philips head that I always installed by hand with a screw driver, a 6mm is nearly the same size as a 1/4" bolt and I know I am not strong enough to over torque a SS 1/4" screw by hand.

 

It is possible that the threads bound up the last time I installed it and so the screw maybe did not tighten against the cover and pull the tank mount down tight and so not being in tension and the possibilty of the tank moving or vibrating caused a fatigue issue. I have a hard time with that, because I am certain I would have noticed that the cover was not tight or there would have been a rattle associated with the cover being loose that I would have heard. Plus I had no issues with the threads in the insert when I checked them with the new screw, no binding at all, so why would it have bound up on the previous install?

 

It is a mystery, could have been a defective screw, but that scew has been in service for 5 or 6 years.

 

I will be keeping an eye on the new ones, you bet on that.

[Barrycuda]

Yeah I figured they would be left and right specific, so Barry you need to look at the one I gave you to see which side it is.

 

Mine is all fixed, ACE had just what I needed:cool10: even had them at 5mm longer and with allen socket instead of Philips head.

I am back ready for the road.

 

 

The one I have is for the RIGHT sidenofnthe tank if you are sitting on bike. Any lonely lefts available?