lost bolt from my shift lever today

[garwil]

I was riding through Wynne, AR today and as I shifted up through the gears on the west side of town, I suddenly did not have a shift lever. I looked down and it was hanging by the linkage.
I pulled over and discovered the bolt had fallen out.
I spent about half an hour looking for the bolt, but no luck.
I ended up taking a bolt out of my top box mount so I could continue.
I rode straight to Sunrise Honda in Searcy. They did not have the bolt in stock, but they removed one from a NT in stock and sold it to me at dealer cost redface:smile::smile::$27). They even intalled it for me.:smile:

I wanted to let everyone know the kind of service they give.

 

[Madmax]

Thats cool that they treated you well. Keep in mind that most all hardware stores carry Metric bolts and nuts...

 

[bicyclist]

Thats cool that they treated you well. Keep in mind that most all hardware stores carry Metric bolts and nuts...

Yeahbut, that's not a standard bolt.

garwil, thanks for the reminder to check that bolt. I'm heading out next week and wouldn't want to have deal with losing it on the road.

 

[rcase13]

LOL The bike they took it off of has probably been there awhile and they probably weren't worried about selling it while they ordered the bolt.

Just kidding that is excellent service that I don't think I would get around here.

 

[Herb]

The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago. Drove to Home Depot and got a temporary replacement to get home(I was about 30 mi away). It's bizarre to reach for the lever and find it missing. So yes, check this bolt every once in a while.

 

[garwil]

It is a 7mm thread (the same as the bolts on the luggage rack) but the shift lever itself. Is almost. .5 in Id so you need a couple of washers or a standard bolt head just goes through.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I was riding through Wynne, AR today and as I shifted up through the gears on the west side of town, I suddenly did not have a shift lever. I looked down and it was hanging by the linkage.
I pulled over and discovered the bolt had fallen out.
I spent about half an hour looking for the bolt, but no luck.
I ended up taking a bolt out of my top box mount so I could continue.
I rode straight to Sunrise Honda in Searcy. They did not have the bolt in stock, but they removed one from a NT in stock and sold it to me at dealer cost redface:smile::smile::$27). They even intalled it for me.:smile:


I wanted to let everyone know the kind of service they give.

Hey, THANKS! I was camped out at the Reno air races last year dealing with a minor valve cover leak issue on my Connie when I noted that a footpeg had almost fallen off as the bolt was almost competely unthreaded out of its hole. You jolted my brain into remembering to add this to my touring checklist . "check nuts and bolts at least twice a year and before any major tour." I wonder if maybe carrying a few washers, nuts and bolts is being too paranoid?
You would be paranoid too if everybody were against YOU!

 

[RedLdr1]

You would be paranoid too if everybody were against YOU!

Even the paranoid have enemies.... That bolt is important enough I think I'll acquire, hopefully at Ace Hardware cheaply, and carry a spare and looking at using some Loctite on it...

I bought a nice sized box with an assorted selection of bolts and nuts "For Metric Bikes" from Cycle Gear that is pretty good. I'll have to dig around in it and see if it has one that will fit.

 

[Bear]

I think that I will get a spare from Honda and carry it with my tool kit.

 

[slowtrot]

Had same. Tried blue thread lock, did not hold. Now has red and is holding. Clean it well and use red is my suggestion.

 

[Herb]

I used red when I replaced mine. So far, so good.

 

[maverick1062a]

When I was taking the Motorcyle Foundation Safety course I was having issues with the shifter. I would have to take my foot of the peg to shift. I was told by the instructors the issue was with me being new to motor cycles. On the 2nd day, durring the last exercise iI was having problems getting into 2nd gear in the given space for the swerving lesson. As I shifted back down to 1st gear, the shifter kept going down. The bolt attaching it was gone. I think for the 2 days I was on the bike, I was working the shifter looser and looser. The instructors switched me to a off road type bike which really threw me off. I had to look down for the tiny shifter on that bike.
having riden my NT only a few times, I don't even think about the shifter as it has a natural feel, keeping my foot on the peg and effertlessly shifting.

 

[elizilla]

I think it would be easier, as a brand new rider, to learn the MSF stuff if the bikes weren't in such poor condition, and if you could do the small things to adjust them to yourself. But just when you get used to things like where the shifter is on this particular bike, and how hard you have to strain to move it, the session ends and in the next session someone else grabs your bike and you have to learn the tricks of a new recalcitrant steed. Those bikes were TERRIBLE and I didn't know any better then.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I hope that's a joke, Towjam!

 

[seagrass]

Hmm I did not see the emoticon either until you pointed it out!

 

[Phil Tarman]

Heck, I scrolled down and still didn't see it. Sorry 'bout that! I know I always hate it when people don't get my humor. I pretty muich always do get yours. I even did this time.

 

[Coyote Chris]

There are kits available....but I am tempted to make up my own....just gotta figure out sizes and thread pitch.
http://www.cyclegear.com/eng/search/TRACKSIDE Sport Bike Bolt Set

 

[Coyote Chris]

My shift lever bolt has two inspection marks on it..one orange paint glob and one yellow paint glob. The yellow is at the top of the bolt. If the bolt loosens, I should see the glob move too.

 

[Herb]

I'ts a standard 8mm thread.....(7mm is very uncommon in millimeters)



Here you go....if you might to make one by yourself.
Top of the bolt doesn't matter so much, you can use a standard head instead of a 6mm Key hole, there is enough place.
The thread is a standard 8mm thread with a step of 1.25mm.
All measurements are in millimeters.

Simba, what kind of machining equipment do you have at your disposal?

When I had to wait for my replacement part, I constructed a temporary fix with an 8mm 1.25 bolt put through a drilled out section of a wood dowel cut to length and proper circumfrance. It worked well enough until the part arrived.

 

[Chucksklrst]

I was riding through Wynne, AR today and as I shifted up through the gears on the west side of town, I suddenly did not have a shift lever. I looked down and it was hanging by the linkage.
I pulled over and discovered the bolt had fallen out.
I spent about half an hour looking for the bolt, but no luck.
I ended up taking a bolt out of my top box mount so I could continue.
I rode straight to Sunrise Honda in Searcy. They did not have the bolt in stock, but they removed one from a NT in stock and sold it to me at dealer cost redface:smile::smile::$27). They even intalled it for me.:smile:

I wanted to let everyone know the kind of service they give.

You did not get anything at dealer cost. That bolt retails for $15.50 (as per Honda Directline)