[craig alumbaugh]

I have been doing PM on the GW lately, getting ready for rockies gold. I have been noticeing that the right front crash bar seems a little loose.
I have highway pegs mounted there and could feel it move a little when pushing on the pegs.
While changeing spark plugs, I noticed that the right front was even more loose than before. So decided to tighten it up. Have to remove front inner lower fairing and lower front fairing and muffler cover to get to bolts. Here is what I found.
The front inner fairing is broken almost all the way across. Crack runs from one bolt, almost all the way to other bolt. The mounting point on left which connects the lower fairing and inner fairing and color fairing together, is totally broken. Not performing any holding whatsoever.
The reason the crash bar was loose was because the top bolt had backed out about half way. The lower front was totally missing and the lower back was loose as well. The crash bar does not line up where I can get a new lower front in. Tried, but now I will have to drill and heliarc a new hole, stripped out the treads trieing to pull the crash bar into alinement. However, it seems to be nice and solid with just two bolts.
The reason I am dissapointed is this. I tried to think when all of this could have happened. I have never had these items off before. The only time they have been off would have been when it was in for frame weld recall. It is an 03. So my immediate guess is these items were put back on in a hurry and sloppy work was done at the time.
In fairness, I have droped the bike onto the crash bars, very gently mind you, a couple of times.
What do you guys think? would a couple of gentle lay downs cause this much damage? The bolts working out or not replaced would be another issue of course. I am mainly thinking of the damage to the tupperware.
Of course the warrinty is long gone, so replaceing parts will be on my dime. I am thinking that a new inner fairing is in order. I hope to be able to epoxy the bolt tab back onto the color left fairing. I am sure that I can not offord to replace that. Plus a new right front crash bar and heliarc.
May be able to heat and bend old one back into proper shape though.
Dang, Just when you think every thing is good, something jumps up and bites you on the behind.
On the bright side, may be a good excuse to buy that crome lower front fairing I have been thinking about.

 

[lectric]

As for the broken tabs and such. Somewhere here is a thread about fixing plastic by welding it. I did it to my lower cowl tabs and it is stronger than new. Here is the link http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3402067 Hope this helps.

 

[hlothery]

I recently encountered a similar issue. Had my second gentle lay down when the bike slipped off the sidestand on a hill. Noticed later that the rear crash bar was very loose. Took off the body panels and passenger floorboard and both bolts were about half way out. Hard to believe two gentle laydowns cause this. I do have a Kury trailer hitch.........maybe poorly reassembled when it was installed? Worrisome.

 

[Rocky]

Someone at some point took these bolts off to do other work and just forgot to tighten them back up properly.
I work on a lot of wings and have never seen either the front or rear guards with loose bolts.But I also learned long ago that anything can happen.

Bent guards yes.Especially the rear.But I believe Honda designed them that way to absorb the impact.Cheaper to replace them than the alternative.

 

[rlund]

I have a 2003 GL1800 and also found the right front engine crash bar to have one totally loose bolt (only screwed in about half way) , one bolt completely missing, and the third to be finger tight.

After seeing this on the right side, I checked the left side and found all bolts to be installed and tight.

Found this about one year after purchase of the bike when installing highway pegs on the crash bars.

I am the original owner, and the bike had never been in the shop for any kind of maintenance.

I do believe this came from the factory in this condition.

 

[Mattbcnv]

I have a 2003 GL1800 and also found the right front engine crash bar to have one totally loose bolt (only screwed in about half way) , one bolt completely missing, and the third to me finger tight.

After seeing this on the right side, I checked the left side and found all bolts to be installed and tight.

Found this about one year after purchase of the bike when installing highway pegs on the crash bars.

I am the original owner, and the bike had never been in the shop for any kind of maintenance.

I do believe this came from the factory in this condition.

Typical American Workmenship....

My 2002 was missing screws and clips where the two halves of the saddlebags are joined together... the only reason I noticed it is that everytime I washed i the saddlebags would get water in um.... soapy water...

Matt(BCNV) :roll:

 

[revrunt]

Craig, As to the crash bar bolt, unless you screwed the bolt all the way in cross threaded, the damaged threads should only include the first few rounds. There is plenty of meat and threaded hole left undamaged. I would remove the crash bar, carefully clean the remaining threads with a tap and install a longer stud in that hole, gently bottomed out, and reinstall the bar with a nut on the outside. A ratchet strap will often flex the crash bar legs enough to get the bolts aligned enough to start. (or I have a 300# "Hoss" for a neighbor who can tweak them with his bare hands...don't ask me how I know.)

Have a great time at RG! :thumbup: Wish I could be there!

 

[jjolly]

speak for yourself..

Typical American Workmenship....

My 2002 was missing screws and clips where the two halves of the saddlebags are joined together... the only reason I noticed it is that everytime I washed i the saddlebags would get water in um.... soapy water...

Matt(BCNV) :roll:

Typical American workmanship..Cheap shot from someone who isnt building anything? Most of us are working are tails off here doing the best we can. Maybe, just maybe, if there is a problem here it was with JAPANESE design and not American assemblers? Possible?

 

[hlothery]

Typical American workmanship..Cheap shot from someone who isnt building anything? Most of us are working are tails off here doing the best we can. Maybe, just maybe, if there is a problem here it was with JAPANESE design and not American assemblers? Possible?

I think, perhaps, that was meant to be a joke.

 

[ben721364]

Typical American workmanship..Cheap shot from someone who isnt building anything? Most of us are working are tails off here doing the best we can. Maybe, just maybe, if there is a problem here it was with JAPANESE design and not American assemblers? Possible?

The side and top cases on GL1800s have been problematic with side case latches coming loose and chafing between the lid and the base of top cases. Honda (might have) redesigned them long ago had enough people demanded repairs/replacements under warranty instead of buying aftermarket fixes, especially for the top cases.

 

[craig alumbaugh]

lectric,
Thanks for the reply and reposting that video. It is a very good one and should help me fix my broken tab on the color fairing. The inside lower fairing is damaged enough that I think I will just replace it, depends on cost of course.

Revnut,
Yes I tried a rachet strap. The hole was off by being to low and to far forward. pulled it back with a rachet strap attached to rear crash bar, and pushed it up with a floor jack. Got the hole fairly well lined up, got the new bolt started pretty good and removed the floor jack so I could get a rachet on it. When I did, that is when the threads striped, got quite a few aluminum shaveings in the floorl. Perhaps it might be repairable with with a tap. Will have to wait and see.

Matt,
glad you told me of your find with missing fastners in the saddle bags. I should check for that. And for those of you who are not familiar with Matts posts, take them with a grain of salt. He really loves to trash talk, and has a different kind of humor. Some people get really mad at some of his posts, I just grin and go on.

For now, every thing is buttoned up and pretty secure. I will just go with the way it is, repair/replace durring winter months.

 

[Firedog53]

Don't mess with Matt!!

It could result in a blown seal!!!!!!!:twisted:

 

[itsapitty]

It could result in a blown seal!!!!!!!:twisted:

No it's just ice cream!:shock:

 

[UNCLEJOHN]

another crush washer that made bike shake the nuts off

 

[revrunt]

lectric,

Revnut,
Yes I tried a rachet strap. The hole was off by being to low and to far forward. pulled it back with a rachet strap attached to rear crash bar, and pushed it up with a floor jack. Got the hole fairly well lined up, got the new bolt started pretty good and removed the floor jack so I could get a rachet on it. When I did, that is when the threads striped, got quite a few aluminum shaveings in the floorl. Perhaps it might be repairable with with a tap. Will have to wait and see.

For now, every thing is buttoned up and pretty secure. I will just go with the way it is, repair/replace during winter months.

Craig, sounds like you've got it under control.. :thumbup: Want me to sent my neighbor over to rearrange your bolt pattern on the crash bar? He's an ox.

 

[Mattbcnv]

It could result in a blown seal!!!!!!!:twisted:

LOL

Matt(BCNV) :thumbup:

 

[Pigeon Roost]

How does one lay a 900+# bike down gently, especially if it is moving?

I've put mine over on padding and lawn grass intentionally and once in a busy intersection when my foot slipped on loose gravel. I've even placed the rear up on jack stands a few times using the rear guards. Always check them for tightness by at least grabbing the bars and shaking. It is a PIA to check the bolts since they are under that blasted "header" cover (wouldn't a nice set of real headers look better without a cover?). Hope ya get it all back in service in time for your adventure.

prs

 

[Guest]

I would not think they would have removed the crashbar to do the frame weld but who knows. In any case that's a small problem.

As far as the fender, this is pretty common. A stone gets picked up by the tire and wedges between the tire and fender and next thing the mounts get snapped off. Mine did the front and rear sections. New replacements run about $280 each which is the real crime.

I just made a set of steel ones and the problem just went away

http://kokes.org/MyMotorcycles/GL180...r%20fix/album/

 

[Medic1]

I ran into a similar situation, but with the rear, left crash bar. The front screw had snapped in half (thank goodness for screw extractors) and the rear screw was extremely loose. This is 2010 that has yet to be laid down or dropped and I was quite shocked to see the snapped screw. The bike was uncrated one day before I purchased it ~1.5 years ago so I'm still not sure how or why it happened. Just glad I found it before I needed to use the crash bars (just a matter of time).

 

[craig alumbaugh]

How does one lay a 900+# bike down gently, especially if it is moving?

I've put mine over on padding and lawn grass intentionally and once in a busy intersection when my foot slipped on loose gravel. I've even placed the rear up on jack stands a few times using the rear guards. Always check them for tightness by at least grabbing the bars and shaking. It is a PIA to check the bolts since they are under that blasted "header" cover (wouldn't a nice set of real headers look better without a cover?). Hope ya get it all back in service in time for your adventure.

prs

one lays it down gently in a parking lot, loose balance, and let it go over while guiding/slowing desent as much as posible. The SO hates it if she falls off. Last time was at SMRI at a parking lot with hundreds of people around. Once bike was down, I stepped away, turned around, wife was still sitting in her seat looking at me. Had to help her off. Lots of help to pick it back up, but sure was embaresing. Now I make her wait till I back out of parking space before mounting.