Watch that side-stand bolt on the 6th gen!

I've read about this over on VFRD a few times but every time I checked mine it was fine....until yesterday. Did an oil change and was looking things over, found the bolt a good few turns loose I imagine I would have lost it on the next ride. If you lose the bolt and go to put your kickstand down the stand will rotate, dropping the bike to the ground.

If you look at the kickstand (my work's firewall doesn't let me post pics from my phone) there are 3 bolts in a triangular pattern. The bolt furthest forward is the culprit.

Get some thread lock on that sucker!

 

I can tell you from experience that it does some how get loose. It did not fall out until I put the stand down. Luckily, I was paying attention to the pavement and when I put the kickstand down I realized what was happening and caught the bike. I was extremely lucky because it almost fell on a near by curb. I don't know what I would have done if I had not had a center stand at that moment.

 

I was in the exact same situation twice...

the first time, I got caught in the rain and I was pissed to begin with. I went to set my bike down on the kick stand and it was sitting really low. At first I thought the ground wasn't level, but I parked it there every day. then i saw the missing bolt. The dealer gave me a new bolt that time.

The second time I was riding sunrise highway as fast as I could (really early in the morning High rpm's) and it came out. I have thread locker on it now 53 cent bolt at home depot by my house

 

This is not the first time I have heard of this. Good description of the bolt location but does anyone have a pic of the bolt? I would like to keep and eye on this.

 

I'm almost positive it's the only allen head bolt on there, 8mm if my memory serves correct.

 

thanks when I get it back from the shop, Ill check it out.

 

Hi Kevin

I'm just back from a 2,300 mile trip through France and Spain and, guess what? I lost my forward side-stand bolt somewhere on the autoroute between the Millau Viaduct (what a bridge!) and Clermont Ferrand. I nearly dropped the bike (which had full side cases and top-box) at a re-fuelling stop as the stand swung forward. Fortunately, a very kind Frenchman in the town of Moulins escorted me to the local Honda Moto dealer and a replacement bolt was fitted at a cost of €1 ($1.56). I gave him €10!

I couldn't agree more: get those side stand bolts checked and some thread-locking compound on 'em!

 

Some may say I'm paranoid, but I'm going to check mine now.

Mac

 

Think I will check mine by taking it out and putting thread lock on it.

an ounce of prevention....

 

+1 I will be doing this tonight too.

 

Meh!

happened to me at the grocery store tonight. i was able to catch my bike. got home and found this thread.

 

:bolt: out to the garage I go!!

Thanks for the heads up, that would really suck!!! I want to use two ton epoxy in place of locktight...naa maybe not. But, I will have locktight on that beyatch very soon.

Thanks again.

Mike

 

Almost went down yesterday due to lost side stand bolt
CHECK that bolt ASAP

 

Yes!! My bike started leaning really good and I thought this is wrong. I put it up on the center stand and sure enough the bottom bolt was gone and the whole kickstand pivoted. I got a new bolt from the Honda shop. Gonna locktite this one on for sure.

 

Gonna loctite all 3 tomorrow!

 

I'm checking it tomarrow am.My bike has dropped twice off the sidestand,usually I thought parking on a downhill slope in hot weather(soft asphalt)was the cause.Thanks for the info.

 

Hi all, I just went out to the garage and took a photo. This hasn't happened to me but I've highlighted the bolt I think it is based on the description. Someone let me know if its the wrong one.

 

My old Yamaha 2-stroke got me in the habbit of checking all bolts on a pretty regular basis. I must admit, I missed the side stand bolts. I'll check mine today.

 

OK, OK.

You guys finally got me. I've been driving all over US and Canada for that past 5 years with a 10mm allen head socket and an impact wrench.

I now have an outstanding collection of 10x26 socket bolts (Honda part #5216072). Each one has been cleaned and polished (Loctite removed when necessary), and tagged with the date of acquisition, location and VFR color and license plate #.

Now, before you get all up my grill (or fender) about "stealing" fasteners off your bikes, consider for a moment the amount of skill and huge testicles it takes to remove a stubborn bolt from a moving motorcycle with an air wrench, WITHOUT THE DRIVER NOTICING.

 

Trade ya a sidestand bolt for one of the many harley parts that I've found lying on the road when they vibated off, mirrors mostly.