Rusted back-box bolts on 7-month-old bike
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 3:23 pm
My 2016 RT has a nice chrome cover over the point where the exhaust pipe meets the back-box. I just had the tyres changed and - bearing in mind that the bike is only 7 months old and has done 7k miles - I was pretty gutted to learn that two out of three of the screws that hold the cover on were seized, and the bolt holding the back-box onto the pipe was rusted solid.
Fortunately the fitters managed to free up the screws so they could get the cover off, and were then able to loosen the bolt on the back-box just enough to leave a friction fit. But they have said they dare not fully tighten the bolt on the back-box as it is likely to be rusted solid when I next come to take it off. Fortunately as I have a replacement Remus back-box due to arrive within the next two weeks the rusted bolt on the OE box is not as big an issue as it might have been.
The moral of the story for me is that I need to be taking the cover off from time to time and give everything a good clean. I may also see if I can find some high temperature grease that I can use to lubricate the various parts, although I need to make sure I don't just turn it into a dirt trap. I'm not sure if all the LC bikes have this cover over the exhaust pipe but if yours does, I strongly recommend popping it off and checking the state of things underneath.
Fortunately the fitters managed to free up the screws so they could get the cover off, and were then able to loosen the bolt on the back-box just enough to leave a friction fit. But they have said they dare not fully tighten the bolt on the back-box as it is likely to be rusted solid when I next come to take it off. Fortunately as I have a replacement Remus back-box due to arrive within the next two weeks the rusted bolt on the OE box is not as big an issue as it might have been.
The moral of the story for me is that I need to be taking the cover off from time to time and give everything a good clean. I may also see if I can find some high temperature grease that I can use to lubricate the various parts, although I need to make sure I don't just turn it into a dirt trap. I'm not sure if all the LC bikes have this cover over the exhaust pipe but if yours does, I strongly recommend popping it off and checking the state of things underneath.