pick Posted September 3, 2012 Share #1 Posted September 3, 2012 Damn, I hate letting the dealer work on my bike. I prefer to do my own work. After some great tips here on how to replace my steering bearings, I thought it was a bit much for my knowledge base and tool box, so after a good deal from the dealer (350.00) I took it there. Three days later I go pick it up and WOW! What a difference. On the way home, I notice my modulator is not working, so I figure they moved the sensor under the tank. Upon further examination, the eye is where it should be, so now I figure they must have turned the switch off while it was apart. As I start looking, I grab the passing lamps and they move? They got about a half inch play in them. Go get a wrench to tighten and it's tight as hell, both of them. Sooooooo, I remove both bolts to find that neither one was in correctly, BOTH stripped, deep in the fork frame!!!! Damn damn. Once I split the faring, found indeed they had switched the modulator off and also ther is an electrical connection not plugged in and I have no idea where it goes too? The two holes for the passing lamps are totally stripped and is my supposed to be leaving for a. Two week trip to Fl next Tue. I do hope they take responsibility of it and fix it (just don't know how). I guess drill out the holes and install helicoils. It seems that the two brackets on the inner faring were too low and didn't allow the bolts to go in correctly so the mechanic just forced them. I cannot get them to raise and am afraid to crack the faring. I tried to pry them up a bit, but they hardly budge and it seems to,stress ihe faring. Damn, I'd hate to have to take the cage on vacation................... Just venting. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted September 3, 2012 Share #2 Posted September 3, 2012 Chris, I know of your problem there, I had the same thing happen to me on Oldschools '03. The holes were stripped and no real good way to fix them. Helicoils will work, but unfortunately the skill level of the dealer would make me not want to have them do this. I ended up drilling the holes out and installed bolts and nuts on them. I know it's not the optimum fix, but I wouldn't be letting that dealer touch my bike again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pick Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks Squidley for the reply. I am not sure without removing the inner faring I can get a drill straight enough tomd,fill and tap for a helicoil? I know I can use a smaller diameter bolt and there is enough room behind the fork brace for a nut and washer but I am Leary of the smaller bolt having room to move in the old hole and wear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted September 3, 2012 Share #4 Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks Squidley for the reply. I am not sure without removing the inner faring I can get a drill straight enough tomd,fill and tap for a helicoil? I know I can use a smaller diameter bolt and there is enough room behind the fork brace for a nut and washer but I am Leary of the smaller bolt having room to move in the old hole and wear? If you pull the front fairing off, you can notch the plastic where the bolts sit behind. I did that with Ray's bike and then I had room to get bolts back in there. Are you using the passing light block that lowers passing lights down and fwd, or just have the stock turn signals on yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pick Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted September 3, 2012 Mine are stock. I don't think the fiberglass is as much of an issue as the two tabs coming off the inner flaring lower bracket that are in front of the two holes for the lamps. They hang a bit low and will not allow the bolts to go in straight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted September 3, 2012 Share #6 Posted September 3, 2012 You can always try to tap a larger size but same pitch tap thru the holes. A couple of fat spacers between the light bracket and frame help with fairing removal. With the spacers you just have to loosen the bolts halfway and the bracket leans forward just enough to allow the fairing to come off with a slight bending. Sucks when last minute things screw up vacation plans, doesn't it?!!? See my Mt Rushmore thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted September 3, 2012 Share #7 Posted September 3, 2012 Mine are stock. I don't think the fiberglass is as much of an issue as the two tabs coming off the inner flaring lower bracket that are in front of the two holes for the lamps. They hang a bit low and will not allow the bolts to go in straight Thats what I'm talking about, the black lower plastic piece that the bolts hide behind. I just cut notches in them with a razor knife so the bolts would be able to go strait in. I wish you were closer, I'd come over and we could knock this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eck Posted September 3, 2012 Share #8 Posted September 3, 2012 Pick, those two bolts are 10 mm and you can chase the threads with a tap. I know because I have done this on three different RSV's...my own and two others.. Like Squidley said, you can notch out just a little bit of the inner fairing to giv eyou access. You can use a soldering iron to melt the plastic to make the notch..it smokes alittle but sure works great because you can shape the notch as the letter "U"..to make it neat. If you do not have a 10 mm metric tap, then you can do what Squidley has mentioned and drill them out, but you will need longer bolts so that you can put the nuts on them. Give me a call if you need help my friend.. My number is in my profile. PS: I would take several pictures of any damage and or workmanship issues the dealer caused ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pick Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share #9 Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks, think the way to go is to just put bolts through and nuts on the back. It would be a real b*tch to try and elongate the metal tabs in the inner bracket without ruining the holes behind. Now, I still have an unconnected wire, a male connector, purple wire that comes off the bottom of my Diamond Star headlight modulator? Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eck Posted September 3, 2012 Share #10 Posted September 3, 2012 (edited) Pick, I think you can relax on the purple wire not being connected to anything. The purple wire is used ONLY IF you have your head light modulator wired up to your horn. If / when the horn is activated your headlights will flash for a limited amount of time then they quit flahsing.. If the modulator is attached to the horn, the head lights will only flash when you activate the horn.. In your case, I think you may have had the head ligh modulator wired directly to your head lights, and not to the horn, and that is why you have a purple wire not connected under your fairing. I do not think it is because the dealer for got to hook it up.. To prove my theroy, turn on your key and headlights and see if they modulate as you want them to.. if they do, then the purple wire does not need to be coneected to anything..just tape up the end of the purple wire so that no bare waires touch anything and short out.. See item #4 below which speaks of the purple wire... Horn Wire Connection:The Signal Dynamics modulator has a "Head's Up Alert" feature that links to the horn. When you press the horn button, the headlight will modulate for a few seconds even if the modulator is turned off. Or, if the modulator is currently active, hitting the horn button will change the modulation rate for a few seconds. This feature is terrific for getting extra attention if you think someone may not see you. With a simple modification (described below), this feature will also work at night and the impact is phenomenal. It has saved me more times than I can count. Locate the horn hot wire. It is black with a white stripe. On my 2001 Concours, the wire is in a wiring harness zip tied to the left fairing support tube. It is to the left of the triple tree, next to the left inside fairing, above the radiator. There are two plastic OEM snap connectors covered up with a black plastic protective boot. It will be necessary to cut the zip tie, push the boot back, and cut away some electrical tape to expose enough of the wire. If you want to check to make sure you've got the correct wire, insert the positive tip of a voltmeter into the slot for the wire on the OEM connector. With the bike turned on, touch the other end to a ground point on the bike or to the battery negative terminal. It should show +12 volts. When you press the horn button, the voltage should drop to 0 volts. Cut the horn hot wire (black with white stripe) a few inches away from the OEM connector. Leave yourself plenty of room and don't cut too close to the OEM connector. You'll need plenty of wire length to attach a quick connector. This is the only "invasive" cut you have to do for this installation. Locate the modulator's purple wire. Wrap the purple wire together with one end of the black/white horn wire. Put a quick connect on it. Put the corresponding quick connect on the other end of the black/white horn wire and attach the horn wire back together. The purple wire is now attached to the horn hot wire. Put the protective boot back in place and zip tie the wiring harness back to the body tube. Cap the modulator green wire. You won't be using it. Find more to read here: http://cog-online.org/clubportal/clubstatic.cfm?clubID=1328&pubmenuoptID=30605 or you can call them directly for questions here: Installation question or help call 800-785-1814, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern/ Standard Time. Edited September 3, 2012 by Eck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pick Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted September 4, 2012 Thanks Eck, I will tape off that male lead then. I picked up two 1/4 -20 2" bolts and nuts today. Will use those to reattach the passing lights. I am finding more and more fasteners not tight or connected. Will be on the phone with the stealer tomorrow morning for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pick Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted September 5, 2012 Well, spoke to the service manager first thing this morning. explained to him how I found the modulator turned off, and then how the threads for both passing lamp mounts were stripped and that I wasn't very happy. He was most apologetic. By 1130 they were at my house with a trailer and took my bike and the fairning, windshield etc back to the dealer to be repaired. The mech they sent I showed the issues and he too apologized for the poor work. Bike will be ready tomorrow and I believe they are going to install timecerts for the thread repair? I will pick it tomorrow night when wife can get me up,there, we will see, will post tomorrow, but again, you guys are the best here, thanks for all the great info!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragtop69gs Posted September 5, 2012 Share #13 Posted September 5, 2012 I wish you luck with the dealer repair, I hope they get it right and you can enjoy your vacation. Happy motoring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dacheedah Posted September 5, 2012 Share #14 Posted September 5, 2012 My 2 cents, while you have the fairing split put on a bracket to relocate the driving lights, never an issue again and you can split it without removing them in the future. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eck Posted September 5, 2012 Share #15 Posted September 5, 2012 I believe they are going to install timecerts for the thread repair? Here is a video on timecert repair... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP2Up_hG7rc&feature=player_detailpage]Time-Sert thread repair - YouTube[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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