How many bolts and washers can you lose in the fairing of a C14?

[Damn Potholes]

Right now, I'm up to 3 bolts and 2 washers rattling in the fairing and 1 bolt and a washer in the section under the seat.  The fairing bolts ended up there when I was removing my risers, then the inevitable *kling *ding, *thump.  Kling and ding are fine but the thump means its inside the fairing only to be removed by taking off the fairing.  I'm just waiting for a few more to end up there before I go through the pain of taking it apart.  The one in the back resulted when I was taking off the battery box plastic cover.  Tried to do it too fast and the bolt went flying straight up, and where did it go, to the land of missing bolts in the section under the seat.  I did have the seat off.  I wasn't doing magic.

Ok, I feel better now.

[ugocon]

I'm just waiting for a few more to end up there before I go through the pain of taking it apart. 

Well, why wait for so long???
Just go to a hardware shop, buy 1 or 2 lbs. of screws and pour them into the fairing.
Then have a quick ride to distribute well them inside...

...and start removing the fairing once for all!

Just choose a sunny day but not too hot so you can do it in open air: springtime is perfect! 

More seriously, that's one of the reasons why I don't service my bikes but go to professionals... at least you can complain if after you hear THAT rattling!

[B.D.F.]

That's nothing- I think I lost a neighbor's cat down the fairing once....

When that happens to me, I just send Kirby in after it (them). He hasn't retreived anything yet (I sometimes think he is blind!) but it makes me feel like I've done something about it.



I think the only thing to be concerned about, other than the bike getting heavier and heavier with all the additional hardware, is in the event a fastener landed right in the radiator fan housing. It would rest there until the next time the fans turn on and then almost certainly tear a radial slice into the radiator. For that reason alone I do usually make an effort to find the errant hardware or at least make sure the fans are clear before riding the bike again. By the way, all the excess bolts tend to collect in the well under the back of the fuel tank, and the ones up front end up in the outer / bottom of the side fairings.

Brian

Right now, I'm up to 3 bolts and 2 washers rattling in the fairing and 1 bolt and a washer in the section under the seat.  The fairing bolts ended up there when I was removing my risers, then the inevitable *kling *ding, *thump.  Kling and ding are fine but the thump means its inside the fairing only to be removed by taking off the fairing.  I'm just waiting for a few more to end up there before I go through the pain of taking it apart.  The one in the back resulted when I was taking off the battery box plastic cover.  Tried to do it too fast and the bolt went flying straight up, and where did it go, to the land of missing bolts in the section under the seat.  I did have the seat off.  I wasn't doing magic.

Ok, I feel better now.

[Gsun]

If I had all the things I dropped into the fairing, never to be seen again, (last week it was a push rivet) I would be able to offer a jar full for sale on Ebay!

[Boomer]

The answer is about 30 if you never ride the bike.
If you ride the bike the answer is infinite as every ride some of those in there will fall out, bounce down the road and then spear through the windshield of the oncoming car. 

What you should be asking is "How can I avoid dropping so many bolts and washers in my fairing" for which the answer is to mellow out, slow down, and do things carefully. Either that or else cover the bike with a sheet when yer working on it.

Now if yer into steroids then ya could just pick the bike up, turn it over and give it a quick shake.

[ZG]

Now if yer into steroids then ya could just pick the bike up, turn it over and give it a quick shake.

 
+1...   
 

 

[RBX QB]

 
+1...   
 

That's quite the impressive trick. Wonder how amazing it looked in person.

So far, I've only lost 2 to the black hole in my plastics. Found the bolt, but the rivet left this earth somehow.

[Tremainiac]

Oh man!!
That is soooo going to leave a mark! 

[2010rider]

Hope the bike didn't get hurt.