What breaks when you repeatedly ride over bad roads?

[DC Concours]

Since I am back to work and riding the bike almost everyday on sh!tty roads...I know the bike is getting some jolting.

I hear some light rattling. Can't quite figure it out. These bikes make all sorts of noises anyway.

What should I be looking for? What breaks on this bike under repeated jolts? I have heard the engine mounts are the weakest points. Is that correct? 

[George R. Young]

Not speaking from experience.

There's a bracket on the steering head that holds up the front fairing. I've read that it sometimes breaks.

One of the benefits of cartridge emulators is reduced jarring over sharp bumps, to both you and the bike. Straight damper rod compression damping is punishing.

[Boomer]

There are all kinds of things that could break loose but the important ones are the front engine mount bolts and the fairing mount on the headstock as George said. Personally I ride around the potholes if at all possible, and if not then slow down before hitting them. The C10 ain't no dual-sport.

[Stasch]

A lot of the rattling can be stuff in the fairing pockets or the tool tray under the seat.


The steering head fairing mount that's already been mentioned can also have its bolt loosen prior to breaking.

The fairing will bounce around and the fairing stay will eventually wear and saw its way through the bracket.

If you look at it and see red powder around it, its probably loose and needs tightening.

[DC Concours]

Thanks for the pointers.

Add to that the cluster that’s always loose. I wedged some foam in between but that doesn’t seem to stay too long. My head steering nut was loose so I tightened that. Still the vague rattle. I felt the two engine mounts and they seem to be OK. Perhaps the faring cage that you guys are talking about?

[Boomer]

The instrument cluster should move a little as it is rubber mounted, but only maybe +/- quarter of an inch.
If it moves more than that, you need to get the rubber mounts changed out.

There are a whole load of other possibilities like loose radiator fan, loose screws on the inner plastics, pebble in the belly pan, etc.