Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | I love my Vision, but the nuts used to hold the door hinges on are kind of cheap. Actually, that same type of nut is used all over the bike and every one has come loose to some degree. They are stamped sheet metal nuts that are simply snapped into the plastic body panels. Since there is nothing cinching them down to the plastic they ride free. Normal use of whatever they are holding (bag doors in this case) causes the nuts to wear away the plastic and the nuts flop around loosely. Has anyone else experienced these nuts getting sloppy in the plastic?
Before I discovered the nut problem I took my Vision into the dealer under warranty because the bag doors would not open. Somethimes they would pop open while riding. They claimed that some doors were slightly warped, but they fixed mine. I had the same problem when I got home. So, I decided to inspect their work. They put shims under the hinges. It worked for them, but the 30 mile trip home made the nuts wear farther into the plastic. Careful inspection revealed what was really going on.
Here's my fix and it's worked for 9,000 miles so far:
1. Take off whatever is attached to the nut.
2. Put the screw back in the nut 1-1/2 to 2 turns
3. Using the screw, wiggle the nut back and forth and it should come out easily (mine almost fell out)
4. Remove the screw
5. Using two needle nose pliers, bend the two fingers of the nut out like the pic shows.
6. Reinstall the screw 1-1/2 to 2 turns
7. Using the screw, force the nut back into the square hole it came out of. Be careful not to get it 90 degrees off
8. The nut will seem tight now, but it will wear the plastic the same as it did before if left as-is. Here is the key: Use a small screw driver to poke the fingers back behind the plastic. Put the screw driver on the tip of the finger and hit the screw driver handle with a small hammer or the palm of your hand. You will know when the finger pops into place. It makes a loud "tink" sound. Now the nut should be tight.
I have done this modification to every one of those sheet metal nuts on the bike. No more loose stuff rattling around and the bag doors operate flawlessly now (without shims).
BTW, the stuff on the nuts that looks like dirt is plastic dust.
Edited by victoryvisiontour 2010-04-19 8:57 AM
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(nut modified (2).JPG)
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 nut stock (2).JPG (60KB - 8 downloads)
nut modified (2).JPG (62KB - 1 downloads)
nut installation (2).JPG (53KB - 11 downloads)
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