Rear axle doesn't/can't have a cotter pin - anyone else?

[Gwolf]

I have seen more than a few axles that had no hole for the cotter key. Some aftermarket axles come without the holes.

Not a problem, the axles are not made from hardened metal. That would make them too brittle and they could possibly shatter with a hard landing.

Just torque the nuts down to specs, get out you little 3/8 drill, and make a hole to key them. The axle metal is easy to drill with any HSS drill bit.

Drill a hole and put your own key, or safety wire in it. The hole for the key will be outside the axle support points and not weaken the axle at all.

 

[Jdr00ejr]

COVID related supply chain issues changed the supplier for the axles on some machines. I'm not surprised it's different - and I wouldn't be concerned about not having the cotter pin either. As someone else mentioned one other unforeseen issue with this supplier change is that some machines are coming with axles where the center is not the same size as the original spec - the ones I've seen are hollow - just not a big enough diameter hollow - making the hitch install not possible. I know someone who had to wait months for a different axle to become available so he could get his hitch installed.

 

[SLICE]

When I made the attempt to do my tire this past Monday it was the first thing I noticed that there was no cotter pin.

Oh B.T.W. 2022 RT-L

 

[AstroTom]

Just did my first belt adjustment on my 2020 RTL - tracking was off giving me a minor belt chirp. When I pulled the cap to loosen the rear axle nut, there was no cotter pin. I purchased the bike used in early July, and thought, ok, the previous owner failed to replace it when changing the back tire, an easy fix. When I finished adjusting the belt, re-torqued the axle nut, and went to install a cotter pin, I couldn't get the pin through the other side of the axle. Looking closer, I noticed there was only a hole on one side of the axle, but not the other, making it impossible to install a cotter pin. Shouldn't this axle be drilled on both sides for a pin? If need be, I can drill the other side as long as the axle isn't hardened. Surely if there's one hole, there should be another? Having just one is odd, seeing that the inability to install a required cotter pin would easily caught during initial assembly. Yeah, I know, assuming the bike was assembled by someone who cared.

So, you late model owners, do your bikes have a cotter pin in the rear axle?

 

[Redbeard]

My 2023 RT limited does not have a cotter pin in it. The 2020 F3 did have a cotter key, so I was surprised when I changed the rear tire last month that the RT did not have one. The 2023 does not have a place for a cotter key either.

Just as a side note when you are checking adjustment on your belt make sure you do not back the byke up in reverse. Only move forward to check "credit card width" between the belt and flange of the rear pulley. I can't understand for the life of me but the belt moves going in reverse, but it does.