Stripped out handlebar bolt :(

[RICZ]

All is not lost. Contact Lamonster and see if you can return the Ram mount in exchange for a cuff mount. Then there is nothing to remove, just fasten the cuff to you handlebar.
The stripped bolt is still securing the handlebar, so no structural integrity has been lost. If you don't want to see that bolt, get a pair of hole covers at your hardware store.
Here's a link to the cuff....
http://www.lamonstergarage.com/can-am-spyder-rt-cuff-cuff-only-parts-accessories-lamonster/

 

[davev1pa]

Really sounds nightmarish...but it makes me glad I didn't but the ram mount stem that goes in one of those 4 bolt holes....

 

[MONK]

RICZ---I've got the cuff. I just don't like the phone up there. Even if I never added the other RAM mount, I still know I have that busted up bolt. There are other things I want to do to the Can Am but I know I don't dare touch them for fear of messing things up. I can't afford to pay someone to do everything.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Sometimes the situation just gets the best of the toughest, smartest, most tenacious, meanest, orneriest, person, be he saint or otherwise. Feel free to be frustrated, upset, and whatever else. In a few days those feelings will subside and you'll reconsider your future action. Bite the bullet and let someone else tackle it, like a local machinist. Don't limit yourself to the dealer. He may not be any smarter than the whole lot of us who have been with you throughout this ordeal. I believe in time this frustration will pass, and the joys of riding the Spyder will allow it fade into the past.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Monk, here's what I think you should do. The best way to get a good grip on the bolt is to weld a rod onto the bolt head. That'll give you plenty of iron to get a good solid grip with a pair of Vise-Grips. I'm going to presume you are not a welder based on what you've said about your mechanical skills. So where to go to find a welder who can tackle this? A machine shop is a good possibility. Another one would be a muffler shop. Mufflers and exhaust pipes are thin and those guys use wire feed welders which can weld thin beads, just what is needed in the tight space around the bolt head. I'm not sure the bolts are stainless steel like PinkRosePetal says. I checked the ones off my 2014 that I took out when I installed the Tri-Axis bars. They are magnetic so they're either plated steel or ferritic stainless steel. Muffler guys weld on that type of stainless all the time.

Check with the dealer and see if he can get BRP to cover this as warranty item. It's an assembly defect if you can't disassemble it like you're supposed to be able to.

Good luck.

 

[cptjam]

What MAC said. Relax. If I had a nickel for all the fasteners I’ve ruined I’d have enough nickels to retire! It’s holding the handlebar, right? So tight NOBODY can get it off? Let it alone! Put a drop of grease in there, and go ride! You might not be a great mechanic. So what! If it still bothers you 10,000 miles later, have it fixed. Meanwhile, it just doesn’t matter!
I had a friend ask me today about my shop rate. I had assumed he was ok with wrenches. He has a sportster that leaks like the Exxon Valdez! He recognized it was beyond him, and asked for help. So, relax! Go ride!!!

 

[Teeman]

I worked with cap screw on Navy gear for over 40 years they can be a pain in the A--, get a subby e-z out set smack the right size in the head that might work it loss and you shouldn't round the allen out or the next thing to do is drill the bolt to relive the pressure. good luck

 

[94gnatsum]

I guess I'll explain more on what I wrote before. The penetrating oil will work its way down the threads to the thread sealant while tapping the head of the bolt. Repeating this several times while waiting 5-10 minutes between applications will hopefully get further and further down into the threads. The tapping on the head helps the penetrating oil to move down the threads, the time between applications allow the PB Blast dissolve the thread sealer. There is always a chance it may or may not work but I've had a ton of success in my 30+ years as an industrial mechanic applying this method. Best of luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[merlot]

hi monk
can you take it to a fab shop or exhaust shop?i think this was already mentioned
have them weld an 8mm bolt into the stuck bolt
the heat from the welding process will soften the loctite and the bolt will come right out
make sure the bike is fully wrapped as splatter will ruin your day

when you finish,run a tap down the thread,then remove the yellow loctite from the new bolt and put a lower strength loctite on it

russ

 

[davev1pa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMrDYJvY0Ts

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...ECO5eM5mrufL0HkXJh8aAj9qEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I've used this method with some success

 

[speedycoop]

I think Merlot has the best method at this time (nut would also work ). A Tig welder would be ideal, just make sure to unhook battery and ground the welder to the handlebars.

 

[bluewoo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDOWPekMX44

Wish one of us could just go help him out.

 

[MONK]

Update: Went to the dealer today. They said it wouldn't qualify for warranty work as I was the one who messed it up, not the dealer. They couldn't remove it and said the only thing they can do is drill out the head ("hopefully without damaging the bars" according to the mechanic), remove the entire top end, finish drilling out the bolt from underneath, then reinstalling everything. About $500 worth of work. If I have someone other than a dealer mess with it and something else gets damaged, BRP won't warranty that, either and I'd be out even more money. /sigh/

 

[bikerbillone]

Holy you know what, there's a dilemma. That's why I'm letting the dealer install the BRM passenger rests I bought off this forum, I would sure screw something up, I'm good at that.

 

[PMK]

Update: Went to the dealer today. They said it wouldn't qualify for warranty work as I was the one who messed it up, not the dealer. They couldn't remove it and said the only thing they can do is drill out the head ("hopefully without damaging the bars" according to the mechanic), remove the entire top end, finish drilling out the bolt from underneath, then reinstalling everything. About $500 worth of work. If I have someone other than a dealer mess with it and something else gets damaged, BRP won't warranty that, either and I'd be out even more money. /sigh/

Not sure why the dealer would choose to drill from below. Drill off the head, remove the other bolts. Raise the handlebars and use Vice Grips or a small pipe wrench to remove the bolt stub.

Bummer you are so far away, I would do this for you, or better still teach you how while using my tools.

 

[LifeLongRider]

Drill off the head, remove the other bolts. Raise the handlebars and use Vice Grips or a small pipe wrench to remove the bolt stub.

A good idea but make sure to heat the stud up really well before trying to twist it our or you make break the stud again. Heat should soften up the yellow thread locker enough to get the stud out easily.

 

[carbonation]

That is not a 500 repair.
A welder with a tig machine and 20 minutes would have that out.
Said it before. When working with Allen or Torx the bit is the most important piece.
Still like my VIM bits. Never let me down.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Time to pursue some of the suggestions we've offered earlier.

 

[MONK]

Time to pursue some of the suggestions we've offered earlier.

And what happens when one of those unapproved fixes breaks something else. Then I'd still have $500 (or more) into a fix.

 

[PMK]

A good idea but make sure to heat the stud up really well before trying to twist it our or you make break the stud again. Heat should soften up the yellow thread locker enough to get the stud out easily.

The original poster stripped the internal wrenching flats for the Allen wrench, not snapped the head of the bolt off. If the bolt snaps, that seems like 110% a safety issue.