The little ratchet and the two removed bolts. Photo: Mike Botan
I was working on Kim’s bike the other day, which gave genesis to this story and the question I am about to ask you. It all started when I attempted to install a luggage rack and top box on her bike. Without naming the make and model of the bike, it is manufactured by a brand known to be a “premium” manufacturer. Premium as in purported quality and premium pricing. Captive Panel Screws
To start the process of installing the accessories, one of the things I had to do was remove two small bolts that held the bike’s rear fender in place. So no big tools were necessary. After all, they were only holding a small piece of plastic. Because of the relatively cramped space, I chose to use a small ratchet driver no more than 3 inches long instead of a 1/4-inch socket wrench. I inserted the appropriate bit into the ratchet and started to remove the bolts.
The first bolt came out quickly and easily. I walked around to the other side of Kim’s bike and started to remove the second bolt. At first, it was coming out quite easily, but then it began to be more difficult to turn. I applied a little more pressure, and the bolt was still coming out, albeit slower. Still, I wasn’t applying a lot of pressure; remember, I was only using a 3-inch long ratchet.
But then, unexpectedly, I heard a single “crack,” and the bolt was free. Standing there with the bolt in my hand, I found the reason for the “crack” sound. The bolt had broken off at its tip, leaving about a 1/4 inch of itself in the threaded hole.
Really? The fastener had broken off while being turned with a 3-inch long ratchet. What was this company using to make its hardware, cheese? And now, I would have to extract the broken bolt bit in very tight quarters. I was not a happy camper.
Wondering why the bolt would break so easily, I inspected it a little more closely. And what I saw made me really wonder. Near the tip of the now broken bolt was some red material in the threads. Is that red some permanent thread locker in the threads? Photo: Mike Botan Safety first?
Is that red some permanent thread locker in the threads? Photo: Mike Botan
Could that be red “permanent” thread locker? Does using a permanent thread locker on a low-quality bolt makes sense?
I understand that this small bolt was holding up the rear fender. And for safety, the manufacturer likely wanted the bolt to be held securely in place. That makes sense. But why would they use such a low-quality bolt that would break apart when very minimal pressure was applied?
Does the manufacturer actually think that people won’t want or have to work on their machines at times? Well, if that’s the case, certainly certified technicians would have the same problem, wouldn’t they? Cross threaded?
Maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. Perhaps the bolt or the bolt insert was just cross-threaded at the factory. That could be part of the problem. If you look closely at the bolt’s threads, it looks like some of them are somewhat damaged. And the head of the bolt seems to have been scraping on something like the bolt insert as well. Ah, that’s it. Maybe it’s not the thread locker at all. Maybe it’s just that the bolt was cross threaded.
OK, I’ll buy that, but I must return to my original question. Why was this bolt so low-quality that it would snap under a light load? Penny pinching
Perhaps that’s a rhetorical question. Yup, it probably is. We all know the answer. Poor quality hardware costs less. Lower material costs mean higher profits. Good profits are what every investor wants to see each and every quarter. But why?
Today’s manufacturers build much more capable machines than they did a few years ago. Some might argue that the growth of capability has been nearly exponential over the last few decades. But with all this fantastic engineering, penny-pinching seems to be degrading the quality of these very capable and well-designed motos.
Perhaps what makes it more concerning is that this kind of “frugality” can be found on many bikes, including those of the “premium” manufacturers. And that’s a shame.
And if you think about it more, you might start wondering why well-engineered machines of both “normal” and “premium” brands are delivered with details that should have been taken care of by the factory based on the bike’s mission. Questions like: Why are footpegs so small on bikes designed to go off-road? Why are side stand feet so small? Why are many stock bash plates nearly useless?
You already likely know the answer. Capable, reliable, and…
Grub Screw Again, today’s bikes are among the most capable and reliable ever built. And I can understand that keeping costs down is important. But when cheap materials meet high-quality bikes, the result is a machine that fails both the buyer and the manufacturer.