06 softie standard, did a 10k for a bud and was moving the bike back and forth testing the grab of the clutch after doing a clutch adjustment. Got off the bike and found an acorn nut lying on the ground with a broken bolt inside. Looked and looked and finally found the lower bolt on the chrome belt guard was busted off. Upon checking, it's an acorn stud (inconveniently in stock nowhere). I ended up making one using a 5/16-18 exhaust stud and cutting it off and putting the acorn end back on that. Is this a common breaking point on a softie? I noticed the bolt within the acorn is actually an allen type set screw which means a good portion of the stud is hollow to allow for the allen wrench

 

Dawg, I was just moving some stuff around in my garage today and I have a belt guard with that bolt that I'm not using. If you want the stock bolt let me know it's yours..

 

Thanks for the offer, but I made one for him that seems to work pretty slick so I think he's all set.

 

Hollow bolts are known to break like that.
But that's the first time I have ever heard of that particular bolt breaking.
Its a good thing it fell off the way it did so you could find it.
Otherwise it might have let the guard get into the belt at highway speed later on.

That may or may not have done any serious physical harm to anything more than the belt or guard.
But I'll bet good money that the noise it made as it got banged around in there would have had whoever was riding it at the time looking for clean underwear.

PS I hope you put a little Lock-Tite on the new bolt's threads.

 

Too funny (not really but) I had read your thread when you first posted but at the time couldn't contribute. I was cleaning my bike up yesterday for a show today and I found the same bolt on my 06 was gone!

 

I've got one missing too.. only its the rearmost lower stud/nut.. i keep forgetting to get one and put it in.. everytime i hear the card in the bicycle spoke noise( maybe once a month if that) i keep saying, i got to get me a bolt for that guard.. lol..