Don't know whatever to name this thread.

Overall I am very happy with my 13 SG. However, with that being said, I am very unhappy with the quality of threads on this bike. I had an issue with the threads on the bottom bolt that holds the outter fairing on. I had problems with it on day one when I took it off and ended up have to retap the thread in order to have the bolt go back in.

Then yesterday, I pulled the air filter assembly off to clean it due to it spraying oil on my saddlebag and dripping on on the tranny and pipes and I took the two top bolts off that hold the backing plate on not realizing I did not need to take it off in order to get the air filter off. That's neither here nor there. However, I go to put the left hand bolt back in.....and it's a no go. Bolt is screwing in crooked.

So in order to fix it....I had to go run to the hardware store, find out what the thread pattern was and then come home and yep...you guessed it retap the threds.

Then I noticed that since I retapped the threads, I had metal shavings in the hole and where does this hole go to....that's right, the head. So I have to get q-tips with vaseline and get the shavings out so they wouldnt be sucked into the engine and tear it up.

Harley needs to do better. Love my bike, but some of the quality of workmanship is subpar.

 

Hmmmmmmmm, haven't had any of those "thread" issues on my '11 Street Glide.
In fact, the quality of this bike is better than any brand I have had in the past.

Maybe more to this story than we know?

 

many fasteners are steel into aluminium.

this takes greater care and sometimes an antiseize paste

to start a bolt- turn it backwards ( counter clockwise) and feel for a click- at this point the threads are lined up and you can turn clockwise to start- this is best done by hand. use a wrench once the bolt is started.
( and some nuts may be left hand thread,,,clutch hub, 60's chrysler driver side lug nuts)

many of the high torque bolts are calculated to stretch and deform at spec'd torque- these are considered one-use.
rotor, drive pulley bolts fall into this category. if re-use is attempted, the deformed bolt threads can strip

mike

 

Nothing more to the story, what I told you is the story......thanks

 

I haven't had any issues of this sort. In fact no issues with either of my Harleys, or my Ducati or the KTM.

Right Tighty Lefty Loosey and if you can't turn it in by hand until the last couple of turns then something might not be right