Poor Design

[RIX97]

I love Honda's, I've been riding them since 1967 and have always admired their ingenuity and quality but there is at least one idea on this current bike that is just plain dumb. I had to take the rear bottom section of the fender off my '98 Valk, easy enough to do, one screw on top and two more, one on each side. These are the two problem bolts when you're trying to put them back in place, they go through a chrome piece, through the upper part of the rear fender and then into the bottom fender with a nut supposedly help captive but that square nut slips down because of gravity. There is no access to the back of the nut so you can't move it in place. I've used some silicon to hold it in place, hopefully that works but what a poor design.

[Savage]

I remedies this by replacing the front and rear bolts with metric threaded rod. Cut the square nut cage out of the fender, captured the threaded rod in the fender with bolts and washers inside and outside the fender. Now the saddlebags can also be removed whenever I want without dropping the fender - just removed a couple nuts and washers.

[RIX97]

I remedies this by replacing the front and rear bolts with metric threaded rod. Cut the square nut cage out of the fender, captured the threaded rod in the fender with bolts and washers inside and outside the fender. Now the saddlebags can also be removed whenever I want without dropping the fender - just removed a couple nuts and washers.

Good idea

[Chrisj CMA]

Or you can simply reach under there and with a finger push the rectangular nut back up into place and get the bolt started. It's really quite easy 

[h13man]

Or you can simply reach under there and with a finger push the rectangular nut back up into place and get the bolt started. It's really quite easy 

That pretty much what I did but the silicone idea sounds good also.

[RonW]

if memory serves, one method was to grab the rear fender    at 'X'   at A and finagle the fender back and forth to align the cage nut.

[Jess from VA]

I do that with my pants all the time.   

[six2go #152]

Or you can simply reach under there and with a finger push the rectangular nut back up into place and get the bolt started. It's really quite easy 

But most Valkyries are "dirty" under there. 

[ridingron]

Or you can simply reach under there and with a finger push the rectangular nut back up into place and get the bolt started. It's really quite easy 

But most Valkyries are "dirty" under there. 

I doubt he's ever experienced that on his bike!   

[ridingron]

if memory serves, one method was to grab the rear fender at 'X' and finagle the fender back and forth to align the cage nut.

Wouldn't that be grab the fender at "A"?   

[RonW]

whoops

[MarkT]

I never remove my fender.  To change the tire, lift the bike on a table lift, lift the back of the bike with a screw-platform jack using my mounted lift adapter, and lower the back wheel and swingarm after removing the shocks, with another screw-platform table jack under the tire.  I have a Hitchdoc trailer hitch but I do it this way with my other 2 Valks as well.  These are lifts I have anyway, very useful for other tasks but work well for this.

[HappyTrails]

I love Honda's, I've been riding them since 1967 and have always admired their ingenuity and quality but there is at least one idea on this current bike that is just plain dumb. I had to take the rear bottom section of the fender off my '98 Valk, easy enough to do, one screw on top and two more, one on each side. These are the two problem bolts when you're trying to put them back in place, they go through a chrome piece, through the upper part of the rear fender and then into the bottom fender with a nut supposedly help captive but that square nut slips down because of gravity. There is no access to the back of the nut so you can't move it in place. I've used some silicon to hold it in place, hopefully that works but what a poor design.

Did that the other day after experimenting removing the sidebags. 5min to tale off the brackets, 30min to put back in place lol