Loose Bolts

[sgreene]

I actually noticed these issues some time ago but it bugs me everytime I hear a noise on my bike. I'm waiting for something to come loose and fall off. I've come across several loose bolts on my bike. I received it with 0 miles and as I replace things I'm finding them, some of them safety concerns. 
 
Anyone else experience these issues?
 
Replaced handle bars with Woodcrafts, 3 out of 4 bolts were loose that hold the bar to the frame. 
Replaced license plate mount and blinkers, several miscellaneous loose body bolts. 
Replaced exhaust, 1 of 2 bolts on each header was loose. 
Oil was overfilled by at least 1 to 1 and 1/4 cups to get down to full line. 
 
Dealer response was "We don't assemble them here, they come assembled on the crate".  
 
If the body was assembled so poorly, I can't imagine that the internals were treated much better. 

[YZEtc]

The dealer's full of it.
They require some assembly from the shipping crate, including the mounting of the handlebar.

[norcal616]

They the dealership gotta put the front wheel on, handle bars, install/hook up battery and add fluids, etc...

[guylee]

Only thing I've noticed is that the front clutch and mirror asembly can be rotated on the bar by hand, but it takes a little bit M.A.N.

[bugeyes]

For me it have been the opposite, some bolts tight as ....
 
The delership should have checked the bolts at delivery and then again at the first service. It's important to after torque the screws and nuts on a new bike (or any other mechine).

[Zephyr]

Same issues with my bike. I sent the dealer an email as I bought out of state. Never heard back from them. The handlebar bolts on my bike were too loose to ride when it arrived. I did a once over the best that I could at the "docks" before riding, then went through a bit better when I did the 2WDW flash and headlight bulb change out. I am pretty confident that all bolts are tight and to spec at this point. Kindof freaked me out at the beginning as this is my first bike.

[ralph]

For me it have been the opposite, some bolts tight as .... 
The delership should have checked the bolts at delivery and then again at the first service. It's important to after torque the screws and nuts on a new bike (or any other mechine).

Same with mine everything so tight it's a wounder nothing is stripped.

[johnakay]

just use a thread lock. even glue for plastics would do .
I've had several new bikes and some bolts have come loose.
I didn't have any thread lock but glue for plastics and believe it or not it work.
bolts/nuts never came undone after that.
just make sure that the reads are clean.
 

[YZEtc]

Actually, the bike comes out of the crate with oil in the engine and the engine and radiator full of coolant.
The guy doing the assembly and/or pre-delivery inspection is supposed to double-check those, but doesn't have to actually pour in 2.6 liters of oil or 1.85 liters of coolant.
I can see having to add about 10 ounces of coolant to the plastic coolant reservoir in order to put the coolant level between the upper and lower marks, though, and I suspect the reservoir is intentionally shipped empty in case the crate tips over and so coolant will not spill out of the non-sealed reservoir.
 
I can see the engine being over-filled with oil from the factory by 8 or 12 ounces, too.
Sounds normal enough to me, not because it's the best thing in the world, but due simply to slight inadvertent over-filling (harmless).
 
Believe it or not, it's possible to have somebody doing the assembly or pre-delivery inspection to add engine oil, thinking that the engine is empty of oil, when it is actually filled with oil because the fresh oil is almost clear.
They can be looking through the oil in the oil level window and not realize it.

[Beemer]

Others and I have noticed Loctite blue 242 (< what's with the numbers 4 and 2 today? > 4242 posts) on bolt threads that don't require the stuff and have taken the pleasure out of unscrewing, ha! On my bike I've only found things over tightened. It's the dealership's assembler doing what they see fit. Is it even a certified mechanic or just some kid fresh out of high school? Anyone know for sure? Does it have to be a certified mechanic to do 'assembly' at a dealership?
 
(I understand the analogy but I don't think we're at connecting the dots just yet.)
 
 
 

[Beemer]

just use a thread lock. even glue for plastics would do . I've had several new bikes and some bolts have come loose.
I didn't have any thread lock but glue for plastics and believe it or not it work.
bolts/nuts never came undone after that.
just make sure that the reads are clean.

Just be careful not to use too strong a Loctite or "glue" on bolts you may want to take off in the future. In such case, you want resistance to the screw backing out, not being stuck and creating a different monster. Come to think of it, many screws don't require anything like Loctite, they just need to be tightened properly and they won't come loose easily. 

[faffi]

I dislike Loctite or similar and will rarely use it even when prescribed. Like on the damper rod bolt. Never had one come out by itself. Getting them out at all is a much bigger issue. But of course there are places where it is required, like bolts that cannot be torqued very hard and yet have to withstand vibrations.
 
As Beemer points out, though, most bolts and nuts will do just fine on their own when properly torqued down. I use a high-quality torque wrench on almost everything, although I have developed a pretty decent feel for how hard things needs to be tightened. But the feel did not before I had stripped bolts and threads a few times and then using the torque wrench to verify how close I could get by myself. Today, as mentioned, I use a torque wrench plus "feel" instead of just relying on the wrench - if something feels wrong I recheck both the numbers on the wrench, the manual, the threads etc. to make sure I'm not stripping stuff. So far this has worked for me.
 

[gregjet]

MANY owners have reported loose AND overtight bolts all over the 07. I always go around a bike when I get it and check the torque settings ( no I am not OCD. Just experience). On my bike very few settings were any near correct. One of the engine bolts was actually stripped from the factory. Many were so tight they turned the gripping surfaces when loosening them ( footplates in particular). It is a quirk of this bike.
Torque wrench, quality sockets and allen and torx pieces and locktte and the table of torque settings will give you piece of mind. Be prepared to have to replace bolts that round off when you try to UN-DO them.
If it's any consulation my BMW F800R had the clutch lever bolt vibrate off the second time I rode it, before I did the check. Followed almost immediately by the clutch lockout switch breaking off by itself.

[avanti]

More dealer BS, pure and simple. they often employ little more than minimum-wage ninnies, at best. I've seen dealers install the handlebars on 07s so low they hit and damage the "tank." I suggest you at least check the critical fasteners yourself. Any that are discernibly loose get a good torque wrench and do them yourself. Back the fastener off a bit so that you can get a legit reading at the specified setting and be aware of any fasteners the Shop Manual says have thread-lock or anti-seize since the install torque must be adjusted accordingly unless the specs clearly say this is taken into account.
 
Btw, I've written here repeatedly how to "break loose" fasteners so as to not damage them or the pieces they fasten into.  DO NOT just PUSSSSH on the wrench until the fastener is damaged or worse.  Smartly rap on the handle of the wrench at the end to "pop" it loose.  Many old car Shop Manuals used to say to disassemble things like head-bolts and so forth with an impact wrench for this vary reason.  I've yet to see any 07 fastener that I could not easily get loose in this fashion.
 
One final thing related to dealers, I'd be very suspicious of ANY vehicle delivered with "0 miles" on it.  Obviously, no one rode it even the slightest distance after assembly to check it out.  Mine came right out of the crate when I bought it (the crate trucked in from another dealer) and it was delivered with three miles plus on it.  Well and good with me!  No issues on my 70 mile ride home... or otherwise.