Make it a routine to tighten your bolts

[TroutBum]

Last week while riding I heard what sounded like a flopping sound every time I hit a rough patch of road. I pulled over and could not find the source. When I got home and did a wipe down of the scooter I noticed the air cleaner housing was loose and that the hub breather tube had come off housing. The rear bolt holding the air cleaner assembly to the frame had worked it way loose and is on the side of the road somewhere. These days it seems no brick and mortar stores carry a decent inventory of metric bolts. My local hardware store had the replacement flange bolt I needed, but unfortunately it was zinc plated and not yellow zinc plated to match the original bolt that went missing. I ended up buying two of the zinc plated so at least the frame mounting bolts matched. I could not find a source online for yellow zinc plated metric flange bolts. Actually some of the Kymco parts sights had them which would cost around $3 for 2, but the charge $16 to ship! For now on I am going to check bolts and screws for tightness every month.

[MaryK]

There is a product called Loktite which prevents bolts and screws from coming loose.
Use the blue colored product.
http://www.useloctite.com/

It is applied before assembling the bolt+nut.

There is also a product for use on installed bolts.

Scoot safely,

[Vivo]

Start tightening bolts the moment you buy a scoot, any scoot...

[TroutBum]

I use the blue Loctite and will over time apply it to most of the screws and bolts on the scooter. Where bolts and nuts are used I might replace with nylon nuts.

[CROSSBOLT]

I had good luck with Fastenal, an industrial fastener supplier for stainless metric screws and bolts. Go to one in the sticks and they will sell 'em onesy-twosy. The Fastenal in the big cities only do boxes.

Karl

[TroutBum]

Sorry to take so long to reply. Thanks crossbolt for the info. I'll give Fastenal a call.

[PassedByAScooter]

Good post. A good reminder that the roads vibrations really do make an effect on all those nuts/bolts that hold the pieces together to make your scooter. My wife had her muffler cap fall off last year, and I now go through each scoot every weekend.  It's a good habit, and a good way to become familiar with your scooter (that grease wasn't there before! Haha). Yup, don't forget this and the pre ride inspection!

[91cavgt]

After reading this thread I checked the bolts on my 200i with just 125 miles on it.  I found several to be loose and found I had already lost one screw.     Time to go buy a tube of blue Loktite.