General Product Installation tips and tricks

INSTALLATION TIPS AND TRICKS

From years of fielding questions regarding product installations, specs, tools, etc, we thought we’d put together a chronological “how to install that part on your machine” presentation to walk through a general installation and thought process.

This way we can remind all you experienced mechanics of the basics, and hopefully encourage you budding “do it yourselfers” that the process is not as intimidating as it may look. As always, if you are unsure, PLEASE contact a professional…or at least an experienced friend that you can bribe with pizza and beer!!

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

Open it!
Inventory the package
- Instructions (with parts list) – READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!!
- Verify all parts are included - Inventory Bolt specs listed – How to read
  - SAE v Metric
  - How to measure screw/bolt
    - Diameter (M6, M8, etc)
    - Length - NOT including the head (except for countersunk screws/bolts)
    - Thread Pitch
    - Normal – Based on diameter
    - Coarse/Fine
- If something is missing – STOP and notify the merchant
If installing more than one item, make sure you are preparing to install them together, not individually, if they overlap.

TOOLS

What tools are needed – Basic Garage Tools – Above and beyond the under-seat toolkit
The right tool for the job!!! (good excuse to buy tools as you need them)
- Torque Wrench
  - Is not a breaker bar!!!! (and visa versa)
  - Most accurate 25-75% of it’s effective range
  - Extensions and step-ups/downs will affect the actual torque
  - Zero your torque wrench when finished.
- Service Manual

PREP

Bike
- What do you need to take apart
  - What implications will that have on existing bike set up?
  - Additional tools needed?
Work Environment
- Lifts or stands?
- Enough room to work around the bike
- Do you need a 2^nd set of hands?
- How to organize pieces/hardware as they come off the bike
  - Work Bench organization
  - A specific table for the project
  - Magnetic bowl for hardware
  - Put hardware back IN THE BIKE where they go.

MOCK UP

Make sure it won’t interfere with something else already in place (brackets, covers, seats, suspension
Check wire routing
Sometimes this is the longest process, sometimes its super quick

IF MECHANICAL…

Assemble Loose, then tighten systematically when everything is in place
Sometimes there’s no 1, 2, 3…
Thread-locker "Loctite"
- Adheres the threads so they don’t back out due to vibration
- Keeps threads from corroding
- Use on (almost) everything!
- Removable (use, typically blue colored)
- Permanent (avoid!! Typically red colored )
Proper Torque specs
- You don’t want to:
  - under-torque (too loose)
  - OR over-torque (will damage, break, stress, strip, crack, deform, shear, snap, jam, and any other bad things I missed when done or eventually) Just don't do it...

IF ELECTRICAL…

Routing wires
- Away from heat
- Don’t secure to moving lines/cables
- Follow stock wiring harness routing if possible
Fuses
- Use smallest fuse possible
- Make sure they’re accessible to change
- Carry spares
Power Distribution
- Don’t stack the battery terminals
  - Corrosion (dielectric grease on contacts and in sockets to prevent and make disconnecting easier)
- Don’t replace battery terminal bolts
  - Need to be lead
- Aux fuse block/Master ground block
Connections to wires on the bike
- Posi-Taps vice strip/splice/solder

DOUBLE CHECK AND TEST PRIOR TO REASSEMBLY

Don’t want to put the bike back together to find out something is missing or doesn’t work properly

REASSEMBLE AND TEST

Test part again
Perform a full once-over on the whole bike – MSF T-CLOCS
- Turn bars
- Throttle operation
- Brakes (pump if wheels were off)
- Wheels spin/Tire pressure
- Lights/Signals
- MAKE SURE NO TOOLS ARE FORGOTTEN ON BIKE/FOOTPEGS/ETC…!!!

CLEAN UP

Also serves as a good double check that all tools are put away and not on the bike

TEST and Ride

Controlled environment (especially if the mod was something involving controls…i.e. Throttle Lock/Handguards/etc…)
ENJOY!