Everyone check bottom yoke pinch bolts!!

[Engineer]

Pretty clear that when you tighten the second one, the first one becomes less tight. Tis effect diminishes as you get them both to their actual final state.
I would expect that if you tighten them in turn until both are at the right torque, the will stay that way. ymmv.

I'm making this up as I go along so it might all be nonsense!

I have always though that it is impossible to get them all to the same torque as the bolts are so close together and the clamp so rigid. If one bolt is just a smidgen 'tighter' than the other then the torque of the other could be dramatically lower (the clamp has been squeezed up hence releases the torque on the other) - However if the tight one becomes a 'smidgen' looser (for whatever reason) then the other will become tighter.

On the other hand maybe once the clamp is in hard contact with the forks it has to distort a little so an even torque might be acheivable.

 

[twofat]

Victim

I have had first hand experience of the results of not checking these bolts. Out for a squirt with a couple of ktm guys, I bounced off a rock which twisted the front wheel in the yoke, so that the left disc was jammed hard against the left fork tube. Of course the front locked up and down I went I did some very painful soft tissue damage, which took a couple of months to come right.
Anyway, after the guys picked up the bike for me, we found the front wheel situation, so while one held the handlebars, the other tried to kick the front back to somewhere central. I suggested that we slacken the yoke bolts to make life easier and found them to be loose.
I had heard about this potential problem, but was waiting to get hold of a torque wrench to check them. I was working on the assumption that they would be ok.
My suggestion to anyone who hasn't done this check, DO IT NOW !!!!! And make it a regular check too.

 

[Boxerfrog]

Just checked mine after reading this thread and all 4 were about half a turn loose, loose enough to undo with a torx screwdriver!
Sounds like Cookie might have something?
Bike has done just over 2k & this is the first time i've checked them.

 

[THE DOCTOR]

Yup, mine were not the full 25Nm.

Got a good 45 degree turn on all bolts before the torque wrench clicked off.

Thanks for the 'heads up'.

 

[Happyhenry]

I've also torqued up my lower fork clamp - and they were a bit loose (eighth to quarter turn), even though I bought the 15-month-old bike only three weeks ago from a BMW dealer, where it had just had its umpty-point pre-sale safety check.
Needs a regular check methinks.

 

[alexw]

Pince Bolts?

What are these pince bolts and where should I check for this and what torque? Help it's all too much.

Alex ......

 

[John Armstrong]

What are these pince bolts and where should I check for this and what torque? Help it's all too much.

Alex ......

Look on the first page of this thread, pictures as well

 

[alexw]

Yep,

Many thanks, just checked mine and most of them turned a 1/4 turn till torqued.

 

[Engineer]

Pince Bolts? are they French?

 

[Perren]

Checked mine, 2006 (reg Jan 07) not up to torque, they are now! I'll also paint-mark them.
Thanks for the warning.
Perren

 

[cookie]

fitted wunderlich steering stops a couple of thousand miles ago. don't appear to have come loose since. not actually put a torque wrench on them, but they're certainly tight

i don't imagine constantly retorquing is very good for the whole assembly.

 

[Ribcracker]

Reading this reminds me to go get a set of torque bits.

 

[Eng]

PINCH BOLTS

Hi
just took delivery of new 1200 yesterday, and expected to have to torque the bolts, but they were all fine and dandy!!! Perhaps BMW have sorted it, or perhaps it is just the excellent dealership! (probably the dealer) Astle at Laceby.
Cheers
Eng

 

[John Armstrong]

Hi
just took delivery of new 1200 yesterday, and expected to have to torque the bolts, but they were all fine and dandy!!! Perhaps BMW have sorted it, or perhaps it is just the excellent dealership! (probably the dealer) Astle at Laceby.
Cheers
Eng

Same for me on my 07 GSA

 

[shdashley]

I bought a Dec '06 1200GSA a few datys ago. Only had 1400kms on the clock. Anyhow had a long'ish trip back home (2800Kms is 32.5 hours non-stop drive, 2 up drivers). My bike was loading in the back of my ute into the RHS front corner. when I got home and got to take the new joy for a ride I notice that the bars where out slightly.

Tanks to this forum, I found the soloution and issue real quick. Yep my pintch bold were about loose. All OK now though...

Cheers,
Stephen.
Alice Springs,
Outback Oz.

 

[pete1200]

Thanks

Thanks for the warning, 2 of mine needed half a turn to correct torque.

 

[gahewson]

pinch bolts loose

Initial joy at having finally collected my GS yesterday I set about fitting all those bits I've ever wanted!! You know LED indicators front and rear, fender extender, nose peak, fastaway footpegs, engine bars etc but following a recent read of your pinch bolt issue I thought I'd just check mine.

My bike is two years old and done 1000 miles and the 30 miles I did on the way home yesterday. Today I discovered my pinch bolts we all loose - quarter to half a turn!! Now all at 25NM and tell-tale line painted for quick reference. I decided against using any loctite as yet although I'm open to evidence to suggest otherwise.

Thanks for the info guys, much apreciated.

Looking forward to commuting on Monday (50 miles each way, everyday!!)

Geoff

 

[cookie]

Now all at 25NM and tell-tale line painted for quick reference.

i wouldn't rely on that. bin there, done that.

my experience suggests it's not the bolts loosening in the yokes, it's the fork legs coming loose in the yokes, so the bolts are then loose.

 

[Perren]

bolts loosening in the yokes,

i wouldn't rely on that. bin there, done that.

my experience suggests it's not the bolts loosening in the yokes, it's the fork legs coming loose in the yokes, so the bolts are then loose.

I really have a problem understanding how, without shrinking, the fork legs can come loose, - forgive me if it was a joke!

Please explain!

 

[cookie]

I really have a problem understanding how, without shrinking, the fork legs can come loose, - forgive me if it was a joke!

Please explain!

it's not a joke.

bolts came loose a couple of times after i did them up with a torque wrench, a couple would be finger tight. can't keep doing that i thought...

i torqued up the bolts and marked them. tested again 1000 miles later & they were loose, but the marks showed the bolts had not rotated. for this reason, i can't see how loctite would help.

don't know the explanation, but i can tell you what i've done about it.

1) got wunderlich hard part which mounts on those same screws. don't imagine it made much difference to the problem, but i did it at the same time & so might have some bearing.

2) radical one this, i admit: i chucked away the torque wrench.

doing bolt up to set stage with the torque wrench inevitable loosened the previous one. even doing it in many stages had this effect so i did it by (experienced) hand, it gives a much smoother tightening operation. i didn't do them terribly tight, just what seemed right.

never loosened since in 3000+ miles. coincidently, i checked it this morning, it was fine