loose shock bolts

Had the Smrfmobile in the dealership on Saturday and they noticed that the bolts at the top of my shocks were very loose. These are the bolts that the rear brackets attach to for the Tow-Pac kit. It was observed that the factory bolts were used but lacked length due to adding the kit and that no lock-tite or other additional fasteners were used. I AM very disappointed that the kit didn't come with longer replacement bolts and that my installer didn't take the initiative to change the bolts or use lock-tite. The dealer found this at the end of the work day on Saturday so I had to leave the Smrfmobile for them to do the work tomorrow. The job of the dealer getting in there and changing them out to longer bolts is estimated at possibly as long as 6 hours...this possibly will cost me more than my initial install fees...and VERY disappointing.

Initiative is the word....I did an installation just yesterday where the factory bolts are to be used. Once I put them in, I didn't feel that they were long enough....so I replaced them. I have done many kits on this exact same bike where the factory bolts have worked fine, but today they didn't--this is because while two bike are the same model...they are not the exact same.

One more VERY VERY important note. In the instructions it says to periodically check for bolt tightness. It also says this on a lot of the trike frames that are shipped out. The bolts will loosen..I tell every customer of mine to check them every few hundred miles just to be on the safe side....a bit of an overkill...maybe, but I feel better safe than sorry. I also tell them, if you have trouble with one backing out more often than others...to put "lock-tite" on them.
I find that they are more prone to loosening at the beginning..please keep that in mind.

Good luck and be safe,

Tony Molina
Cycle Stuff

P.S. If the dealer is charging you 6 hours of labor to change some bolts...that is rediculous..I can disassemble the kit, reassemble the kit and take the bike on a ride for lunch and a movie in 6 hours and I am NO mechanic.
Also, if replacing the bolts...be sure to use "grade 8" bolts, they are much stronger. You can tell a "grade 8 bolt" by little dashes on the heads...6 dashes is grade 8.

The dealer did not do the initial install...butthe particular tech working on the scoot on Sat could not see a way of reaching the bolts to change them/tighten them without removing my side fairings and the seat well. they're hoping with a full arsenal of techs in today that someone either knew a different way to reach them or had a tool that could otherwise the 6 hours was 'hopefully' their worse case scenario quote...yes YIKES would make it more expensive than the initial install costs.