Toughest aftermaket part to install

[Soarezito]

I am not a mechanic, but have the commonsense to be able to go through the manuals and have installed quite some aftermaket parts in my NC700X.

After having installed myself GIVI crashbars, touring screen and rear rack, Radiator guard, arrow slip on silencer, swmotech skid plate, puig adjustable brake and clutch lever and the center stand, the hardest by far was the center stand.

For sure was because don't have the proper tool, but was the only part I needed a second hand (my wife) to help me as I used the rear disc holes to make a pulling device in order to place that f#$%ing spring in place.

All the rest had no problem doing it alone.

What was your sweating and swearing part to be installed??

 

[CB4ME]

I used the rope trick for the centerstand install. I read about that on this forum. Plus I also learned that if the stand didn't fully retract to make sure the small spring was attached. Mine wasn't and I had to unhook the large spring and start again. But it didn't take more than 45 minutes. My PLOT skid pad took longer.

I'm not comfortable working inside engines, but everything else is fair game if I have the right tools.

 

[mreric]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-LfhefbXCU

i used this trick. nice that someone is always more intelligent then ourselves and the internet has allowed us to share ideas.

 

[670cc]

I am not a mechanic, but have the commonsense to be able to go through the manuals and have installed quite some aftermaket parts in my NC700X.

After having installed myself GIVI crashbars, touring screen and rear rack, Radiator guard, arrow slip on silencer, swmotech skid plate, puig adjustable brake and clutch lever and the center stand, the hardest by far was the center stand.

For sure was because don't have the proper tool, but was the only part I needed a second hand (my wife) to help me as I used the rear disc holes to make a pulling device in order to place that f#$%ing spring in place.

All the rest had no problem doing it alone.

What was your sweating and swearing part to be installed??

I think most people that installed the main stand using the alternate method provided in the Honda directions did so without any sweat and tears. That method simply involved installing the springs first, then installing the pivot bolt, using the stand as a lever to align it in place. A second person to tap the bolt in place with a rubber mallet made the process fairly easy. 10 minute job once you had read the directions and had your tools and help in place.

That being said, the stand installation is detailed in other posts, so it's not my intent to reopen that discussion here.

The two most frustrating aftermarket items I installed were:
1) A custom length front brake line. The frustration came from the fact that the hose leaked at the fitting on the bottom end and I had to fight with the vendor and get a new one shipped a week later.
2) Kapa (Givi) crash bars that were built incorrectly. Tried to fit them to no avail. I had to convince the vendor that I was not an idiot and the bars were actually built wrong. A week and a half later I finally was able install properly made bars.

 

[ziggie]

Front fender extender.drilling 3 holes into fender you only get one shot at it.

 

[DanH]

Front fender extender.drilling 3 holes into fender you only get one shot at it.

3M VHB two sided tape. They use it to affix external aluminum sheeting to aeroframes; I figured it would be sufficient for my fender extender. No sweat.

My biggest pain was replacing a front signal light. You pretty much have to strip all the plastics from the side of the bike to get it. Its the putting back together that is painful. The big black side cowl is not a friendly piece to put back together and there was much cursing and after 90 minutes or so, it's installed but not quite correctly.

 

[L.B.S.]

Two items for me. One was removing and reinstalling the throttle cable ends into the plastic barrel grooves when installing my heated grips, and the other is trying to get those confounded clips and tangs into the slots of the upper fairing plastics at the top of the cowl on either side of the headlight. Arrrrrg

 

[PadrePoint]

I am not looking forward to changing the headlamp if/when it burns out.
I had a couple moments installing the side racks (for Trax panniers) when one side wasn't matching the holes in the already installed top rack, loosening everything (including the top rack) provided enough room for all of the holes to match... everything worked.
And, the string trick for the center stand spring... GREAT tip.

 

[FJIMR]

3M VHB two sided tape. They use it to affix external aluminum sheeting to aeroframes; I figured it would be sufficient for my fender extender. No sweat.

My biggest pain was replacing a front signal light. You pretty much have to strip all the plastics from the side of the bike to get it. Its the putting back together that is painful. The big black side cowl is not a friendly piece to put back together and there was much cursing and after 90 minutes or so, it's installed but not quite correctly.

Amen Brother. I fought with those plastics for too long. There has to be a trick to it. If I hear of it, I'll let you know.

Jim

 

[silverhound]

Removing the stock handlebar bar weights gave me the most fits but in retrospect I was probably being impatient. Center-stand wasn't too much of a big deal but it was memorable as immediately afterwards while about to show my wife how to use it is when she dropped the bike on herself and broke her ankle. Plastics are a bit of a PITA but it's one of those things that after you do it once you kinda get a feel for how they come off/go back on especially where the front panel mates with the beak.

 

[mfabache]

3M VHB two sided tape. They use it to affix external aluminum sheeting to aeroframes; I figured it would be sufficient for my fender extender. No sweat.

I am interested in this workaround as I do not care to permanently impact the stock fender. DanH, how long have you had this on the fender - weeks, months, seasons, years?
I am mentally working on some disastrous outcomes, i.e. the fender comes off. If so, worst case is my back tire rolls over it, or it gets flung into an oncoming car. Not familiar with this tape but would like to try this method out.

 

[ST13Fred]

installing the springs first, then installing the pivot bolt, using the stand as a lever to align it in place.

It goes together quite easily doing it this way; attaching the spring AFTER installing the pivot bolt is doing it the hard way.

 

[buckshot]

So far, on this bike, it's been the heated grips. In particular getting the throttle cables off the factory throttle tube. Ended up butchering the tube a bit in the end since I was getting fed up with it and didn't want to mess up the cable. I've never had that kind of difficulty getting a cable out of something before. New throttle grip had its own tube installed and came with a variety of cable cams, so I didn't loose any sleep over the Honda part ending up in the garbage.

 

[DanH]

I am interested in this workaround as I do not care to permanently impact the stock fender. DanH, how long have you had this on the fender - weeks, months, seasons, years?
I am mentally working on some disastrous outcomes, i.e. the fender comes off. If so, worst case is my back tire rolls over it, or it gets flung into an oncoming car. Not familiar with this tape but would like to try this method out.

Going on two years now in Seattle winters. VHB stands for "very high bond". You have to be careful to get your fender in the right spot the first time or it isn't coming off. To break the bond, you need to freeze it a strike it with a chisel or something at the bond point. It's tough stuff.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[ST13Fred]

I agree, I backed off one of the cable attach points on the engine and still could not loosen things up enough. I think one has to loosen both cables there, even disconnect them completely
to get enough slack at the throttle end. The SM says only 'disconnect' and there is nothing on u-tube that I could find. I broke one strand on the cable getting it off.

 

[DanH]

So far, on this bike, it's been the heated grips. In particular getting the throttle cables off the factory throttle tube. Ended up butchering the tube a bit in the end since I was getting fed up with it and didn't want to mess up the cable. I've never had that kind of difficulty getting a cable out of something before. New throttle grip had its own tube installed and came with a variety of cable cams, so I didn't loose any sleep over the Honda part ending up in the garbage.

I replaced my bars last night and contemplated installing the heated grips that have sat in my cupboard since I bought the bike but didn't get to it. I didn't want to start a project I couldn't or didn't want to finish since my daughter and I have a ride out to the tulip fields planned for today - rain or shine - most likely rain.

http://www.tulipfestival.org/growers

 

[BerndM]

Just a side note here on the use of 3M VHB double sided tape.
The stuff is nothing short of miraculous. It will stick super strong to just about anything as long as you clean BOTH sides with Isopropyl Alcohol first and let it dry a minute.
Surprisingly, it comes off without toooo much effort if you apply a STEADY, and continuous force to separate the parts. Try yanking and jerking and it will fight you tooth and nail.
When you try to separate 2 parts, it seems undoable at first but then it will slowly start to peel apart. It also separates well using a twisting motion, like you were unscrewing the lid from a jar.
The really cool thing is if you do it slowly, it usually comes off in one piece and it leaves zero residue. Nothing!

 

[Chestnut]

For some reason hubby likes putting farkles on the bike, even though he refuses to do any kind of maintenance. So I've avoided most of the frustration there. But I had to reinstall my trackside hand guards last week and if there had been any bark busters in stock locally I would've dipped those things in gasoline and lit them on fire. I don't remember having anywhere near that much trouble getting them on the first time.

 

[Ruggybuggy]

I don't remember having anywhere near that much trouble getting them on the first time.

That's because your husband installed them the first time.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

 

[Chestnut]

That's because your husband installed them the first time.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

hahaha
Actually I think he gave up on them and I ended up doing it. Windshield, centerstand, crash bars, lowering dog bones, first skid plate, heated grips, first rack - all him. Then he pulled almost everything off because TCI products wanted it stock-ish to design their stuff. Once we got it back he eventually reinstalled all the pertinent parts except the hand guards.