| Author | Message | ||
     Jaydo |
New xb12x owner. After purchase I warmed the bike up for an oil change. Then when I took off the skid plate, I noticed the front strap was broken. Has anyone just loosened the strap mount and replaced the front strap leaving the other clamps in place? I've checked my head nuts and they aren't loose! | ||
| Djohnk |
I think to get clearance to put on the front clamp you need to loosen the nut that attaches the header to the muffler, the back two clamps a little, and the mounting bracket that the front clamp goes through. I bought a couple of these last time my clamp broke: http://www.jmsonline.net/catalog/product/view/id/7 0011/ They are cheap so it makes sense to buy 3 or 4 to pay since your paying for the shipping and handling. Good thing I did because the first one broke right away, the second one has been working for 3 or 4 months now. | ||
| Andymnelson |
 The second one will break too, as will the 3rd and 4th. Hopefully not while riding down the road, dropping the front of your muffler and creating a catapult. Just spend a few bucks more and get the right clamp. | ||
| Jaydo |
I have the right clamps!  Now, who has replaced the clamp with the muffler in situ? | ||
| Andymnelson |
LOL, that's good! I don't know why not- can't you "unscrew" the clamp completely and then re-attach? Or am I remembering the clamps wrong? | ||
| Djohnk |
I don't agree ... the OEM clamps break also. These marine clamps are at least the same quality. Anyway ... if you want to pay 5 x that's your choice, I'm just trying to give options. | ||
| Marc |
Jaydo, Do it by the manual or you will end up replacing more front straps. Take this opportunity to remove the muffler and send it to a coating specialty shop and have it ceramic coated (about $100). This will keep you from having a rusted orange muffler at 15k miles. I have a beautiful shiny silver ceramic muffler following my 6k strap break. | ||
| Marc |
Photo of ceramic coated muffer: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=142838&post=2255589#POST2255589 | ||
| Nobuell |
Marc Always bragging about your muffler!  Hey, when are you back in town so we can get a ride in before the weather goes down hill? | ||
| Xbimmer |
Do it by the manual or you will end up replacing more front straps. ...and that's the key. Even if you just replace the front you should loosen everything else up and torque up in sequence per the FSM. Around here I can get them at hose supply places or big rig truck supply shops, less $ and USA made. My rear clamps are original (85K/6 yrs old), my first two factory fronts broke soon after hamfisted HD goons worked on them during warranty issues. YMMV but I prefer to save money where I can on stuff that works as well as stock, leaves more in the shoebox to buy factory parts when necessary from American Sport Bike or (spit) HD. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I bought some of those Marine straps. The ones I got were definitely not quite as beefy as the factory straps. Thinner materials, fewer welds. That being said, I installed one as per the factory manual, and it has held up fine for 2 re-installs, 5000+ miles, and a stoppie into the side of a corolla that sheared the motor mount off the rear head. So it's not a disaster waiting to happen either. I do carry a spare on any trip of any distance, but I would do that with either the factory or the after market clamps. I had a strap break once. It got noisy. The immediate risk is probably that you break an exhaust stud more than the immediate risk of pole vaulting. A lot of other stuff would have to break before the stock exhaust setup would do a header into the asphalt. | ||
| Djohnk |
I do carry a spare on any trip of any distance, but I would do that with either the factory or the after market clamps. I do also, my factory front clamp broke once on a trip. It was a huge hassle, I had to use two hose clamps from a hardware store as a temporary fix and they broke twice before I got home. |
