Hey, folks.  I found an Allen bolt under the rear portion of my '06 GS500F today, and I'm really curious if anyone knows if it's part of something important on the bike or if it's just a random part I happened to find.  I don't know how to post a picture here, but I'll describe it:

fits a 5 mm or 3/16" Allen wrench
Black or dark brown
threaded section: 1/2" long
non threaded top: 3/16" long
on the top, I see the letters "IMAVI" and the numbers "8.8"

Any thoughts?

Allen head bolts normally aren't used on anything "needed" since they can't be torqued down as easily. So it's not from your brakes or anything like that. It may be from a plastic cover or something though.

That's good to know!  I was removing the battery (once again, it's cold in Ohio), so maybe it came off the seat while I was moving it.  I'll check that next time I lift it off.

Picture would help.

Black?.........Sounds like something that holds the fairing together.

I was cleaning out the under seat storage area of my '06 about 30mins ago and noticed I was missing a bolt that connected the rear fender to the frame (it also holds a metal bracket that holds one end of the under seat bungee strap in place). I dunno if these a prone to falling out... but i had to replace it with something similar to what you described.

Quote from: adidasguy on January 08, 2011, 02:49:33 PM
Picture would help.

When I get back home, I'll try to load a pic somewhere.  If anyone has tips (imgur?  something else?), please let me know.  I've never done that before.

It'll be dark when I get home, so I'll check the seat tomorrow.  There's snow on the ground, so any thorough on-my-back fairing evaluation might have to wait.

Yahoo owns flickr, so if you happen to have a yahoo email account you can automatically log onto flickr and just upload pictures.

Yeah...I would check all the fairings........I had two of these fall out on me.....while riding...so had to order new ones.

On my 09 they are silver color..........I removed and reinstalled all of the fairing screws with lock tite.  BTW they are not all the same length....different lengths go in different places on the fairings...also two different head styles, depending where they go on the fairing.

The allen head screws that hold on the cylinder head cover are black, but I think they are 6MM........

Cookie

Quote from: Big Rich on January 08, 2011, 02:25:04 PM
Allen head bolts normally aren't used on anything "needed" since they can't be torqued down as easily. So it's not from your brakes or anything like that. It may be from a plastic cover or something though.

thats a bit rash

valve cover, brake rotor, exhaust bolts just to name a few

you just gotta use good hex drivers for a ratchet, and not an L shaped one

I hope this works.  Note that there was also a small washer that I found, too.  It's in one of the pics.  I'll still plan to look 'er over in the daylight tomorrow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58041113@N05/sets/72157625653958679/

I should have been more specific: an allen head bolt of that size usually isn't life threatening if it comes out. Of course, nobody wants anything to come loose while riding, but it's not an axle or anything like that.

It would be holding on something more decorative or non-critical. Like reflector, or some bracket in the rear.
Someone will be able to check their bike for it OR take off the seat and look for one liker it somewhere else then look on the opposite side and next to it for an open hole.

Can't check my bike right now. If I could, I'd find it pretty quick. Just a little laid up for a few days after having my achilles tendon repaired yesterday. They had to use a graft to make a good repair so now I'm part dead person! (Many thanks to the person with the organ donor card.)



(Yes, that is an adidas pilow, shirt, shorts and even glasses. Leg splint by University of Washington Sports Medicine Clinic.))

Quote from: sartorius on January 08, 2011, 05:43:54 PM
I hope this works.  Note that there was also a small washer that I found, too.  It's in one of the pics.  I'll still plan to look 'er over in the daylight tomorrow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58041113@N05/sets/72157625653958679/

NOT fairings

NOT Cylinder head cover

Cookie

Check your mirrors that looks exactly like one. Yeah, I'd bet money on it have taken them out alot when going to the GSXR mirrors.

Mary

Or your heel guards.

I gave the back half of my bike a quick look over and didn't see anything that looked like that. I wanna say that it's most likely for one of the brackets or parts inside the tail, especially if it's 5mm. Rearset bolts are a lot bigger, and all the rest of normal hex cap bolts. Pull off your seat and tail plastics and see if you see any missing.

it doesnt go to anything on a naked model, so if not for the fairings or oil cooler (doubt it) its not from the bike.

Quote from: gregvhen on January 09, 2011, 12:06:16 AM
it doesnt go to anything on a naked model, so if not for the fairings or oil cooler (doubt it) its not from the bike.

It looks like it is from a bike to me..... metric and the white "torque seal" or "Paint marker" looks like what all the fastners on my GS have.  Just don't know where.....somebody said mirrors?


Cookie

When I bought a brand new GS in 2003 I managed to loose a couple of bolts a bit like that, they were holding the mudgard/fender to the frame, when the bike went back to the dealer for it's 600 mile check over the dealer replaced them and loc-tite was advised which I did with no further incidents. The dealer had plenty available and showed no surprise at all so i thought it must be fairly common.

When I used to work on the port of dover i would often walk across the vehicle assembly parks and was always finding nuts, bolts and washers - an alarming proportion of these seemed brand new and often quite large from big trucks, it makes you wonder just how many vehicles are out there with bits and bobs missing.