Making Sparks, Just a Fun Thing


Work Floorboard Warning Bolt
You kno
Titanium Replacement Bolt
w it's time to replace your floorboard warning nuts when they look like the one on the left.

You can replace them with these to add some "sparkle" going around corners.

Let me begin by saying I am not endorsing risky riding behaviors here. If you've never calibrated yourself to your bike so you know precisely how much lean angle you can get before your floorboards drag go do some low speed parking lot practice and learn. It could be handy to know if you ever have to make an emergency maneuver.

That said, this could be one of the most entertaining mods you've ever made to your bike. Yes, it is totally unnecessary and could be placed solidly in the "showing off" category but----what the heck.

Nomads & Classics have floorboards with self sacrificing bolts (that look like cap nuts but aren't) on the bottom. These bolts are the first hard parts to touch down in a tight turn giving the rider warning that he or she had better slow down, straighten up or prepare for a major hurt.

Check the rear bolt on your floorboards and if they're fairly mangled or flattened out like the photo (above left) this might be a fun mod for you. If not then you live where the roads are flat or just aren't much of a floorboard dragger (nothing wrong with that) and this mod isn't worth a moments thought.

So what will happen? Well, titanium, when it contacts pavement and scrapes across it creates a shower of very bright white sparks which can be pretty impressive to a rider behind you, especially the first time you touch one down on a night ride.

All you need are two M6x1.00x12 Button Socket Cap (just because the socket caps look great) Titanium bolts. Unscrew the original rear ones (you'll notice the original fronts probably aren't even scratched) and replace with the new. Spinning an ordinary nut onto the new bolt before installation will make removal simpler later when the Allen heads are all ground away.

New Bolt Installed
Note the nut under the titanium bolt. The bolt has seen some pavement already. It wouldn't hurt to put a dot of locktite on the new bolts to prevent them spinning out of the socket.

What? Your hardware store doesn't carry titanium bolts? No big surprise there, these little items can be pricey. You can do a Google search for "titanium bolt metric" or just buy where I did at Yoyodyne Motorcycle racing parts in Morristown, New Jersey (apparently not carried any more). The bolt you want is the fourth down from the top of the page at this writing. Two bolts with shipping, will set you back nearly $20. You'll want to get more than two because, while Titanium is a very tough metal you will wear these things down dragging them on pavement (see photo left).

The two sites originally shown appear to be down or no longer carry titanium bolts. Amazon has some that may fit the bill.

Like I said, totally unnecessary but, for floorboard scrapers, great simple fun.

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