Front axle bolt -- 2006 and later

The Gen I's don't have a front axle bolt. Is an axle with a bolt a better configuration?

Does the bolt fix the axle to the left fork? Just curious. I haven't seen one and how it all goes together.

Either configuration works fine. The benefit of the GEN II design, is the [steel] axle is not threading into the aluminum fork with the potential of stripping. Although, I can't ever recall a post reporting problems with the GEN I axle threads.

Here's a parts fiche of the GEN II Axle and Stackup with bearings and spacers.

--G

Looks like the Gen II front axles have a hubcap. Part# 11 appears to plug into the axle's 19 mm hex socket.

Constant Mesh said:

Looks like the Gen II front axles have a hubcap. Part# 11 appears to plug into the axle's 19 mm hex socket.

Click to expand...

Not sure what that is, it MAY be the hex itself as a pressed in item, but normally only the 19mm hex shows on the finished bike.

For $1.50 I'm betting it is just a plastic plug that goes in the hex head of the axle. Probably gets lost in the dealer prep.

Fred W said:

For $1.50 I'm betting it is just a plastic plug that goes in the hex head of the axle. Probably gets lost in the dealer prep.

Click to expand...

Yeah...I didn't look at the price, but it was labeled "cap" or "end cap." Whatever that is. My 2007 doesn't have one. I wonder if Fred is right and the bike leaves Japan with a cap in the end of the axel that gets tossed by the dealers at prep.

I do think having the axel nut reduces the chances of stripping anything, but as mentioned, I've never heard of anyone stripping a Gen1 fork. What I do wonder about is why they went from one pinchbolt to four pinchbolts. I could see going to two...One one each side, just for redundancy, but four? Something caused that...I just wonder what.

HotRodZilla said:

...What I do wonder about is why they went from one pinchbolt to four pinchbolts. I could see going to two...One one each side, just for redundancy, but four? Something caused that...I just wonder what.

Click to expand...

Speaking as an engineer, I think an engineer just overthought stuff or got a really neato new piece of structural software that gave him results that freaked him out so he started adding crap to the bike.

I believe I have sufficiently taken my bike on enough paths where it was clearly not meant to be ridden that...that I feel quite comfortable with the bike.

A well designed Load test trumps software anyday anyway.

wheatonFJR said:

Speaking as an engineer...

A well designed Load test trumps software anyday anyway.

Click to expand...

But...in your business wheatie, if it moves it's BAD news! OTOH, in mine it's good.

--G

escapefjrtist said:

wheatonFJR said:

Speaking as an engineer...

A well designed Load test trumps software anyday anyway.

Click to expand...

But...in your business wheatie, if it moves it's BAD news! OTOH, in mine it's good.

--G

Click to expand...

Strictly speaking, all structures move. You just don't want them to fall down and go boom