Ducati Monster Forum

Hi, My name is Gary, and I am a Boltaholic. It all started when I bought my Ducati M620. The previous owner may not have taken as good a care as he could have preventing corrosion, and so began my quest to replace every bolt on the bike.

I have pretty much accomplished my goal on the 620. I was all about going stainless, and I started my obsession with Desmoparts when the now advertising riddled forum ran out of bolt kits. I read that they came from Desmoparts anyway. Great place to do business with.

I had just about exhausted my options of replacing any more bolts when Probolt came out with their stainless line. Wow, stainless banjos? Sign me up!

Then, when I had exhausted all the internet had to offer, I found a place in Minneapolis that did high phosphorus electroless nickel plating, which looks just like stainless, and has excellent corrosion resistance properties. So, another couple hundred bucks later, I had every metal threaded part on the bike in either stainless or something that looks very close (well, except for that darn front axle, since I don't have a front stand).

Fast forward to May, 2009. I brought a brand new M1100s. Of course I needed an open clutch cover, but what really else does that bike need? How about bolts? Yeah, okay, but not those heavy stainless bolts this time, and Titanium is way too expensive. What if I just stick to Aluminum? That limits my scope to only those bolts that don't need to be high strength, saves even more weight than titanium, and costs less than replacing every bolt. That's the plan as it stands.

So, in the process, I have found some great places to obtain bolts, and I though I would share. I would really like to know your favorite bolt sources and experiences, so please also feel free to share.

Of course, the first stop for stainless fasteners and kits!:
http://www.desmoparts.com (http://www.desmoparts.com)

Highly recommended for a few hard to find stainless parts:
http://www.smallparts.com (http://www.smallparts.com)

Love these guys, they have some medium and high strength stainless stuff, but kinda hard to order from:
http://www.totallystainless.com (http://www.totallystainless.com)

Have some harder to find stainless stuff, but usually need to buy in quantity:
http://www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com)

interesting offerings, but no experience with:
http://stainlessbits.com (http://stainlessbits.com)
http://www.a2stainless.co.uk (http://www.a2stainless.co.uk)

If you're fortunate enough to live near one of these, you can call them up and they'll get the parts within a couple days. You can then pick them up and you don't have to pay shipping. Good source for stainless:
http://www.fastenal.com (http://www.fastenal.com)

My first stop for aluminum and titanium and BEAUTIFUL polished stainless:
http://www.tastynuts.com/site/frameset.htm (http://www.tastynuts.com/site/frameset.htm)

Lightech aluminum bolts! They have two different colors of Blue, one they call blue, and the other indigo. I ordered blue, and it is an exact match to the blue on my Ohlins forks, and their gold is really close to the Ohlins gold as well. Thier red is a bit darker than most anodized reds. (they have Titanium too)
http://www.oppracing.com/brands/LighTech/ (http://www.oppracing.com/brands/LighTech/)

These guys also carry Lightech:
http://www.yoyodyneti.com/ (http://www.yoyodyneti.com/)

Ordered some aluminum bolts from this place, but they were too crappy looking and didn't end up on the bike:
http://titaniumfasteners.com/shop (http://titaniumfasteners.com/shop)

No experience with their Titanium, but their Aluminum bolts are made by bsr-aerotek and are inconsistent from bolt to bolt in color and craftsmanship:
http://www.racebolts.com (http://www.racebolts.com)

Keep an eye on this website run by ryanracer (carries Lightech too!):
http://ballerbolts.com/ (http://ballerbolts.com/)

I already have a full titanium bolt kit for the 1100 and the 696...We have just started a full hardware company called ballerbolts.com  I am doing special pricing for the board members on here.

Nice selection Ryanracer! It looks like you will be doing aluminum eventually?!?!

-G

Yes I am currently doing aluminum, but do not have it up yet.  I am only about 1/4 of the way through all the products we are going to carry. The idea is to have a functional store within 2 weeks. I have been more busy than a hermaphroditic dog in humping contest these last two weeks putting the catalog together. On top of that finishing the 696/1100 exhaust manufacturing process.  I know TAftonomos will have his S4 kit done as well if it isn't done already and for sale. Maybe we carry his kit too huh...hint Theo!

Ryan, you have the bolt for mounting the rear brake master cyl to the rearsets for an S2R?

yoyodyne is a good source too.

 [thumbsup] Ryan what will the price be for an S4 kit?

Yoyodyne is supplying some of my aluminum and does have lots of stuff including the really cool aluminum bolts.  REdmist motorsports is out of business unfortunately.  They were racing when I was running Grand-Am back in 2000.  I probably do have the size that will fit the S2R, but I need the measurement of the bolt.  I have a pretty good size stock of TI and stainless and alloy steel, what do you want it in?  As far as the S4R, TAftonomos has that kit measured out. I would  contact him for the S4 and S4R kit.  I will try to carry his kits when he gets them ready to send out.
 

It'll be the same as the S4R.  I've got my list done, but today is all about grilling and beer :)

I use Racebolts titanium.

Their aluminum bolts are fine for what I want to use them for, mounting the gauges, the other nonsense bits that are required and aren't really stressed.

It looks like Yoyodyne uses Lightech. Why not go to the source? Or have your own manufactured?

-G

  [thumbsup] [drink]

I am working on going to the source (lightech)...LOL We will be manufacturing our own bolts near the end of the year, that does take a bit of ramp-up time however.  We are engineering the coveted holy grail of metric...the metric 12-point flange bolt in
titanium and have it cost less then $45 per bolt.

That's awesome! And I understand about the ramp-up time.

-G

Just placed an order last week on the Redmist website, and my order is in the mail. Seems to be in business in some capacity at least.

I've been to Fastenal and their sales personel are inconsistant. Sometimes out of the blue, they will only sell me a whole bag of what I need. They suck anus, and I am done putting up with their crap.

The Ballerbolts.com site is up and running now.  We carry lightech aluminum hardware and titanium hardware as well now.  We are doing a special coupon offer for DMF members the coupon code is: DMF  original huh? There are no minimum orders you can order 1 or 1000 of individual pieces. Oh and we carry Panduit zip ties (the right ones for monster frames)

Any chance you'll be offering titanium kits for pre 696/1100 era Monsters? S*R series specifically?

I know TAftonomos is offering a kit for the S4 and S4R, I would need to grab an S2 here in AZ to measure a kit. It can be done in about 2 hours or so.

Good to know. I did replace a bunch of the case fasteners (clutch and alternator sides) with stainless, but I got hit hard with the titanium bug and want to change them out on my S2R. Not for the weight savings, just the aesthetics. It's a sickness...

LOL  [laugh] Yes you have to be very careful with titanium addiction.  Yes, it truly is the most addictive metal by far.  I have been using the stuff for the last 14 years.  Funny story, there is an addict I know over in Torrance, CA he is literally building a Datsun 510 out of titanium.  Not just bolts, but subframe, suspension, tranny mounts, engine mounts, etc, etc ,etc.  He works in this very small hole and hordes titanium. Be careful with this stuff.  My name is Ryan and I am a recovering tiaholic.

Okay, now that's just nuts!  ;D

+1

Uh....i don't think any zip-ties are right..... ;D

Nice site Ryan,  will be using you for some lightened bits.

thanks to the OP for the nice list and info on the vendors

Anyone here know where I can get the Headlamp Screw and washer in powdercoat or anodized? One on each side of the headlamp. I have a Carbon Headlamp bracket and would like to have Black screws.

You can just get button head M8 screws (I think is the right size), and ditch the washers all together.

As for black, you can get ano'd ones just about at any of the bolt vendors. I picked titanium for mine, so they were shiny metal, until I realized that they were the same size bolts as the rotor bolts, so now I have shiny GOLD titanium bolts holding the headlamp on.  I also have the CF brackets.

I was thinking of just running a button head and no washer. I just need to find out what size thread I need.

M8x1.25 I believe, its the same as brake disc buttons, thread wise.

I see, that's all I needed......thank you!  [moto]

Does Ballerbolts have any plans to be a sponser of the board?

It would be great to have a link in the Navi to the left

Ballerbolts is a minor sponsor:
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27898.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27898.0)

I get mostly all of my ss metric bits through Boltdepot.com

Great selection and quick shipping. Not to mention if you want to pay the shipping they will send you a single bolt.
You can only really order standard thread pitch bolts form them no super fine stuff.

Thanks for the links to the other venders I will be adding them to my resource folder.