In the service guide the regular maintenance includes checking all critical fasteners. What constitutes "critical fasteners"? Should you go over all bolts using the recommended torque values or are there just certain areas that require checking?

 

I usually check all the fasteners to make certain they remain tight. I don't want anything falling off my bike. I have seen a rider's primary inspection plate fall of a bike that was serviced by the dealer but not tightened to spec.

 

in my service manual (FLHR) theres a section in there that actually states what "critical fasteners" are. I always wondered that myself, until I found it in the manual. Don't have it with me here at work, so I can't recall what section it's in.

 

Ditto.

The manual shows you which are "critical fasteners" and gives you the torque values for them. In summary they're the motor mount bolts and a few of the frame bolts on the '09 RK.

 

The Jesus nut is one such critical fastener.

 

I have a question about checking the fasteners. How are we supposed to check it. I've read other threads where they say to take a torque wrench set to the appropriate value and tighten until it clicks. But the manual for my torque wrench says this is the wrong thing to do. That you are supposed to loosen it and then re-tighten. But then if you are working on something with loctite you would have to take the whole bolt out and reapply, and then tighten. Or what if the thing needs to be tightened in a specific pattern? So what's the proper way?

 

I've always just set the torque wrench and tightened. Never thought about it being the wrong way to do it. Never have had any problem, but, I'd love to know the proper way also.

 

I would like to believe that "every" fastner on my bike was critical, or it wouldn't need to be there. Having said that, the one that falls off your bike and smacks me between the eyes when I ride behind you would also be considered a critical fastner.
Check Them ALL!

 

The 2009 Touring service manual says that they way THEY want you to check tightness of critical fasteners is to set the torque wrench to the low end of the torque range specified for the fastener, then attempt to tighten the fastener. If it doesn't move, OK. If it does, then remove the fastener to see if there is a thread locking agent. If so, reapply the thread locker and retorque; if not, just retorque.

That's not technically the best way to retorque fasteners, since there is some amount of initial friction to be overcome before the fastener starts to move. But I think it's a valid way to do this job, since what you are looking for is a fastener which has loosened since it was last checked. I think that they decided to do it this way to avoid all the work involved in reapplying thread locker to every fastener that originally had it, every time the service is performed.

 

Always check the loose nut behind the handle bars before you ride.