I just got a shiny new chrome derby cover from Arlen Ness today to replace the boring stock one. Sweet! Crappy riding weather the past few weeks in Tacoma, so a simple little project to bring joy to my life. Everything was going smoothly loosening all of the screws until the last stubborn one...stripped it! I used a craftsmen stripped screw tool and f*cked it up even worse! On top of that, I scratched the damn stock cover. I could use some help after you all stop laughing. Thanks.

 

Get the drill out. Use a bit just a little bigger than the hole in the center of the screw....carefully drill the head and before you go very deep, the head should pop or twist right off.
Once the head pops off, remove the cover and the remainder of the screw will be sticking right up there for you to grab......it will probably be only finger tight.

 

Make sure you're using the right size torx bit. I believe it's a 27. I had a 25 when I screwed mine up. I used e dremel tool with a fibered cut off wheel to cut a sot in mine then used a big azzed screwdriver to loosen it up after "tapping" on the screwdriver with a hammer to wake up the threads. It worked for me. I now have a 27 in my toolbox.

 

I would drill the head off & pull the cover. Once the cover is off you should be able to get pliers on to the thread stud that remains.
If you start with a very sharp drill bit, turn it in reverse very slowly at first. It might grab the screw & turn it out!
Hatch.

 

You can go to any good hardware store, or Sears and get a left hand drill bit. Sears has a whole set for different size screws. They drill the same way but turn counter clockwise. When the drill starts to dig in, it will spin the screw out. Saved my but many of times.

 

when you go to put the new one on, do yourself a favor and use some anti-seize, and don't overtorque the cover. there is not high pressure behind it, so it doesn't need to be supertight.

 

Had the same problem on my last bike I bought it used and went to change to derby cover that had already been changed by the previous owner and all the heads were messed up. I used a small chisel and a small hammer and very carefully tapped on one side of the head and they came right out!!

 

Better the last one than the first four.

 

drill it easy out and then go to ace to get a stainless steel allen head screws.

 

+1 I did and will never use the torx ones again. Cost $2