[Turbo DV8]

In removing all the plastic on my bike to try to find The Rattle, I noticed the underside of the ignition switch bolts. At first glance (with both fading daylight and eyesight), thay appear to be Allen (hex) head, but when I tried to find a correct size to check the bolts for tightness, nothing metric or SAE fit. Got out the flashlight and magnifying glass to remedy the above two deficiencies, and the inside of the heads look either completely buggered up, or they are some, unfamiliar to me, security fastener. Instead of the "bite lines" running axially with the bolt, as the inside of an Allen head would, these "bite lines" appear to run diagonally, and are very shallow. Are mine just buggered up off the assembly line, or are these meant to take some security bit, or is the inside meant to shear off, to thwart removal? In any case, I don't look forward to ever have to remove the switch!

 

[sendler]

The ignition switch is a security item so I wouldn't be surprised that the fasteners are a security type.

 

[Turbo DV8]

That was my first thought also, but it would be the first time I'd seen this on one of my bikes. And, security bits are only secure until everyone has the bit, which happens pretty quickly. I am wondering if it is a security fastener, is it non-reuseable, requiring to be drilled out or something?

 

[Metalstorm]

I haven't seen the ones on the 250 yet but on other past bikes they have been security allen heads. They're like regular allen heads but with a pin in the middle so you can't get a allen wrench in it. It requires a special allen wrench that is hollowed on the end to accept the pin on the bolt.

 

[Macca]

Most cars use a bolt designed to be damaged when tightened and require drilling out to remove as far as I remember, Maybe the bike is the same.

 

[Turbo DV8]

They basically do look damaged from tightening, and there is no center pin. I can't imagine how one would even get a drill to access the underside of these switches. Not planning on having to worry about replacing the switch for quite some time, but then again I would hate having to take the bike to a service center just to do what was heretofore a DIY job!

 

[Wynne G Oldman]

Bikes usually have shear bolts on the ignition switch. They're designed for the head to snap off when they're tightened, so that you can't undo them.