Missing 1 rotor bolt, safe?

Is it safe?

 

Just...NO.

 

Burt Munro would be terribly disappointed in your answers guys. That's good weight savings there. Shame it's not a 6 bolt wheel, you could just take 2 more off and call it a day. Rotational weight savings at that!

 

Drill it out and get a new bolt.
Don’t throw away the wheel over an easy fix.

 

Just weld it

















Kidding

 

this won't be popular opinion.. but pretty sure motogp wheels often only have 3 bolts holding em in.
looks like the carrier is way on the outside on the wheel, it'd be fine if there are at least 4 other bolts in there. Way less leverage on the carrier vs a large carrier that has the small round hole where bolts to wheel. way more leverage there.

 

The Moto GP wheels are designed to be used with 3 bolts from the beginning. Would the Moto GP wheels be ok using only 2 bolts?

 

designed for 3 bolts., it's still 3 bolts ... explain how having 4 bolts in place, not all 5, as far out in the circumference of this wheel, is gonna be uber detrimental? The rotors already move a bit on the carrier. should it be fixed? sure. Will he die using 4 out of 5 bolts, an already very redundant design.. ? not likely. this is just my 2c. I'd personally race the fuker though while looking for a way to repair.

And some of ya totally losing your sh** over not using 1 of the 5 bolts.. have ya SEEN some of the bikes that somehow pass tech and are allowed on a track ? guys using take offs that a guy that bought take offs sold?
LOL

 

I had a rim missing a rotor bolt and didn’t realise it until doing a tire swap. Never felt anything wrong or had an issue,but replaced it asap regardless.

 

This guy tried to run with one rotor bolt missing

 

common now... LOL

 

I saw a bike racing at VMD years ago that was intentionally only running 3 of 6 rotor bolts on a front single disc setup. Some kind of home built single if I remember correctly. The other three bolts were wired, so I guess he passed tech. I remember thinking it did not seem like a good idea.

 

Another option, Helicoil.

 

@SpeedyTide.....(sorry Jeffah !!)

 

I’m not an enginerd, but I can do basic math.

Removing one bolt reduces clamping force of the rotor to the wheel by 20%

Removing one bolt reduces shear strength by 20%

I’ll let materials experts chime in on what those numbers come out to regarding how much force is compromised

 

Exactly...
Drill out the busted bolt and drill bigger and tap to fit a helicoil. Job done and safe, with out having to buy another wheel... especialy if yours is fine.

 

I too ran into a guy, ex-AMA 250cc racer, who ran 3 of 6 bolts in the two front rotors on his TZ250. I asked him, and he said, "back in the day, everyone did".
I have a TZ250 and I like all 6 in my wheels.

 

.. do you need to be an engineer to understand redundancy ? do you REALLY think they designed this wheel, for a commuter motorbike designed to go 100,000 miles on the street, perhaps never removing a rotor, that if a single bolt were left out or came lose, would result in catastrophic failure ? This is why you see motoGP rotors with 3 bolts of the same size as the FIVE used on street wheels.
I'm not sayin you should go remove a bolt or 2 from your street bike wheels, but everyone having a fit over 1 bolt is a little bit of overraction in MY OPINION...
Rocky Stargel sold me a marchesini wheel off his teams Formula Extreme R6 years ago. He had THREE bolts on the carrier adapter that bolts to the wheel. Rocky is a smart mother fuker. I don't think he'd put his rider at risk if he thought it was a problem.

 

Just remove one of your spark plugs and you will be fine.