[buyarbi]

When I changed my tranny oil I noticed one of the hoses that runs between the skid plate and engine had been rubbing to the point of visible wear on the line and it had gone permanently oval over a leangth of about 2 inches. I know there have been posts about pinching the hoses when lifting the bike. Does this seem like a result of a bad lift or just a caught hose. My bike has 5000 miles on it.

Bill

 

[Zenbiker]

Bill...What's it rubbing on? If the skidplate just remove it. I've had mine off for two years. I don't think you are going off-road with the Boss so why do you need it?...Joe

 

[buyarbi]

Joe

The line was rubbing between the skid plate and the oil pan. With only 5000 miles on my bike I think the posibility of eventually rubbing right through would be a sure thing. So I either have to rerout the line or take the skid plate off. The bell housing is wide open at the bottom. With the skid plate off do you get a lot of gravel and mud loged in there. And how is the oil cooler holding up as far as gravel dints go .

Bill

 

[Zenbiker]

Bill...Take off the skidplate. Nothing collects in the bellhousing because anything thrown up by the front wheel hits the radiator and oil pan. If anything does collect in it which I have not seen, simply hose it out..no problem. I happen to have an alternator cover which also shields the pulleys and takes a lot of the spinoff. The trans cooler is also unobstructed without the plate and I also don't mind more air flow going into the bellhousing to help cool the converter and trans.
I have 12,000 high speed miles on the bike since the skidplate removal and have had no problems at all. Remember the bellhousing is just an open area in which the sealed converter lives and has no mechanical function. My tranny cooler lines are hanging in the breeze hitting nothing, Used a hanger strap on each of them by drilling and tapping the edge of the bellhousing with 1/4-20 allens to secure them.. If you need the plate for protection you are in trouble already because you will have bashed the pipes and probably cracked the bellhousing anyway. Are you using the Boss off road? I somehow doubt it!
I'll bet most here have removed it because it is just a pain in the ass for all kinds of things including trans fluid changes. Just use it as garage art as I do. The tranny cooler has no dings but you will have to clean it with your hose when you wash the bike which just tells you it is in the air flow where it belongs. The factory stacked model is quite strong and rigid.
If you must have the skidplate (and I don't know why) move it down to "unsandwich" the cooler lines and allow them to just lay on the skidplate. You'll have to slot the front mounting holes in the plate to allow you to do this. Don't bother and just remove it....Joe

 

[buyarbi]

Thanks for the options joe . Am working on it again on the weekend.
Bill

 

[V8GRUMPY]

Bill,

What do you use to lift the bike?? It sure sounds like you pinched it with something. Usually there is a clamp bolted to the shid pan that the hoses run through and prevents the lines from chaffing.

Like Joe, I took my skid pan off and have experienced no problems. You do pick up a little more junk in the cooler, but a good blast of air once in awhile keeps them clean. It really does make the tranny run cooler.

Tim

 

[buyarbi]

Tim

I have never lifted the bike. Only had it a year . It is a 2002. Do you hold the hoses up the same way Joe does.

Bill

 

[V8GRUMPY]

Bill,

Yup, just drill and tap the edge of the bell housing and use electrical conduit straps.

Tim