dumb, but how the F do I get my undertail off??

[seth399]

I really didn't want to ask this but at the same time I don't care if people laugh
I am trying to install new rear tail light and blinkers and my riveted undertail seems friggin permanent! One option would be to snap all the rivets heads off but some are pretty tight and there is no clearance to get in the back on some of them. Aren't they supposed to come off without me lighting it on fire!? There are 3 of those little bastards on each side

[R1]

if they are metal rivets drill them out! use new rivets after or order a bolt kit from Sportbike Motorcycle Fairing Windscreen Fastener Bolts Screws Wellnuts



good luck!

[duey]

can't really tell from that pic. But if there's a circular center then that needs to be pressed in slightly allowing the rivet to "release".

If you can get a close-up of the rivet and it'll be easier to determine which type of rivet it is.

[seth399]

these are the black plastic ones but they just don't seem to budge...I guess I'll have snap/buzz them off and just get new ones or preferably bolts like your link...thanks

[seth399]

can't really tell from that pic. But if there's a circular center then that needs to be pressed in slightly allowing the rivet to "release".

If you can get a close-up of the rivet and it'll be easier to determine which type of rivet it is.

I think you are right, there is a circular center that seems to be able to be pushed in but I put a ton of force on two of them and it didn't budge, I guess they just need to get the axe so to speak

[duey]

hmm if pushing that circular center does nothing have you tried prying it with a small flathead?

drill/dremel doesn't end up too well in my experience with plastic rivets, metal one's no prob but those plastic buggers always end up being a bitch.

[seth399]

ah, thanks for the info...I will try some more prying before I try to dremel/cut them off then.

[OreoGaborio]

I don't care if people laugh

I'm gonna laugh... and you WILL care.

HAHAHA!

See? You're crying now... look at you... pathetic. Pull yourself together, man.

[seth399]

fuck...now I need a new box of tissues, that one was only a week old THANKS PETE!

So success (sort of)! I had to press so hard on the center with a needlenose plyer that it snapped the mounting thing under my tail section that the plastic rivet attaches too...god I hate those things. But after that I was able to get 3 more out without anything snapping and enough room to take out the tail light without having to remove the 2 lowest ones which are a super bitch/ready to snap if I press too hard.

[Origin]

You can have an undertail like me that falls out every once and a while on a big bump.

[seth399]

You can have an undertail like me that falls out every once and a while on a big bump.

I think mine is going to do that now unless I get a few new plastic rivet things quick aha. I couldnt get a few back in and secured since there was almost zero space to click it back down from underneath..PITA. But now I have a blinker in my tail light along with my tiny led blinkers luckily...hard to see here though.

[Jim]

mine are probably the same. i used a flat head screwdriver to pry up the center. also, try finding them on the inside of your tail and squeeze the splt end together to push out the pin.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

I'm gonna laugh... and you WILL care.

HAHAHA!

See? You're crying now... look at you... pathetic. Pull yourself together, man.

nice posting pete - 8 out of 10 stars

[yesterdayze]

fuck...now I need a new box of tissues, that one was only a week old THANKS PETE!

So success (sort of)! I had to press so hard on the center with a needlenose plyer that it snapped the mounting thing under my tail section that the plastic rivet attaches too...god I hate those things. But after that I was able to get 3 more out without anything snapping and enough room to take out the tail light without having to remove the 2 lowest ones which are a super bitch/ready to snap if I press too hard.

DON'T push them in. On that one, and most like that, they pull out. Get a pin/needle/something, pop them out. Then the outer part comes right out. Push them in and they get tighter and or eventually just break.

[seth399]

DON'T push them in. On that one, and most like that, they pull out. Get a pin/needle/something, pop them out. Then the outer part comes right out. Push them in and they get tighter and or eventually just break.

I know the ones you are talking about, but these the center needs to be pushed in so they release, not out.

[Jim]

seth, i'm actually having this problem on my undertail also. my LED resistor wire broke, and i had to take my tail off to access the wires. couldnt get the undertail screws off, so i just pulled the tail out as far as i could to access the wires.

[yesterdayze]

I know the ones you are talking about, but these the center needs to be pushed in so they release, not out.

Hmm, I would be surprised. Did you get them out yet? I am curious now. Most push in because in order to get the tail on you put the rivets in from the outside. Metal rivets pull out because they deform then snap when you put them in. Plastic usually push in from the outside because you can't get to the inside to push them out and they are tool less so no insert and snap. Not saying you are wrong honestly, so don't take it that way, just very curious if they do go the other way.

[seth399]

seth, i'm actually having this problem on my undertail also. my LED resistor wire broke, and i had to take my tail off to access the wires. couldnt get the undertail screws off, so i just pulled the tail out as far as i could to access the wires.

cool, hope you got it all together ok. Mine is back on now but I couldn't even fit all the rivets back in, there was zero clearance underneath/by subframe rails. I am gonna try to just buy some short screws or 1/4 turn fastener things to stick in there alot easier without having to reach behind to secure back in...what a PITA.

[seth399]

Hmm, I would be surprised. Did you get them out yet? I am curious now. Most push in because in order to get the tail on you put the rivets in from the outside. Metal rivets pull out because they deform then snap when you put them in. Plastic usually push in from the outside because you can't get to the inside to push them out and they are tool less so no insert and snap. Not saying you are wrong honestly, so don't take it that way, just very curious if they do go the other way.

Ya no worries, I appreciate you mentioning it...if you look at my past (#11), the first pic shows the plastic rivet things, you can kinda see on the left/bottom rivet in the pic that the center is pushed up into it and it has those 3 plastic things that extend out when that center is pressed back out/down to secure the bodywork.

[yesterdayze]

Ya no worries, I appreciate you mentioning it...if you look at my past (#11), the first pic shows the plastic rivet things, you can kinda see on the left/bottom rivet in the pic that the center is pushed up into it and it has those 3 plastic things that extend out when that center is pressed back out/down to secure the bodywork.

ah gotcha, I should have seen that before. I have seen those ones before, just not often. I could be wrong, but I think those are made that way because they are intended to be more permanent. Makes sense that they wouldn't use the ones I mentioned as bike vibrations would probably eventually work the centers and ultimately the river all the way out or at least very loose.

The LED's you put in, are they a kit you got or did you just do that? I like the look. Very nice.

[seth399]

ah gotcha, I should have seen that before. I have seen those ones before, just not often. I could be wrong, but I think those are made that way because they are intended to be more permanent. Makes sense that they wouldn't use the ones I mentioned as bike vibrations would probably eventually work the centers and ultimately the river all the way out or at least very loose.

The LED's you put in, are they a kit you got or did you just do that? I like the look. Very nice.

Thanks, the rows of led lights below the tail are part of the undertail as a unit. I put in the new tail light which has half of it blink yellow as well now when I put my turn signal on. Just much more visible now than those little rows of 6 mini led lights.