Wilsons Sandbox

Eddie - As I've stated, mine has seen combat--jumps, bumps and big humps (loads). I'd loaded mine down 2-up with all kinds of gear and ridden rocky rivers to high speed washboard and occassional big air. Now, keep in mind it's not a traditional dirt bike, so the abuse is relative. I'm not talking 2-up, loaded down and doing gravity drops! But confidently, my bolts were tested under extreme conditions (8mm x 1.25 x 30mm 10.9 grade with 6mm allen (cap) head) and lasted quite awhile. That fact I didn't shear the stock bolts before 16k miles, suggests the 8mm bolts I was using were satisfactory--especially for normal use. Note I do have the Progessive front springs and HD rear spring and shock which I'm sure helps. Now, I might replace the bolts with fresh ones even if they looked good after say 10k miles. But like another lista said...keep them properly torqued (18 ft-lbs) with red Locktite and you should not have a problem...espcially if you're riding road. It's the bumps and shock that snapped the head off of one of mine I'm sure. Still, if you don't mind spending $40 or $50 and have the time, I think the folks that put the time and research into the 10mm thru-the- frame bolt kit (requires drilling) offer the best protection/solution. It's likely a fire-n-forget upgrade vs. perhaps sleeping with one eye open if you're an extremer on the KLR. I'm used to sleeping with one-eye open, so it adds to the experience for me.