Motorcycle anodised bolts

Anodised motorcycle bolts replace the screws and nuts that are on show with coloured aluminium ones, a detail that stands out more than you might think on a clean bike. Everything in this section is made by Puig, in blister packs and kits of six, and here we help you choose the size and where to use them.

Where a coloured bolt shows

• Windscreen: these are the ones you see from the saddle. For racing-type screens there are kits with a wider head, which spreads the clamping force over the acrylic; you will find them under screen bolts.
• Fairings, belly pan and side panels: these usually take M5 or M6 bolts, which is where socket-head Allen screws or the lower, rounded button-head ones fit.
• Tail tidies, mudguards and light brackets: for joints with a nut, self-locking nuts cope better with vibration.

Ordering the right size

Take out one of the bolts you want to replace and measure it carefully. The figure after the M is the thread diameter in millimetres, and the length runs from under the head to the tip: an M6x25 has a 6 mm thread and is 25 mm long. Order the same length as the original; a longer one may foul whatever sits behind it. The blister packs with silentblocks are for parts best mounted on rubber, and under Puig anodised bolts you will see how each name reads and which letter stands for each colour.

Keeping the colour

Anodising is a dyed oxide layer grown on the aluminium itself. It copes well with rain, but strongly acidic or alkaline cleaners, such as some wheel cleaners, stain and dull it, and many summers of sun eventually fade the brightest shades: wash them with water and mild soap. And because aluminium is softer than steel, tighten them gently and keep the standard bolts on brakes, suspension and wheel spindles. For more upgrades, browse our motorcycle accessories.