Vibration from your motorcycle can often cause important bolts or fasteners on the bike to "back out" or unscrew themselves. Safety wiring them properly prevents this. Some track day organizations and most race organizations require certain items on the motorcycle to be safety wired.

Tools and Materials needed for Safety Wiring include: Torque Wrench, Paint Marker, Center Punch, Drill & various bits, Jig or Vice, Safety Wire, Safety Wire Pliers, Safety Clips

The First Step to Safety Wiring is to determine what needs to be wired. Common items safety wired include:
- Oil Drain Bolt
- Oil Fill Cap
- Front Axle
- Front Axle Pinch Bolts
- Front Brake Caliper Bolts
- Rear Axle
- Rear Brake Caliper Bolts
- Radiator Cap

You want to make sure the bolts are properly torqued so this is where the torque wrench comes in handy. Once the bolts are set, you can also mark their location using a paint marker which will help you reset the bolt if it is loosened.

Once they are marked and set, use a center punch to make an indentation on the head of the bolt where you will drill. This will help the keep the drill bit from dancing around the head for a cleaner hole.

Torque the bolts and mark them with a paint marker.	Then use the center punch to make a mark where you will drill. Locations will differ. Punch where it will work best for the application.

After punching, remove the bolt making sure to note which bolt goes where. Use an appropriate sized drill bit and drill (drill press works best) to make a hole in the head of the bolt. Make sure you center the drill bit. It is better to drill closer to the threads than the top of the head.

Once you've made the hole, reinsert the bolt into it's location and tighten so the marks you've made earlier are aligned.

Feed safety wire through the hole and make sure the two ends are even. You will twist the wire at the point where the next connection is going to be made. Pull the wire straight, measure to the start point of the next hole and clamp the safety wire pliers at this point. It is important to tighten the wire in the direction of tightening the bolt. Remember the key is to prevent the bolt from backing out!

8-10 pulls of the pliers is good enough. Any more and the wire may snap and you will have to start all over! Make adjustments as necessary.

When finished, clip the wire about 1/4 inch and fold that piece in to prevent snags.

Use a vice or jig to hold the bolt in place and drill completely through the head of the bolt. Make sure your alignment is clean! Don't forget to wear your safety glasses! And don't drill through fingers or hands!	For the pinch bolts on this bike, I used safety wire clips which makes it easier to remove and install when making tire changes.	Here I used safety clips and safety wire.

 

Here's the finished product with clips and wire.	Here is an oil drain plug wired.

 

Here are a few examples of different ways to fasten bolts with safety wire.