How do you get the bolts/clips out of the belly pan where the two main panels meet, it's got a cross (phillips) head bit on the but it just kept turning and felt plastic on the other side. Has just stumped me cos the rest of the bike is relatively easy to take apart.
I suspect those are after market clips that have a Philips screw rather than the push in type clip. See if you can gently get a very small blade screw driver in between the screw and the washer edge and gently pry out while you loosen the screw. Or if you can reach in behind the fairings, push down on the inside of that screw with a larger blade screwdriver or small putty knife, as you loosen the screw. Worse case scenario, you may have to cut those buggers out. It sounds like the screws were over tightened and stripped. I tried using those as an alternative to the Honda OEM clip which are better but not much. A far better clip is available from Bolt Motorcycle Hardware. The 6th gen uses the M6. Far better design and ease of use. What you pay for 1 OEM, you can buy a package of 10 of these. They fit a bit snugger than the OEM but that too is better. Nylon Rivets/Plastic Clips - Sport Bike - Products : Bolt Motorcycle Hardware A couple here have changed from the fairing clips to well nuts and bolts on the bottom. Haven't tried that yet but it sounds like a good option. Again, don't buy OEM well nuts. They are readily available at most hardware stores of a fraction of the cost.
They are a genuine Honda item - I have the exactly the same fitting on my UK 6th Gen. They are only installed on the underside join between left and right fairing panels. The trick to removing them is you need both a small Phillips to turn the screw and a very thin flat blade screwdriver to wedge into the tiny gap which will appear around the cross head screw as you start to turn it. You only need to turn the thread 2 or 3 turns and the flat blade will open up the gap allowing the cross head screw to drop down enough to tug the whole fitting from the fairing join. Yes they are a right pain but they are designed that way so they don't vibrate loose and fall out. SkiMad
The North American model has those other clips that keep breaking. I still say those Bolt Clips are far superior to both. They kind you have SkiMad, are also common on many interiors of cars and trucks. I tried them too.
