I recently bought kneepads with back plates from Draganfly. Do I fit the back plates first, then prize on the kneepad, or do I fit the kneepad with the backplates and make small holes in the kneepad for fastening? Can anyone tell me what thread is tapped into the tank for the kneepad bolts?

email (option): pvlietstra@gmail.com

26tpi Cycle thread
Plates first ;-)

If you want to fit the plates first to the tank then try to fit the rubber knee pads- I wish you best of luck! Sounds near on impossible. All the pads I've seen have holes already in them, so I think that is the original way. , mount the steel plate inside then screw them on, There is a curve to the plate that hugs the tank.
I'd say you'll find it much easier to just get a hole punch and make holes in the kneepads.

email (option): vinver@ns.sympatico.ca

I always screw the plates on first and then warm the rubbers up and ease then over the plates using a plastic tyre lever and a good amount of WD40. It's not easy, but I've never had a problem and have never had to poke holes in the pads.

email (option): rickandjo@pullen14.freeserve.co.uk

The original pads did have holes...You place the two screws through the plate, then fit the rubber to the plate and finally screw the entire assembly to the tank....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I'm with Ian. The holes aren't really big enough for the screw heads, just the screw driver and the rubber sort of hides the screws. However, most other makes usually require the plate to be fitted first and sometimes it's a pain trying to get the rubber to form nicely round the edge's Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I just couldn't get a good fit of the rubbers on the tank when I built my Triumph 5SW...If the plates were close enough to the tank to hold the rubbers against it the rubbers were impossible to fit on afterwards. Leave more space for fitting the rubbers and they weren't held tightly against the tank..In the end I made a cut in the rubbers with a Stanley knife and reverted to the BSA method of attachment. After fitting I mixed some clear silicone with black boot polish and managed to pretty much 'lose' the cuts in the rubbers..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Oh yes, the parts books do show holes, ive had WM20 tanks with pads on without holes & assumed that was original & never checked
Confusion also coming from my earlier BSA tank rubbers which didn't have holes as original.
Oppologies for misleading post