JIS stands for Japanese Industrial Standards. Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) specifies the standards used for industrial activities in Japan.
JIS hex head flange bolts are the OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer bolts that Yamaha Banshees were assembled with.
Sometimes Banshee owners need to replace some bolts on their Banshee, so they go down to their local hardware store and buy bolts with matching threads that they think are the right size. We find these hardware store bolts on Banshees all the time. But...
1. The main difference you can run into is that the width across the flats (the wrench size needed to assemble the nut or screw) can be different between the Yamaha Factory JIS and the hardware store bolts. The threads may be the right size, but the head on the hardware bolt is much wider. Instead of the head being 14 mm, it may be 17 mm as shown in the example above. There can be limited space for bolt heads and wrenches in some places on the Banshee. Sometimes the hardware bolt head won’t fit, or the tool to put it on or take it off won’t fit.
2. Another difference can be that the JIS bolts have a flange next to the threads. This allows the contact surface of the head to be the same size as the hardware bolt, but a smaller wrench is used for the same bolt thread size. Many times the bolts we see on Banshees are the hex head without the flange.
3. Hardware store bolts are also a different color than Factory OEM JIS bolts. Hardware bolts are usually a bright zinc color, where the Yamaha Factory JIS bolts are a green zinc color. If you are restoring a Banshee, then using the hardware store bolts is not what you are looking for.
When RE-DO Banshee buys Banshees or parts, we make sure to keep ALL the usable OEM bolts, which are the green zinc JIS bolts. We periodically gather up those bolts into kits that we sell on our website. We have some hard-to find bolts. 🔩
Check out RE-DO Banshee's Nuts and Bolts to find the JIS bolts you need for your Banshee to either keep it or bring it back to Factory OEM condition. We've also done the research to find and stock other bolts and fasteners that are a "close to OEM" or improved aftermarket replacement. You may score a hard-to-find bolt treasure! 🔩
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