you know a balanced crank is an obvious oversight sometimes.but,,, this bike will loosen bolts just becazuse its the bnature of the beast. i remember the old harley davidson bikes . had a few old timer friends that said off the start. if everything is working correctly the loctite will save you from losing your motor. sol take that for what its worth. i bought a 1995 kx500 new in 97. the first thing i had to replace was the stock exhaust pipe. why.? it blew the weld apart just below where it comes around the throttle side of the radiator just ahead of the water pump.. poor weld??? the crank only did its job for maybe 15 hrs or less prior to that ... i think if you want to keep from buying hardware. just buy some locktite. keep an eye on the front motor mount bolts near where the pipe goes on . and the subframe bolts are not easily replaceable down at your local hardware store. the ones below the seat that are right to both sides of your airbox front. locktite those all 6 .the motor mount ones in front and the subframe ones i just mentioned./ it doesnt really have anything to do with riding the bike . it mostly has to do with keeping the bike ride-able. your call. just my experience. doubt many can disagree. and once you find the sweet spot that your general plastics and tank /seat fasteners want. theyll usually stay put without any threadlock. happy torquing. i always walk my bike before a ride with an 8mm/5-16ths socket and ratchet with an extension. cant blame the crank when im riding it and i lose parts on the trail. but yes a true crank is definitely preferred.