Cam cover thread repair

[Dogma]

Hi all,

I've been tolerating a leaky cam cover on the 1000 due to a PO mangled tapped hole. What threads remained when I got the bike are are now stripped, and something is blocking the hole so I can't use a longer-than-stock length screw to reach more threads. I've been putting off installing a thread repair insert because of the riding and life schedule. But it's finally become a real problem.

Does anyone know off-hand if I can safely drill through and re-tap the cam cover screw hole just behind (spark plug side) the #4 exhaust valve and use a slightly longer screw? I'm not 100% sure what's under it. Or do I have to suck it up and install a thread insert?

[Dogma]

In case anyone else gets around to wondering, it's not clear to drill through. The cam bucket runs underneath this particular screw hole. Easy to see once the tank and cam cover are off. I'm not sure why I couldn't see it before, really.

Strangely, the corresponding hole behind #1 exhaust was about 6mm deeper. I don't know why, but the bottom of the hole behind #4 looked as though it had never been drilled deeper than was in the cast part. Maybe a manufacturing defect? Anyhow, I marked the depth of #1 on a drill bit and took the hole for #4 deeper. Unfortunately, my progress was halted by the fact that I had shortened my M6 tap previously, so it can't start new threads. The rest of the repair will have to wait until I get a new tap. I think it's going to work, though.