Plastic stub on side cover broke....

[BigD_83]

You can always epoxy a small rare earth magnet to the inside of the cover and install a hex bolt in the rubber grommet. There are some plastic rebuilding kits on the market as well.

This is one of the most elegant fixes to the problem I have run across.

[Boriqua]

Hopefully this is not too off base: I am refreshing the side cover emblems on my 1979 GS550. I purchased NOS emblems from eBay and have been frustrated with removing and installing the retaining clips (nuts). Is there a trick/tip for removing and installing these clips without breaking the posts? I have attached a photo to clearly illustrate my situation/frustration. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
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I couldnt get mine to tighten up and when I would it would just loosen again. I took out my tap set and put a fine thread on the post and went and bought some little nuts. Done!

You cant wrench it down hard but you can make it snug. Hasnt moved

[Guest]

I couldnt get mine to tighten up and when I would it would just loosen again. I took out my tap set and put a fine thread on the post and went and bought some little nuts. Done!

You cant wrench it down hard but you can make it snug. Hasnt moved

Damn this is a creative bunch! Another great idea. And if you want a little extra insurance against the nuts loosening, you could apply a tiny dot of Loctite Blue.

[dorkburger]

I put small dabs of grease on the post and grommets to make them easier to install/remove.

[bwringer]

The best motorcycle plastics goop I have used, and the only one that actually seems to work, is called Q-Bond. It's a superglue (cyanoacrylate) with a special powder you use to build up a fillet. Great stuff. It's a little strange to use, so watch the videos first.

Also, what Dave said above -- order up some new grommets. They're like buttuh.

And a wee dab of lithium grease can help and won't make a mess.

I also like the idea of a leash or tether in case they try to escape anyway. These things are pure unobtanium nowadays, and a bike looks sooooo ratty without sidecovers.

[Guest]

The best motorcycle plastics goop I have used, and the only one that actually seems to work, is called Q-Bond. It's a superglue (cyanoacrylate) with a special powder you use to build up a fillet. Great stuff. It's a little strange to use, so watch the videos first.

I took your advice Brian and ordered some Q-Bond on Ebay (I tried to find it locally, but nobody's ever heard of it). It's supposed to be here next Friday; I'll add an update when I get the results. Thanks for the tip!

[bwringer]

I took your advice Brian and ordered some Q-Bond on Ebay (I tried to find it locally, but nobody's ever heard of it). It's supposed to be here next Friday; I'll add an update when I get the results. Thanks for the tip!

Cool! It's great stuff. Poke around for videos -- you have to somehow make a little pile of the powder in the correct place, then drip the superglue. This sometimes takes a good bit of creativity. Like I said, it's strange stuff but works great and hardens pretty much instantly.

You'll likely run out of the superglue they provide (or the tubes will leak or harden) long before you run out of the powder. You can use any decent quality plain liquid superglue; just don't use gel or glue with any other additives. I got a package with several tiny disposable tubes from the hardware store.

[Guest]

Update on the Q-Bond: it works great! Couldn't be much simpler; you just align the post with the stub, pour a little of the powder over the joint, and add a drop of the super glue. It bonds instantly, so make sure you're happy with the alignment before you do this; there is no opportunity to re-position. Try not to touch the tip of the glue nozzle to the powder because the powder will stick. I had three posts to repair and was fortunate to still have all three of them, so they all mated to their stubs properly.

So thanks for all the advice guys. I now have all my posts!

Scott

[Skinner]

I used a slightly unconventional method to replace a post on my Katana's panels: Sugru (www.sugru.com). It's a moldable glue that sets into a hard rubber when cured. It retains a bit of flexibility which is nice when pulling panels off the bike. Worked for me, may work for you.

Cheers!
K

[Guest]

I used a slightly unconventional method to replace a post on my Katana's panels: Sugru (www.sugru.com). It's a moldable glue that sets into a hard rubber when cured. It retains a bit of flexibility which is nice when pulling panels off the bike. Worked for me, may work for you.

Cheers!
K

I've actually heard of Sugru; we use it at work occasionally to mold instant handles (like a wing-nut). However, I went with the Q-Bond because I still had the broken off pieces and they still fit precisely on the remaining stubs. And the Q-Bond is quick - as in instant! Having just made the repair a week ago, I can't speak to its long-term durability, but it sure feels like it's sturdy - as sturdy as if it had never broken in fact.

[Grimly]

The stubs on my sidecovers broke off years ago.
I replaced them with Dzus fasteners.
No worries about them anymore.

[Guest]

The stubs on my sidecovers broke off years ago.
I replaced them with Dzus fasteners.
No worries about them anymore.

Yes, Dzus fasteners would have certainly ensured the covers never fall off, but I always try to keep my bikes stock/original and as pristine as possible.

[Grimly]

Yes, Dzus fasteners would have certainly ensured the covers never fall off, but I always try to keep my bikes stock/original and as pristine as possible.

To me, a part that breaks in normal service is a flawed design, and I have neither time nor patience for that. I improve where possible. I see no reason to tolerate sub-standard shoddy parts where better are available.
After all, how many of us now have ditched the OEM regulator and used a series type instead? Many on here, probably hundreds that read about it (just talking about Suzukis) and possibly thousands world-wide. If you take into account other marques, there are likely tens of thousands who've done that.
Keeping something original is all well and good if you don't use it. My opinions of shoddy design were formed when some things let me down and a stranding by the side of the road happened as a consequence.

[Guest]

To me, a part that breaks in normal service is a flawed design, and I have neither time nor patience for that. I improve where possible. I see no reason to tolerate sub-standard shoddy parts where better are available.
After all, how many of us now have ditched the OEM regulator and used a series type instead? Many on here, probably hundreds that read about it (just talking about Suzukis) and possibly thousands world-wide. If you take into account other marques, there are likely tens of thousands who've done that.
Keeping something original is all well and good if you don't use it. My opinions of shoddy design were formed when some things let me down and a stranding by the side of the road happened as a consequence.

I understand all that. However, everything breaks eventually. This bike is 37 years old and still looks very nearly new (and I'm quite proud of that). If a stub broke on one side cover just recently, I (and all the former owners) got 37 years out of it; I'd hardly condemn that as a faulty design. I blame myself for being ham-fisted with it after the bike sat through five months of Michigan winter.

And by the way - I too have replaced that R/R on my 850. It's in a place that's hidden, and no one will ever be the wiser, except when it doesn't fail again.

[Grimly]

Yes, but my stubs broke after a few months' service (nearly 30 years ago), not 3 decades' worth.
Too soon, too much a consequence of the seat sitting down on the top edge and straining the stub at the bottom. Also, normal removal strained the stubs greatly. It might be that a PO had already cracked them, but I doubt that ham-fistedness on its own did it to all the GSs that have had them fail.
Another bonus of Dzus fasteners; nobody is going to nick my sidecovers, as they are most definitely not original, and are quite worthless to anyone doing a cheapskate restore.