Topic: damnit! side cover not rated for 90 mph!

[cb500 maniac]

I'm mad as hell. I just got back from a wicked ride that involved a mad 90 mph + dash up the interstate for a few exits, and came home to find that my left side cover caught some wind and flew off! I retraced my route and found nothing.....this really burns my ass. Just thought i'd let off some steam before I get some universal covers from JC Whitney. 

[seaweb11]

Sorry to hear

My story of loss..almost:
 I usually put my helmet over the rear tail light when getting on the ferry.
I went to get ready to ride OFF the ferry and no helmet
Asked the boys to look in the drink when they got back to the other side.

They fished it off the rocks with an emergency rescue pole and I got it back the next day.

P.S. You will forever always be looking for that cover on that piece of road

[siter81]

Lost my side cover to my 73 Suzuki on a 50 mile run.Went back the next day and retraced my route with a friend,found it just when i was ready to give up.I GOT REAL LUCKY CAUSE IT WAS SITTING IN A RIGHT HAND TURN LANE.No damage at all.It is not like i can just ride down to the corner Suzuki stealership and pick up another EH?   

[csendker]

before I get some universal covers from JC Whitney.

They're not quite the same, a little wider [project out a bit more], different plastic [seem flimsyier] and use bolts to hold them on.  Bolts good to keep from flying off, pain to remove otherwise.  Although addmittedly, you don't have to remove them that often.  You may want to check e-buy for one.  I went on a spree a while ago and got a couple for my 550 for less than the cost of one from JCW.  You just have to either open the wallet or be a bit patient.

http://search.ebay.com/cb500-side-cover_W0QQfromZR40

[fang]

I like those Maier covers.  OK, they are not stock.  Sure, they don't really look like stock, but the average Joe probably will not notice. 
Here's the deal.  Plastic technology has increased by leaps and bounds over the last 30 years.  These covers are about 100 times stronger, AND they mount with screw -- the covers come with all the required hardware.  I had to trim mine to fit, and everyone has to drill their own holes.  If you can handle those differences, they really are just fine.

CLICK HERE to check them out at JC Whitney.com.



note that at the moment, '71 - '76 CB750K covers are on back order until 7/16/06, and cost $25.99.  These often show up on evilBay for a little less.  I recently saw a set of left and right sell for about $40.

Hope that helps!
fang

[cb500 maniac]

actually, i ran into a bit of luck! my sister's boyfriend has a junk 550 sitting out back of his house and i stripped the side covers off of it....but they're blue. And, since i started this thread, my bike died on me on the road and i had to have my buddy come and trailor it back home, but it fell over in the trailor and busted off one of my mirrors. He felt bad and gave me a mis-matched set of round chrome mirrors, one off of a 72 suzuki and one off of a 78 yamaha. they both screwed right into my bars, but now i've got a freaking franken-bike! blue side covers, silver tank, 2 different mirrors off of 2 different make of bikes.....almost as bad as johnny cash's cadilac from 1 piece at a time! anyway, i peeled the side covers for nothin, so i dodged that bullet, but i'm getting tired of working on my bike, every week i've either got a stuck float or a blown main buss or sticking front brakes or leaking master cylinder.....eventually i'll have ironed or in some cases hammered out all my wrinkles, but till then i feel like a harley owner, spending more time with a wrench in my hand than a twist grip!

[ProTeal55]

Lost my right side muffler this past friday 
Luckly I heard it fall off - and wasnt going fast enough for any major damage - except for the
18 wheeler that took it out.

Alittle workings with the vice and hammer, and all is well again..

P.S -->
I have the JCWhitney sidecovers on my bike and they are fine.

[csendker]

I'm running a set of aftermarket sidecovers too, until I fix up/glue up my original ones.  I mounted a bolt 'inside-out' with washers & a nut in all six holes.  Then I put the cover on & another washer/wing-nut on the outside.  Easy on & off without the bolt falling out each time.  Although a couple of the holes line up so they won't allow the wing nut, just a regular one.  Gives it a kind of Industrial look with the exposed hardware.

[ProTeal55]

Gives it a kind of Industrial look with the exposed hardware.

Industrial is good...

[Ted Nomura]

The new replacement side covers, although not exactly stock, are indeed superior than NOS. Early Honda sidecovers, now over 30 years old, even when well taken care for, are brittle carefully lublicate the rubber mounts on my early Hondas whenever I reinstall or remove the NOS sidecovers so it won't crack or break, especially the super-expensive 1969 CB750 panels.

[Noel]

I lost a sidecover a while back myself. Would like to believe that it blew off, but I suspect it was nicked from a parking lot.

Got super lucky on Ebay and found a set of brand new aftermarket covers AND a used OEM cover all for $15. Which was nice.

Drilled and mounted the aftermarket covers and, well, they're okay.  I respectfully disagree with those who say they're better; I don't think they look as good. It is nice that they're bolted down, but I do remove my sidecovers fairly often, so that's a pain.

The bottom line, for me, is that I painted up the OEM cover and put the aftermarket covers on a shelf.

FWIW!

[ElCheapo]

Maier's and JC Whitney's are crap. Try collecting a few broken ones as they are easier to get and then assemble them with 2 part problem plastic repair. This stuff is available on ebay. Body shops don't want you to know about this "top secret" stuff so they probably will not sell it to you. I made my side cover from 3 different covers and used fiberglass to put it together. The repair is invisible.