Left Side Covers

A place to list e-bay items you think others would like to know about.

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celt_rock
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Left Side Covers

Post by celt_rock »

Okay, so someone must know the answer to this. Why are oil tanks a dime a dozen on eBay but the only left side covers to be found are repros? Were they made of copper and folks went around stealing them in order to sell them to salvage yards or were they cheap plastic that cracked and broke when you looked at them cockeyed? Even my bike didn't come with one. What gives?
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Fritz500
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by Fritz500 »

Plastic seems to get brittle with age. These covers crack if you over-tighten the badge screws or lean against it when working on the bike. I bought a few spares off eBay some time ago just to have as spares for two bikes. You can buy both plastic and fibreglass replicas.

If you think those covers are rare try and buy the chromed covers in good condition) that fit over them and the oil tank from the 500J. Yikes!


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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by Pete O'Dell »

I can supply you with brand new reproduction l/h panel that will not go brittle £45 plus post, have had them remade

TR500.CO.UK
pearljam724
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

I agree about ebay. I'm in need of a left side myself. There are hundreds of rights, but very rarely a left. I think that has a large part to do with. The left side by far, is the common side for any bike to be dropped. Therefore, over the years many of the lefts have been cracked or been trashed in some similiar fashion.
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

Bloop wrote:
pearljam724 wrote:I agree about ebay. I'm in need of a left side myself. There are hundreds of rights, but very rarely a left. I think that has a large part to do with. The left side by far, is the common side for any bike to be dropped. Therefore, over the years many of the lefts have been cracked or been trashed in some similiar fashion.
When I look at all the T500's I have seen, 99% of them have the right exhaust dented just below the right footpeg, what is up with that? I could never figure out why and always in the same place.
Because, I'm pretty sure they all have an indent at that location for that particular bike. Why, I don't know. The lower pipes on the 380, 550 and 750's have indents for the two kickstands to have clearance when in the up postition. I have no clue, why Suzuki designed an indent on the top pipes ? There is a flat spot by the pegs to allow better ground clearance, when leaned. But no clue, why the top pipes have indents by the pegs. But, they do. If anything, it may be for the tips of your feet ?
Last edited by pearljam724 on Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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pearljam724
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

Bloop wrote:No...these are real dents created by the rider, not the factory sculpting.
Then I agree. That is funny. Not if you're looking for the part though. :lol:
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by Suzsmokeyallan »

Are you sure you are not seeing the spot on the pipe where if the bike falls on the right the brake pedal will bend into it and hit it there. If so and it lines up with the brake pedal theres your answer.
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

Bloop wrote:The brake pedal is too high to hit the pipe, it usually hits the clutch engine cover, another problem trying to find a clutch cover that's not scratched from the brake pedal. I think I have figured it out, I have 4 sets of pipes here, all the right side pipes are scratched, dented in the lower half near the foot peg. Near as I can figure, our street curbs are just about the height where these dents, scratches occur. You come in too close, the first part of the bike to hit the curb will be the exhaust, not the kickstand, not the pedal. The four left side pipes have no dents scratches.
Not sure about that one, bud. Scrapes yeah, but you said. " Dents in the same exact location, on the same exact pipe. " As if they were by design. :mrgreen:
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

Ground clearance for motorcycles back in this time period was absolutely horrible. Engine casings, exhaust, peg height, etc. Take into account how many new or young riders drop their bikes. How often a skilled rider would drag pipes and cases leaning. Add in accidents, wind, and a lot of other things. It took a ton of care and lot of luck for any exhaust from that time period to make it 35 plus years without a scrap or ding of some kind. And if you're very lucky to find one, you're most likely going to pay big if it made it all that way unscathed. Also, take into account for rust.
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pearljam724
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

Here's an Ebay question, I have. Why is there never any passenger grab bars ? That is a low risk damage item. Yet, you see a thousand other rare or high risk items.
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by trouterspace »

The tab broke off of my left side cover a while ago and the other day I discovered a really good way to fix it. I used an electric soldering iron to melt the plastic back together, and then used the soldering iron to melt a small piece of aluminum window screen over the crack on either side. The screen heats up and you can just push it right into the plastic. Sand it smooth and that's that. Bondo if necessary. I didn't bother. I tightened the screw all the way down and the tab is definitely not going to break from that. It's probably stronger than it was in the first place. It saved me a good bit of money in the end.

You do have to have a left side cover to start though, so i don't think this helps the original poster
pearljam724
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by pearljam724 »

trouterspace wrote:The tab broke off of my left side cover a while ago and the other day I discovered a really good way to fix it. I used an electric soldering iron to melt the plastic back together, and then used the soldering iron to melt a small piece of aluminum window screen over the crack on either side. The screen heats up and you can just push it right into the plastic. Sand it smooth and that's that. Bondo if necessary. I didn't bother. I tightened the screw all the way down and the tab is definitely not going to break from that. It's probably stronger than it was in the first place. It saved me a good bit of money in the end.

You do have to have a left side cover to start though, so i don't think this helps the original poster
Yeah, they make plastic soldering kits. As you said, " surprisingly they work well."
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by trouterspace »

i have to say that i probably knocked a couple years off my life doing it, what with the fumes
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by Pete O'Dell »

Gentlemen, why on earth would you want to repair brittle old plastic covers when I can supply brand new reproduction plastic ones that will not britalise ..... for £45.00 Gbp + postage
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celt_rock
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Re: Left Side Covers

Post by celt_rock »

trouterspace wrote:
You do have to have a left side cover to start though, so i don't think this helps the original poster
That's true but a great tip nonetheless... could help to save a few of those original broken covers!
Slow and steady may win the race, but without loud and fast it's just a waste
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