Valve cover question

So, here I am daydreaming about removing my crash bars and enjoying the look of my engine in its naked state. But what if i tip it over?
When I look at the prices for replacement valve covers I see two sets of parts numbers. In the parts book it says - Right = 872607  Left = 872606
Both about $220 each!  Wouldn't want to scratch those up!

I also see the numbers Right = 880124  and Left = 880123, these are a very reasonable $58 each from Moto International

No parts place shows pictures of the inexpensive covers. Are they too old to fit a 2013 GRiSO?  Why so cheap?

If you tip it over, you'll scratch 'em up. No escaping that.

The cheaper ones are the newer versions with the short spark plug pipes. They are not interchangeable.


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Looks like no super deal. I will save my pennies for the ones that fit.

$180US for the early type from TLM.

Also unless you really man them up they are easy to clean up and refinish.

As Mark says, if you drop it they'll always get scrubbed, even if you have bars. The main reason I don't run bars though, apart from the ugliness, is that I fear that they might smash the timing chest or crankcase when they hit the ground. I'd prefer to scrub a rocker cover to be honest.

Pete

I keep two sets, so I can always have 'clean' spares. I've crashed, what? 6 or 8 times? I'm keeping JB Weld in business.

Beetle:

If you JB Weld a set of wheels to those covers you can crash and keep on going!

Tee hee!

I know there isn't a cam cover protector for the GRiSO, but there really should be!!

How would you mount it?

Pete, there was a company making carbon covers for the carc box, similar but smaller and in black to the picture below, i guess they are stuck on?
If you crash in style (read hard) then the cam box would not take the strain, but a cover, much like the black aestetic/heat cover, that stuck/used the cam box bolts and extended over the side of the cam box would stop the scatch crash damage problems?
I too have not put any crash bars on after reading your thoughts about other damage they may cause and they look pig ugly too![You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

If we over worry 'what if' , we either leave the bike in the garage and take the bus or end up with unrecognisable bikes & riders wrapped in covers and crash bars......so i'm in the 'leave it and shell out for bits after it happens camp'.

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paulbrice wrote:

If we over worry 'what if' , we either leave the bike in the garage and take the bus or end up with unrecognisable bikes & riders wrapped in covers and crash bars......so i'm in the 'leave it and shell out for bits after it happens camp'.

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True enough.

Still, while I haven't visited the pavement as often as beetle I am at an age where I just don't bounce as well as I used to, and CARC's are expensive.

So, while I trust that neither I nor my GRiSO look quite as bad as that cartoon (if I am wrong bout me, be kind ) I feel no shame in wearing ATGATT PLUS a Helite air vest AND a CARC protector on my GRiSO.

Pic of me is with Stornello; don't have one with me wearing it and GRiSO, but I remain in frighten-children form either way.   ...  

The second does show the CARC guard, which I don't quite think reaches the proportions of a cage roll-bar.  


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Best,

Bill

OK I am convinced that I can remove my crash guards and survive. I can even afford the valve covers.

NOW, how do I avoid the bad luck factor.  I know that as soon as I take the bars off I will dump the bike in my driveway!

Is there an incantation I can use or do I need to sacrifice a chicken to stop this from happening?

Since all my offs were at relatively low speed (40 Km/h or less), I have found that going fast helps.

Timely post as for the second time at less than walking speed I panic grabbed the front brake on gravel today. Next thing I know I and the bike are lying on my side turning off the ignition!

Yeah the valve covers get scratched, but I think I need to buy a few rear brake levers as I keep bending mine.

I will go faster than 40, avoid gravel and say a prayer to the Virgin Valve Cover God!

Alternative to praying to Virgin Valve Cover God......sand paper the sides of each cam cover lightly with 50 grit paper just enough so that the Scratchy Valve Cover God can see it and will think you've already dropped it on both sides .....works on same principle that it never rains when you remember to carry an umbrella

After my recent accident, I'm contemplating buying crashbars for the cylinders. But I gather from this topic these are not worth the investment? I don't mind the looks, in fact I think these black crashbars actually look pretty good: [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

But if they are not actually helpful, and the valve cover still gets damaged with a low speed crash then why bother right?

I've been looking at the Hepco and Becker crash bars on my 1100 GRiSO which were on the bike when I bought it.
The top mount which is held on by the M5 top panel screw would surely shear bending the crash bar inwards doing damage at least to the top panel or rotating backwards into the tappet cover.
The bottom of the crash bar is bolted to the upper frame/engine mount and if I try to tighten the bolt too much (nowhere near the 80nm recommended) I can feel excess vibration for some reason.

I am considering removing the crash bars from the bike because I really don't have much faith in them.
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I've got a set of those Stucchi crash bars. I never crashed while they were mounted. As soon as I removed them, I crashed. Make of that what you will.

Ahh..So that was my mistake...

I put these bloody things on when I first got the GRiSO 2 years ago, a zero speed spill (got bumped in the back by another bike at a stop) produced this result:

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Broken backet at the engine mount bolt.

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Valve cover scraped and holed blodged with JBW while waiting for replacement.

Took the crash bars off and so far (fingers crossed) no 'episodes'. Just completed 6200kms trip it's all good !

Those are the ones I have! Looks like they are useless. They come off then.
Just went for a multi hour ride in the mountains, some short stretches of gravel several u turns and no crashing. I think I can handle it.
Also the Stucci bars get in the way when I need to balance the intakes.

They are coming OFF

sidrat wrote:

Pete, there was a company making carbon covers for the carc box, similar but smaller and in black to the picture below, i guess they are stuck on?
If you crash in style (read hard) then the cam box would not take the strain, but a cover, much like the black aestetic/heat cover, that stuck/used the cam box bolts and extended over the side of the cam box would stop the scatch crash damage problems?
I too have not put any crash bars on after reading your thoughts about other damage they may cause and they look pig ugly too![You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I really like the idea of sacrificial covers. It seems like the best option to both protect and retain the beauty of the Italian design lines.

Triman023 wrote:

Those are the ones I have! Looks like they are useless.

The newer bars from LGC have bigger/better/more bracing. Just sayin'.