Damaged alternator cover.

[Cal Price]

I've just done a classic, resurfaced my front yard, and whilst shifting the bike misjudged the camber and dropped the three week old bike on it's right hand side. Busted the brake lever and scrunched the alternator cover. I have ordered a new lever and I was thinking of polishing out the scuff damage on the aluminium cover and black emblem with the good old dremmel to smooth it off. I may simply mask the work suzuki with tape and spray the whole thing black with one of the paints they market for BBQs or Woodstoves. Does anyone have any experience with this, presumably I would have to metal-prime the ally? If it's a pain I'll probably leave it.

Keep on Keepin' on.

[The Buddha]

That round hatch on the right is where the ignition plate and rotor is not the alternator...Alternator is on the left as you are riding it, and the clutch lever would have broken if that side was down...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Cal Price]

I dropped her on the right-hand side, it was the brake, I thought I had seen the part listed as the alternator cover, it's held on with three small bolts (7mm) on some models I think it may be screws. Could this be a difference between the drive-on-the-left like UK & Japan or drive-on-the-right as I expect the side stand will be on opposite sides. Whatever, the principal of spraying the ally remains the same.

[The Buddha]

Are there GS models that have right sided kickstands???
I'd like to see one of those...hell I'd like to buy one of those if it was an eli... It has a cam chain on the left side and with the left sided kicks stand it collects water in that 1st and 2nd cyl area and gets into the spark plug tunnel and when it gets hot and steams up it pops the plug cap off.
Cool.
Srinath.

[JohNLA]

I would try painting it. Can't hurt much.
You can get a new one for under $15 american.
Or you can do like me and put a cool fire department sticker in its place

[average]

what   where in the world have u seen that cover for 15 bucks. i was quoted at the dealership 110 unless this kid didnt know what the damn he was talking about!

[JohNLA]

My bad, I didn't mean the cover but the thin metal black Suzuki emblem.

[StanFry]

I took a piece of sheet metal, traced the cover, cut it out with a Dremel (10 discs), placed the resulting cutout on a roll of masking tape, used a socket and a hammer to reproduce the curve, painted it black to match the bike, and glued it on. Looks better without the advertising.

I had the discs (they're cheap) and a piece of sheet metal around.

Stan

[Rashad]

I took a piece of sheet metal, traced the cover, cut it out with a Dremel (10 discs), placed the resulting cutout on a roll of masking tape, used a socket and a hammer to reproduce the curve, painted it black to match the bike, and glued it on. Looks better without the advertising.

I had the discs (they're cheap) and a piece of sheet metal around.

Stan

So when you want to time the bike or change the rotor, you have to either unglue the little cover or take off the entire side cover? That would also result in you haveing to change the oil since it would leak out of that side cover too.. or did i miss something?

[Rema1000]

If you've got oil behind the right side cover, then you've got bigger problems, Rashad!  Like Cal, I've got a scrunched right side (ignition) cover, with a crack you can see light through, and it hasn't caused any problems for me or the previous (careless) owner.  Only problem I can think-of, is that the crack might let-in some moisture, but it hasn't happened yet.

[Rashad]

Ok, i was thinking the BIG cover had oil but now that i think about it it doesnt. ANYHOW, the question is, when you need to mess with the ignition rotor, or time the bike, do you have to take off the whole (big) cover? since you glued the ignition cover to it... just curious.

[nsoccer3097]

if you're not able to find one for a gs500, look for one from a gs450, i'm pretty sure that's the model.  i must give credit where it is due, werase suggested it and it fit pefectly.

[pantablo]

Ok, i was thinking the BIG cover had oil but now that i think about it it doesnt. ANYHOW, the question is, when you need to mess with the ignition rotor, or time the bike, do you have to take off the whole (big) cover? since you glued the ignition cover to it... just curious.

You can't take off the ignition rotor without removing the whole cover anyway. how else would you get the larger wrench on the rotor to keep it from turning while you loosen it with the smaller rotor?

[edit-I mean the smaller cover with the 3 bolts that the suzuki emblem attaches to]

[Rashad]

Ok, i was thinking the BIG cover had oil but now that i think about it it doesnt. ANYHOW, the question is, when you need to mess with the ignition rotor, or time the bike, do you have to take off the whole (big) cover? since you glued the ignition cover to it... just curious.

You can't take off the ignition rotor without removing the whole cover anyway. how else would you get the larger wrench on the rotor to keep it from turning while you loosen it with the smaller rotor?

[edit-I mean the smaller cover with the 3 bolts that the suzuki emblem attaches to]

Im confused. My take on it is that he glued the smaller 3 bolt cover onto the BIG cover. SO therefore, he would have to take the ENTIRE cover off to mess with the ignition. You dont have to take that whole thing off to do that.

[Pkaaso]

Ok, i was thinking the BIG cover had oil but now that i think about it it doesnt. ANYHOW, the question is, when you need to mess with the ignition rotor, or time the bike, do you have to take off the whole (big) cover? since you glued the ignition cover to it... just curious.

You can't take off the ignition rotor without removing the whole cover anyway. how else would you get the larger wrench on the rotor to keep it from turning while you loosen it with the smaller rotor?

[edit-I mean the smaller cover with the 3 bolts that the suzuki emblem attaches to]

Im confused. My take on it is that he glued the smaller 3 bolt cover onto the BIG cover. SO therefore, he would have to take the ENTIRE cover off to mess with the ignition. You dont have to take that whole thing off to do that.

Just to straighten out this conversation.

You can NOT take off the large left "clutch cover" without taking off the smaller round ignition cover.  There are two case bolts under the ignition plate.  The rotor would have to come off as well.  And, there is oil behind the clutch cover.  Glueing would be temporary at best.


Paul

[Pkaaso]

EDIT:  I ment the large right cover.  Sorry!

[Rashad]

Ok, i was thinking the BIG cover had oil but now that i think about it it doesnt. ANYHOW, the question is, when you need to mess with the ignition rotor, or time the bike, do you have to take off the whole (big) cover? since you glued the ignition cover to it... just curious.

You can't take off the ignition rotor without removing the whole cover anyway. how else would you get the larger wrench on the rotor to keep it from turning while you loosen it with the smaller rotor?

[edit-I mean the smaller cover with the 3 bolts that the suzuki emblem attaches to]

Im confused. My take on it is that he glued the smaller 3 bolt cover onto the BIG cover. SO therefore, he would have to take the ENTIRE cover off to mess with the ignition. You dont have to take that whole thing off to do that.

Just to straighten out this conversation.

You can NOT take off the large left "clutch cover" without taking off the smaller round ignition cover.  There are two case bolts under the ignition plate.  The rotor would have to come off as well.  And, there is oil behind the clutch cover.  Glueing would be temporary at best.


Paul

Well, that didnt really straighten things out.. that still doesnt  answer the question of how he gets around the fact that its glued on there. That was my whole point. YOur right you cant take off the big cover without the small one.. therefore, he would be screwed, hence my question..... ahem....

[StanFry]

Right Hand Side of bike (while sitting on it)

The ignition rotor sits behind a cover that is held in place by three small bolts.

On top of this cover is an aluminin(sp?) disc, with the word "Suzuki" on it.  This disc is held on to the larger cover with glue.  I removed the broken disc and attached a new one (that I made).  Have a close look at the bike, it all will become clear.  Caveat: Mine's an '89, though after having a close look at the 2003 last week, I doubt your's is different.

Let me know if it's still not clear, I'll send pictures  

Stan

[Rashad]

Right Hand Side of bike (while sitting on it)

The ignition rotor sits behind a cover that is held in place by three small bolts.

On top of this cover is an aluminin(sp?) disc, with the word "Suzuki" on it.  This disc is held on to the larger cover with glue.  I removed the broken disc and attached a new one (that I made).  Have a close look at the bike, it all will become clear.  Caveat: Mine's an '89, though after having a close look at the 2003 last week, I doubt your's is different.

Let me know if it's still not clear, I'll send pictures  

Stan

Ahhh, see its CRYSTAL now. Like Crystal pepsi. I thought you meant you glued that small three bolt cover onto the big cover. Ya get me?

[StanFry]

Yeah, I thought it was one piece.  But I was replacing valve shims and, before realizing you can't do anything with the ignition advance, I pulled off the cover and noticed the disc was just glued on.  

I like cheap fixes.  

Stan