Boxerworks.com

As is common, I have a broken black plastic rain cover; it's been that way ever since I bought the bike ~10 years ago.

I obtained a replacement cover & spring from Hucky several years ago, but I've never had the information to give me the confidence to dig in & do the job. I'm assuming that it requires physical access to the space between the chrome plate & the switching board(?). I'm not seeing an obvious way to do the job externally from the top.

I've searched this site & the web, but I'm not finding any illustration or step-by-step guide, so any info or nudge in the right direction would be helpful & appreciated.

Bike model and year?

Kurt in S.A.

Kurt in S.A. wrote:Bike model and year?

Mine's a '72 /5, but I believe the same ignition covers apply to all /2 & /5 models & years going back to the 50's.

I'm betting this is the little plastic cover for the ignition key for his /5.

Rob wrote:I'm betting this is the little plastic cover for the ignition key for his /5.

Yup!

Sorry...I just think it's important to include bike/model/year, even in the title, to make sure things are completely understood. Makes it easier to search later on.

Anyway, if it's like what I can see in my R25/2 bucket, there are two pieces there...the sliding black cover (61 32 8 048 185) and the mounted chrome piece (61 32 8 048 189). The chrome piece appears to have four bendable tabs through the top of the headlight bucket. It's possible that by bending these four tabs, the chrome piece can be removed, hopefully leaving the ignition circuit board in place, and then the sliding black cover can be fitted. Then reinstall the chrome piece.

Not sure how strong the four tabs are going to be. Experience says that the four tabs that hold the ignition board in place (actually part of the headlight bucket) can only be bent a time or two...then they break off. There's a process to anneal those tabs...it involves heat/flame to cherry read then allowing to cool.

But maybe the chrome cover can be bent several times...hard to say.

Kurt in S.A.

Kurt in S.A. wrote:The chrome piece appears to have four bendable tabs through the top of the headlight bucket. It's possible that by bending these four tabs, the chrome piece can be removed, hopefully leaving the ignition circuit board in place, and then the sliding black cover can be fitted. Then reinstall the chrome piece.

Thanks, & yes I noticed those tabs too.

I'm wondering if the spring attaches to the underside of the chrome piece, or to something inside the bucket. If the former, then I believe your suggestion would work. If the latter, then I think I'm resolved to remove the ignition switch plate from below. Both appear to be delicate pieces so I'd prefer not to disturb both if I don't need to.

Unfortunately Clymer's is not instructive either:

Unfortunately, you'll have to remove the ignition switch board to access the tabs on the chrome cover. Don't worry too much about breaking the tabs. They are most likely undisturbed since the factory installation. When you remove the switch board the internal parts of the key mechanism will drop down, good time to clean and oil them. I found it helped to use a adjustable clamp to hold the switch board in place while bending the tabs during installation. Without a clamp, a third hand would really help. The spring wraps around a pin sticking up under the cover.

Bamboo812 wrote:The spring wraps around a pin sticking up under the cover.

Great to know; thanks! So the way the spring is shown in the Clymer's diagram above doesn't depict the fact that the spring "wraps" around a pin? Is that what the two protrusions on the plastic slide cover are for? For the two ends of the spring to attach to? Then the middle of the spring wraps around a peg?

Correct