Not the end of the world.. but.

[motobiker]

A part has changed in its design. or so it seems.


I broke the forward spigot.. from the RHS plastic cover.. the one thats above the RHS injectors..
and so got on the phone to Motorworks for a new one... just a shade over £8.

It arrived and i stuck it on.. and immediately thought I had got a bad moulding.
so.. back on the phone to Motorwoks yesterday and another arrived today and its just the same.

Unlike the cover that came off.. these have been 'scalloped' along the top edge so now the lower tank edge 'lip' is clearly visible.. moreso on my bike as its so dirty.
The muck thats visible in the pics is normally hidden completely by the cover.. but not these new ones.

Also it doesn't go right up to the metal.. there's a good size gap and you can actually see behind it from above.

should I reject this one too and try for a third.. maybe from somewhere else.
It just doesn't look as neat as the original. (which I can't repair)

closeup:

 

[Kenny]

Life can be so cruel !!!

I think you'll find most are like this - maybe your initial one was the defective one !!

 

[Wrigsby1]

Wash tank and/or don't stare at it as it only gets worse...

 

[Mac]

Black insulation tape on tank edge may hide the gap

 

[DutchBryn]

Mental note to self: easy does next time side panel removal time comes.

Given your experiences, perhaps it's worth trying to repair the old one?
If you can id. the plastic, google will reveal many possibilities. Maybe.

 

[uncle dick]

You need a plastic fuel tank - no nasty flanges to worry about

 

[waterloo700]

The shape has changed a bit (or they have added a cutaway) - also the old ones were slightly heavier/less flexible and obviously prone to snapping the lugs off.

Be consoled by the fact that your power to weight ratio has improved - faster getaways and better fuel economy!

 

[motobiker]

Cheers for posting that picture Kenny... I'm reassured now that this part wasn't 'faulty'.

What peeves me most isn't the 'dirt' that's visible.. its that there's a gap... I can see down. My bike lives outside and so gets a regular soaking, with this gap the rain will run right down the tank and behind the cover.. not the end of the world. but it does seem a bit wrong.

I'm guessing motorworks will come back with a 'they're all like that'. so.. I'll look further into repairing the original and if that isn't possible. then an 'original' from a 'broken' bike will be on my shopping list.

here's a picture so you can see the difference. the original is the lower.

 

[roddy]

is the one from Motoworks an OEM part or a pattern part ?

there certainly an obvious moulding difference between the two

 

[motobiker]

Its definitely OEM. the bag it was in had the usual BMW part number sticker sealing it.

I looked up that part number on the realoem site.. and its correct.


And just to reinforce that, the numbers that are on the plastic itself, formed when it was moulded - are exactly the same in all details and positions. the two pieces are identical.

only... as you can see. physically, they're not.

 

[Trullion]

That's interesting. I broke one of the spigots on my original cover about two years ago. The replacement I got from Motorworks fits the same as the original (i.e. properly, with no gap). The change must have occurred since then.

 

[Aidjay]

Same part for 1150?

Anyone know if this part will also fit a 1150GSA?

If so motobiker, if you still have the extra one, I'll be interested in purchasing it off you. Drop me a PM.

 

[motobiker]

Email from motorworks.

"I'm afraid that is just how BMW make them now I'm afraid. We have been on to BMW uk to check it out and that is their response."

so thats that.

 

[MattW]

Just got back from my hols and noticed this thread.

First time I removed the sidepanel from my 1100, the spigot snapped off. I did what I intended at the time to be a 'temporary' repair using an M6 socket screw filed into shape to match the spigot and threaded into a hole tapped into the moulding, secured with superglue. Two years later, it's still there . However, my '94 plastic tank sidepanel is a completely different shape - I guess they changed them to take account of the steel tanks flanges

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/lOfVQ4MDIbMYgaIaPlZbNhJAieIP4IByCYmMpeOVcwI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SSn2CtCOKnU/TJ4YBNd1bvI/AAAAAAAAD5I/K2UVuDJk1Bg/s800/IMG_5701.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/M_ST0CNeJaO-SZ2wtq8LDRJAieIP4IByCYmMpeOVcwI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SSn2CtCOKnU/TJ4YB5jNgsI/AAAAAAAAD5M/T0lH30yy6PM/s800/IMG_5702.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/lrOdTtEjQQ3ZhOAlq-sdyxJAieIP4IByCYmMpeOVcwI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SSn2CtCOKnU/TJ4YCjYs6SI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/SdPgY8NPe7Q/s800/IMG_5703.JPG" /></a>

 

[motobiker]

It wasn't just that part that broke.. the entire extrusion came away. trouble is the footprint to reglue it is very tiny. thus:

So.. i think the best plan is to pack the base of the piece with a cube of plastic to give a full footprint. Just a matter of finding something to fit.

 

[MattW]

It wasn't just that part that broke.. the entire extrusion came away. trouble is the footprint to reglue it is very tiny. thus:

So.. i think the best plan is to pack the base of the piece with a cube of plastic to give a full footprint. Just a matter of finding something to fit.

Exactly the same happened to mine - the bit you show was hanging by a thread and the blob had also broken away. I used a 'hard plastic' specific superglue (quite thick and viscous when it comes out of the tube) after degreasing it with brake cleaner. To be honest I didn't think it would be strong enough, but thus far it's worked...

 

[magno]

Q Bond is the answer. I've fixed all sorts of plastics without fail.
Amazing stuff - google is your friend.

 

[mandon]

mine broke too, i just used metal epoxy, and its still there, and when i need to remove the cover, i use flat screw driver at the spigot to prevent it from breaking again....been there for two years...