Tank cover popping up on 1st gen help

[dingy]

Does anyone have a suggestion for making the tank cover not pop out of the front holder on a 1st gen?

 

This has happened a few times and it is a little distracting when it does this.

 

It only does it around 90+ mph.

 

I will help those that have the obvious answer, stay within the speed limit. I know that one, but it cuts into the fun factor.

 

Gary

[Flyinfool]

just drive 89.

 

See I did not tell you to follow the speed limit.

 

Mine has never popped open.

 

Check to be sure that the latch is not broken or bent. If closed correctly it should not open.

[MasterGuns]

The rubber gasket that the tab on the front of the faux tank cover sets in is either missing or has deteriorated to such a degree that it is ineffective in holding the cover on. The grommet is located just in a couple inches in front of the battery. It is oval shaped. Cost about $10 from Yamaha.

[dingy]

The rubber gasket that the tab on the front of the faux tank cover is either missing or has deteriorated to such a degree that it is ineffective in holding the cover on. Cost about $10 from Yamaha.

 

 

The gasket is in place and seems pliable yet.

 

Gary

[MasterGuns]

Then it must be all the g-forces created by those V-Max goodies making it come loose.

[Condor]

IF your rear tab is not broken off, and the gromet tab is not worn down, there's no way the cover will come off... with or without the gromet. Without the gromet the cover will shake a bit.

[dingy]

IF your rear tab is not broken off, and the gromet tab is not worn down, there's no way the cover will come off... with or without the gromet. Without the gromet the cover will shake a bit.

 

 

Way !!

 

The rear tab is intact, grommet & bushing are present and accounted for.

 

 

Gary

[friesman]

IF your rear tab is not broken off, and the gromet tab is not worn down, there's no way the cover will come off... with or without the gromet. Without the gromet the cover will shake a bit.

 

 

I am with Jack here, if youve got the front tab in the grommet and the rear screw under the gas fill lid in, i cant see how it came come out.

 

Brian

[Condor]

The rear tab is intact, grommet & bushing are present and accounted for.

Gary

 

Actually there is a way that the front tab can come out of the gromet. The front part of the cover isn't the stiffest in the world, and can actually flex enough to move the bottom edge the 3/4" it would need to come out of the hole. However that's highly unlikely. You might try bending the gromet flange a little farther forward and see if that helps. Maybe it got bent back in another lifetime?? I've had my '83 up to 120mph and never had a problem.... and I have a big washer holding the rear down...no tab.

[Yammer Dan]

It shouldn't anyway.

[mrich12000]

V=Delta*+(b+V) Over v/Cover=Big washer=*87

 

Or just put a nylon tye so it stays..

[Squeeze]

Gary, that's possibly a Kinda of Aerodynamics Problem on your Bike. I'd opt for Racing Quick Open Fasteners like Dzus, Camloc or something else in that Line.

 

 

[/url]http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ha/fasteners.html

[MasterGuns]

Gary, My tank cover was coming loose or coming out of the rubber grommet in the front all the time. Happened with fair frequency. My front rubber grommet appeared to be serviceable but I purchased a new one anyway. When I compared the two, the new one was a lot more solid and not so pliable. Once installed, my tank cover has not come loose again. Buy a new grommet and you will solve the issue.

[mrich12000]

Does anyone have a suggestion for making the tank cover not pop out of the front holder on a 1st gen?

 

This has happened a few times and it is a little distracting when it does this.

 

It only does it around 90+ mph.

 

I will help those that have the obvious answer, stay within the speed limit. I know that one, but it cuts into the fun factor.

 

Gary

 

One is avalable from Pinwall

 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Yamaha-Venture-XVZ1300-1300-SHELTER-AIR-BOX-COVER-/110562805128?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19be0e8588

[saltcreep]

The plastic tab on mine was partially broken off, so mine was all the time popping up.

 

I drilled a hole in the middle of the little tab from the front to back and used a very small toggle bolt with the scissor part facing backwards and cut off the extra bolt length... The little spring loaded scissor part actually goes into the slot the plastic tab would go into if it were present . It fits together very firm now, no more problems.

 

If your tab is still present and maybe a bit shorter or what not, maybe you could just glue a washer to the bottom of it to extend the length of it a bit.

 

 

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/94/94ff2d70-ecda-45fa-84fd-e40b5930c38a_300.jpg

[Snaggletooth]

Gary, I had the same problem when I got mine and I didn't really solve it until I had pulled my fuel tank to treat it.

 

Where the metal flange comes up under the rear of the false cover that the bolt goes into.......there are 4 bolts I think, that attach that flange bracket to the frame. If you loosen them a bit you can rotate that entire bracket front to rear a little bit. I was able to rotate mine to the rear far enough to pull the cover tab tight into the forward tab slot. Snug as a bug now and no wiggle.

 

Just a thought.

 

Mike

[SaltyDog]

My false tank cover would jump up on occasion even after I fully repaired the rear tab and grommet. My front rubber mount was also in good shape but the front tab while not broken or bent seemed to only engage the front mount by a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. So I extended it with ABS sheet and ABS solvent and experimented with the length till it decided to stay put. The false tank cover isn't really that stiff and the air that comes up around the steering head can really put some lifting forces on the cover. It only took one time for it to come loose at speed for me to get motivated and come up with a FINAL solution. If the front tab extension wouldn't have worked, I was going to bolt it in some fashion. Try it, start with a longer than necessary extension and trim down until the cover can just be fitted between the steering head and the tab rubber grommet mount.

[bongobobny]

Do you have the rubber accordian boot around the filler neck???

[dingy]

I am going to try a modified version of SaltyDog's idea.

 

Though instead of lengthening the tab, I am trying to make the rubber holder thicker in the front.

 

I had a piece of 1/4" pliable sheet rubber that I cut a piece out of and attached to the front of the rubber washer on the front mount.

 

The cover now seems very snug when mounted.

 

I'll see if this works, if not, next in line is Snaggletooth's suggestion to rotate the rear mount.

 

Do you have the rubber accordian boot around the filler neck???

Yes, that is in place.

 

A few of my usual pictures attached. I do love digital cameras !!

 

 

Gary

[Iowa Guy]

Mine would come open when there were a combination of factors some of which I probably haven't identified yet. If I was riding hard say 80+ mph into a head wind and I had tried to put to many accessories connected to the battery then the latch up front didn't extend far enough into the grometed slot. Going west on I-80 across Iowa two summers ago, I finally gave up and ran a bungee cord across the top from one pouch bracket to the other. It felt better knowing that the darn thing wasn't going to flip up in my face.

Good ideas here. I think I will buy a new grommet.

 

Iowa Guy

[greg_in_london]

Well a few people have said that it does happen and it does with mine too, although I'm fairly sure that there should be a grommet or collar or something around the screw that holds the back down (under the lockable flap). I've never bothered doing much about mine, though, because when I'm travelling I put a small backpack on the tank as a tank bag, with a cargo net over the top and friction mat (like you can put in the sliding doors in tool boxes) underneath. When I don't have the bag, I still have the cargo net and anti-slide sheet as it is just so handy when you get used to it. Mp3 player, bottle of water, sunglasses, newspaper, cuddly toy - whatever you need. It also means that the dummy tank cover is not an issue - indeed, when I mislaid the keys at a ferry terminal once (they'd fallen inside the fairing) I was able to lift the cover and htwire the bike to be able to get home safely, so it was kind of an advantage !

[GaryZ]

I just found this thread and since my tank cover came off this past November, I thought I would add my 2 cents. My cover had a broken rear tab when I got the bike. I replaced the tab with a small metal bracket. This bracket came loose and allowed the tank cover to move far enough to come out of the front slot . . . around 100mph. A few seconds of panic before I figured out what had happened.

 

I fixed the tab again and adjusted it to draw the cover to the back. I also glued foam under the front of the cover to stiffen up the entire assembly. So far, so good.

[jasonm.]

maybe the 83 plastic is different. My 87 plastic is VERY stiff. And the front tab on mine engages completely. Cannot wiggle that cover for nutten. Although 2 times I pushed the front rubber grommey out of place. Now that will cause an issue. Plus the grommet has a right way and wrong for it to be installed. You take it out and you will see one side not like the other. tapered and wide vs. NOT.

[SC89Venture]

The plastic piece around the flange the front tab hooks on my 89 was gone when I got it.

I did as someone on this site suggested and took 1/4 fuel line, about 5" long, cut it length wise and wrapped it around the metal tab. Also put the big washers on the back where it attaches, no more problem.

[Lil Venturous]

On the CBR and the FZ1 I could just sit up there. Is that an option on my Shamu?