What's the function of these covers?

[jryan]

While changing plugs yesterday, I removed some of these covers. While doing so, I wondered what function they provide other than just being nice & shiny. On both left & right, the front covers are similar.

 

But the back ones are different than the fronts...and different from each other.

 

The back left is 3 pieces, with the top piece having a swoop in it. The back right is 2 pieces..no swooping 3rd piece. Why not? Am I supposed to have 3 pieces on both sides? What's the purpose of the back covers?...why not just a single piece like the front covers?

 

They don't seem to serve any purpose that I can see...unless it's just to keep the plug wires elevated a bit. Any ideas?

[RedRider]

Think you hit the nail on the head - nice and shiny. That's all.

 

RR

[M61A1MECH]

What you is correct.

The covers are just for dress, no real function that I am aware of, but the swoop and the rail have some function.

According to the Yamaha tech I spoke with at Bikeweek in Daytona a few years back the swoop on the left rear is to help divert gosline away from the motor in case of a fuel spill from the gas cap. The rail is supposed to stay a bit cooler and offer a smaller surface area than the cover and act to keep you from putting your leg right on to the cover when it is hot.

 

So when he got done explaining all that to me, I asked him to look at the factory set up display bike and explain why that bike had the swoop on the right side and the rail on the left??

 

He got a little red in face and promised to have it corrected.

[Eck]

Jryan,

That shinny cover is a gas deflector so that gas does not run down onto the left rear spark plug when the bike is sitting on its kickstand.

 

I would indeed leave it installed on the left side.

[jryan]

I'll buy that. I'd have probably put a swooper piece over the rail on both sides just to make it look uniform on both sides. But I guess if they did that, they probably would've had to leave the casssette deck out to keep the costs down! HA!

 

Thanks guys, just was curious...JR

[Rick Haywood]

What you is correct.

The covers are just for dress, no real function that I am aware of, but the swoop and the rail have some function.

According to the Yamaha tech I spoke with at Bikeweek in Daytona a few years back the swoop on the left rear is to help divert gosline away from the motor in case of a fuel spill from the gas cap. The rail is supposed to stay a bit cooler and offer a smaller surface area than the cover and act to keep you from putting your leg right on to the cover when it is hot.

 

So when he got done explaining all that to me, I asked him to look at the factory set up display bike and explain why that bike had the swoop on the right side and the rail on the left??

 

He got a little red in face and promised to have it corrected.

 

It's because most dealers don't know how to put a venture together. I looked at 10 different bikes at Oberlin and 5 were on the left side 3 were on the right and 2 didn't have it on. (including mine)

[Freebird]

Mine doesn't either. They are laying on a shelf in the garage. I don't think that they really server any useful purpose the the engine looks cleaner without them.