80 GS850L side cover

[yotaman423]

in my quest for a side cover for my bike all the online parts fiches i have seen show there to be on mounting tab on the top of the cover. the left side i do have for my bike has two mounting tab holes. i dont kow if the picture is misleading or if a PO has made mods to make this work. any help would be great thanks

[Dogma]

I have this exact bike. Both side covers should hang from two flat hooks on the frame, just under the edge of the seat. The low side of each cover should have a post that snaps into a rubber grommet on the frame. The side covers are symmetrical. You should have symmetrical mount points on the frame.

BTW, the rubber pieces for all three points are very inexpensive, hold the side covers better, and are just plain easier to use. If you decide to order new, be aware that the side cover badge part number has been superseded, and you will get something the looks like it belongs on an '83. At least, that's what BikeBandit told me happened. I lucked into some correct NOS on eBay.

[gssuzukixxx]

BTW, I was missing the rubber covers for the 2 hook things at the top so I cut pieces of a bicycle inner tube and slide them over the hooks things. A skinny road bike tube fits nicely.

Brian

[bwringer]

Those little rubber thingies for the hooks are a whopping $1.17 each at PartShark.com (Suzuki part #47117-45000).

The grommets are $1.73 each (part # 09320-08018).

The story is similar all over any GS -- all the rubber bits are worn out or missing, but almost all of them are still available and cheap.

Replacing all the various grommets and cushions is a cheap, effective way of making your GS look and feel new again.

Stuff stops rattling, things align correctly, and you can remove and replace the side covers without breaking the mounting posts or running the risk of losing the side covers on the road.

It's also a good idea to peruse the fiches for the mounting hardware, braces, spacers, etc. For example, I learned that the mounting hardware for my gas tank was missing and had been replaced with a couple of rubber washers. When I installed the proper spacers and cushions, suddenly the seat, airbox, and side covers all aligned with the tank correctly and the petcock stopped rubbing on the airbox.

[yotaman423]

the problem im having is the side cover i do have has TWO mounting slots on the top. my bike has TWO tabs to mount the covers. the online parts fiches for my bike the cover only shows ONE mounting on the top. the only thing i can think is i don t have the bike i think i do which is a 80 GS850GLT. so what gives might the pictures be incorrect?

[bwringer]

It's important to remember that the fiches are just helpful diagrams -- they're not necessarily a good indicator of what things really look like.

In this case, they only show one of these cushions on each side. But if you look on a real fiche (not BikeBandit's craptastic interface with fake part numbers) the quantity required is listed as two per side.

They only show one in the diagram because showing two would be redundant and would clutter up the diagram.

If you look at, for example, a valve cover for your bike, they'll only show one bolt in the diagram, but the quantity required will be listed as 16.

Some online fiches don't list quantity required, so it's a good idea to poke around until you find one that does -- http://partshark.com is a good one, plus they use real Suzuki part numbers. There are several others.

[Dogma]

Interesting. I hadn't noticed it, but the cover shown in the fiche indeed does not look like the covers on my 850GLT, including the cover I ordered new.

[DanTheMan]

My '80 850GLT has two mounting tabs for the side covers. The parts fiche must have had an accidental omission of the second tab.

[yotaman423]

thanks guys i about to think i was goin crazy. i did not want to hassle with ordering a part and sending it back bc its wrong. thanks again now i can order in peace.

[madbikebreaker]

No kidding they new grommets hold on tight. Almost too tight. I bought a new set last year and every other time I take the covers off or try to put them back on, the rubber grommet pops out of its hole. Maybe these were sitting on the dealer shelf too long. Stiff little things. Even when I spit on them they still give me trouble. Any suggestions?

Dave

[Dogma]

No kidding they new grommets hold on tight. Almost too tight. I bought a new set last year and every other time I take the covers off or try to put them back on, the rubber grommet pops out of its hole. Maybe these were sitting on the dealer shelf too long. Stiff little things. Even when I spit on them they still give me trouble. Any suggestions?

Dave

They sold you hard grommets? Stealerships. They should be soft and pliable. I've only had good luck with places like PartShark or Z1Enterprises.

[nitro3custom]

Are you looking for the cover or the grommets? I have a cover in the for sale section. It was sold to me to fit a 1981 gs1000l but it's for a 1980 850l. It has two slots on the top and one pin on the bottom. pics aren't the best but I could email beter ones.

[Testarossa]

They sold you hard grommets? Stealerships. They should be soft and pliable. I've only had good luck with places like PartShark or Z1Enterprises.

+1 The grommets should be pliable. I always check with Z1 Enterprises first. Jeff and his merry gang are good folks, and they stock a surprising amount of bits. Really fast shipping too. And no, I'm not affiliated.

[lti_57]

very Timely post once again
I have a 1980 850GL and looking at the parrts list and e-bay i can not tell how the side cover should look
can someone post a nice side view pic of a cover that will work on a
850GL
thanks in advance

[Dogma]

Right now on eBay, I can only find 850G covers. Nothing for GL.

I nabbed some quick cell phone pics of my left side cover. If you want to see what the decals should look like, have a look in the GSR gallery.