Engine guard on '83 w/full fairing

[artbone]

When I bought my '83 in '85 it had engine guards installed but not the lower fairing. When I tried to install the lowers I found out why they were off the bike. They wouldn't fit with the engine guard in place, so I removed the guard and stuck it in a box with all the bolts and spacers.

Fast forward to '09. I'm looking at all this stuff I've collected over the years for Visions and decide the '83 would look good with both the lowers and the engine guard. (I realize it's not politically correct to say "crash bar.")

I installed the upper fairing then the engine guard and held the lowers up to the bolt holes to see if there was any way they would match up. It looks to me like there is a notch in the left lower that is there to clear the engine guard and, if I cut a little notch in the lower at the back lower corner I could make it all line up and, with just a little jockeying of the oil drain/rear fairing mount the whole mess would just fall together.

On the right side, it's pretty much the same. A little trimming on the lower back and it looks like it would go together and look like it was made for it.

I'm sure someone on this forum has addressed this before, so give me some tips before I go cutting on a perfect set of lowers.

Art

[Rick G]

The notch is for the clutch cable , . Good luck on your project.

[Kid Jedi]

use a small tool, like a dremel to cut the material, and take your time. use some heavy tape over each cut you want to make to prevent cracking/flaking of the plastic. I recommend freezer tape on the top and back side of every cut you want to make. This will preserve the paint job.

[artbone]

What I really wanted to know is if anyone had tried this.

[artbone]

The more I look the less it looks like it would work without butchering the whole bottom of the lowers. I think I'll pass.

[QBS]

I think there is wisdom in your decision.  '83 pieces are very valuable.

[Rick G]

There's more than one style of "case"guard. I scoped it out 10 years ago and came to the same conclusion , its an interference fit . One interferes with the other.

[artbone]

These are actually a Yamaha part. They still had a little gold Yamaha sticker until I removed it cleaning them up. I guess I'll haul them over and use them on my '82.