Engine covers

[Hard 90]

Will an 81 right hand engine cover work on a 72. I'd like to have an oil level sight gas instead of a dip stick

 

[Marlin72xs]

My guess is yes. And I feel the same way. I want both.

 

[fredintoon]

Will an 81 right hand engine cover work on a 72. I'd like to have an oil level sight glass instead of a dip stick

Hi Hard90 and welcome,
that'd be "as well as" not "instead of" eh?
And you'd have to keep the sight glass clean so you could see the oil level through it.
And get puzzled when the dipstick told you a different story than the sight glass.
(And yes, my Heritage Special has both and that is what happens; a practical demonstration of a working compromise?)
And us old folks hate stooping down that far anyway.
And once you install a sidecar you have to rely on the dipstick or carry a mirror on a stick.

 

[nj1639]

Right on Fred!
Having bikes with both types of sidecovers the only true way to tell the oil level is the dipstick.
So, six of one and a half dozen of the other......unless its aesthetics and then its solid or sight glass?

 

[5twins]

I like the sight glass even if it isn't 100% accurate. At least it clues me in when a proper dip stick check should be done. As an added bonus, the later cover also provides a bit more clearance for my aftermarket headpipes. The end of the large protrusion on the bottom is beveled, it wasn't on my original '78 cover .....