Gen 1 cowling

Hey All. Fairly certain I'll have to take my nose off to get to a bad headlight relay. Been searching past posts, including wfooshee's very helpful one here, but I'm vaguely remembering reading somewhere about being able to get the cowling off without removing the lowers? I might be thinking about not having to take the whole nose itself apart but thought I'd ask before diving in. Anybody ever see this or is it wishful thinking on my part?

Keeping an eye on this thread. I'm thinking something broke in mine. I've got about 1/4 to a half inch vertical movement in mine. Makes me think something is broke underneath.

I don't think that you need to remove the cowling to get to the headlight relay. This is the same relay that I pulled out and tied into when I installed my Clearwater driving lights. Ya simply remove the four black inner panels of the fairing that surround the gas tank and there it is on the left under the tack I believe.

Maybe check a couple old threads? Here's one:

CLICKY 1

Here's one:

CLICKY 2

Tell ya who knows exactly how to access this relay: Glenn at Clearwater Lights. His staff has done this a gazillion times. I can't speak for them, but they were so helpful when I called. Perhaps they could answer your question as well??

CLICKY 3

Gary

darksider #44

Thanks Gary, really appreciate the links. The relay you're referring to though is the Hi/Low Relay #2 which I think most of us use to trigger our aux. lights. On the Gen 1s at least, that's the one located behind the C panel. Of course that's not the one giving me problems. Before getting to that relay power passes through Headlight Relay #1 which is located (again on Gen 1s) on the other side behind the B panel and up on top of the Meter Assembly. I'm pretty sure that's the one that crapped out and I can't get to it from underneath with the inner panels removed.

Picture stolen from wfooshee.



From what I've been reading it sounds like the nose had to come off. BUT . . . late last night I walked by it and, with the windshield sitting in the raised position, that small panel between the windshield arms made eye contact with me. Could it really be that easy? Yup! One 4mm fastener and the panel falls away giving a fairly clean shot to the back of the Assembly and removal of the relay.

Wouldn't it have been nice if they had designed a similar set-up for getting to the fuse block??

Yeah, you wouldn't get to much else up there through that central panel. And that panel isn't on the other GENs, either.

Besides, the panel isn't for access to underneath, it's so that windshield arm can pierce the nose cowl. You got lucky that the relay you needed was THAT one!

Now had you needed to remove the nose cowl after all, then yes, it can be removed without removing the lowers. You just have to remove all the fasteners between the lowers and the uppers, which is the three on top on the outside, and then some under the nose above the wheel. The nose assembly can slide off forward after removing the mirrors, unplugging the headlights, and removing the four screws holding the nose to the front subframe.

Removing the lowers isn't that big a deal, though, and the nose assembly does come off easier when the lowers are out of the way.