Airhead battery cover?

[RCOCKRUM]

OK! I've got to be missing something here. What holds the battery covers on a R90/6? Looked at a parts Fische and it show a "rubber ring". Is that just a big rubber band?

[DennisDarrow]

That is it exactly........Some folks use a back-up and wire them into place.....Hopefully somebody will pitch in the technical name for them but I dont remember it being Battery covers..........lol......good old memory can't recall right now......YES.....a couple of rubber bands or a bungee........God bless......Dennis

[RCOCKRUM]

Thanks, Dennis! The more I dig into this airhead the simpler it gets.

[lmo1131]

I finally gave up on the OEM "rubber bands" and started using 3/16" diameter "shock cord" (bungee) material. You can usually buy it by the foot from a boat shop, West Marine, etc. You can also buy mini bungees, but they're generally only about 1/8" diameter... a bit too small, and not quite long enough.

See > http://sgtknots.com/shock_cord.aspx

I just cut it a bit long and tie it together with a square knot.

[James.A]

I use zip ties. More specificly, I zip tie another zip tie to the ear on the cover and use that one or a pair of them to tie off to a place on the battery box on the same side. This pulls the cover tight against the little tabs on the sub frame. The narrower zip ties are best for this application.

[jad01]

I lost one on the road many years ago... decided to make my own.

[lmo1131]

Jim, are you using some kind of spacer under your battery cable?

[jad01]

Jim, are you using some kind of spacer under your battery cable?

Hi Lew,
At that time I was using a bushing to move the cable out from the battery a bit (I can't exactly recall why at this point... I think there was something odd about the terminals on the battery). That photo is from 2004 (the only close-up of the covers that I have). I replaced the battery with a Panasonic from Mottorad Elektrik about 5 years ago- no spacer. Actually, I replaced both cables with new ones from Rick last year as well.

[20774]

I'm using a small diameter nylon string using a bowline knot at one end and a tautline hitch to provide the tension (sorry, my Boy Scout training won't let go!!). Plus I'm using a zip tie on the right side (left side is captive) as a belt-n-suspenders approach.

[RCOCKRUM]

Thanks, guys. Sounds like this ain't rocket surgery, just a little airhead ingenuity needed.

[20715]

I'm still using the OEM rubber band. I use two of them. I do seem to recall using a small bungee cord for a while many years ago. About 5 years ago I did decide to safety wire them to the frame. If you haven't seen that, take a large washer, bend it into an L shape, and JB weld one side to the back of the cover. Then just use baling wire to attach to frame. Or a nylond zip tie. I did both covers, although as noted by Kurt the left side is held captive by the lift handle.

[47512]

They are just big O rings, still available from BMW.

Some years ago I went to a industrial supply and bought what looked to be the same, they came in a package of 10, I change them every 4/5 years, and still have some left.