Fuel Tank "Bumpers" - Correct Side-Cover Finish

[John S. (5594)]

Hi Folks,

Here is my trivia question for the morning - what the heck is the purpose of the two clips and associated rubber moulding pieces that fasten to the front edge of the 79/80 fuel tanks?



It is not obvious to me - but I actually went to the trouble of replacing the hardened and cracked ones on my Z Model - probably have installed these a bit too high from the photos I have studied.

And could someone please tell me what the correct side-cover finish is for the 79/80 Candy Glory Red models? My Perseus Silver 79's have a flat black finish on these parts while my Black 80 sports a gloss black finish on the side-covers. Are the side covers on the early Red CBX's finished in a gloss of flat black?

Thanks again for your help - and all the best from sunny San Jose.

John

[EMS]

John:

I always perceived the clips and bumpers as protection devices when you put the tanl back on after you remove it for whatever reason.
The black sidecover paint is indeed a mystery. But you should be fine. Gloss black covers were only on 1980 bikes. 1979 were always flat black.
Some people speculated, that in 1980, the gloss covers were only on the black U.S. models, but then black Japan made models and Red models had them too. So far, nobody has come up with a good answer. And as many parts have been replaced throughout the years due to broken tabs, it is difficult to say with certainty what is original when you look at a bike.

[Phil]

On my red 79 the side covers are neither flat or gloss. They appear to be a semi gloss clear coat over flat black. These are the original covers. The decals are on top of the paint.

[EMS]

Whether you call it flat or semi-gloss shouldn't really matter. The official color code was A-01, Semi Glazed Black. Fact is, on 79 bikes, the sidecovers were all the same, unless somebody changed them. On 80 bikes, there is the possibility to have a gloss black sidecover painted very much like the black 80 bodywork, Color Code NH-1.