RSD Front Engine Cover

Question for anyone who has installed the Roland Sands complete front engine cover. Did you have to remove the oil cooler to complete the installation?
I only installed the RSD engine cover trim and I had had to drop it down. So I cannot imagine you wouldn’t have to.
There are installation instructions for all the accessories on the website.
 
I might be crazy, but I swear I read somewhere that the front of the engine had to be tilted down to install the FULL RSD breast plate —not just the oil cooler. Anyone?
 
I might be crazy, but I swear I read somewhere that the front of the engine had to be tilted down to install the FULL RSD breast plate —not just the oil cooler. Anyone?
When I had my oil cooler off, I unbolted the chrome breast plate and tried to wiggle it out from the frame.

Not even close.
 
Question for anyone who has installed the Roland Sands complete front engine cover. Did you have to remove the oil cooler to complete the installation?
I am in the middle of installing the RSD front engine cover. You need to remove the lower frame rails on each side to create the space to remove/install the cover.
I have the bike in a chock on a work table and supported the engine using two rubber hockey pucks atop my scissor jack.
If you follow the steps detailed in the instructions it’s really not as intimidating as it sounds. But I will tell you that BMW uses an excessive amount of thread locker on nearly every bolt on this bike. The fasteners are stainless steel so they are a bit soft. I chewed up the Torx heads on a few bolts and I will have to order replacements.
 
Quote:" I chewed up the Torx heads on a few bolts and will have to order replacements."

I learned this lesson the hard way on my R1200C many years ago that snug is better than tight on a BMW bike. Yes, I have had to order replacement fasteners after stripping the head. I even stripped a Phillips head screw using a screw driver!
 
Quote:" I chewed up the Torx heads on a few bolts and will have to order replacements."

I learned this lesson the hard way on my R1200C many years ago that snug is better than tight on a BMW bike. Yes, I have had to order replacement fasteners after stripping the head. I even stripped a Phillips head screw using a screw driver!
Can someone confirm if the R18 head covers and front engine cover are aluminum. I attempted to repair what I thought was a metal ding on the right head cover. The metal itself was ok but the anodized coating was defective. Sanded the whole cover w 320, 600, 2500 grit and polished w aluminum wheel polish. The shine is sharper than the stock satin anodized finish. Maintaining the shine would be more of a challenge but certainly looks cooler!! I ordered the cover trim to tone it down and provide additional engine protection w/o the use of crash bars. I will do the front cover next and the trim.
 
I no longer have mine but from what I remember of the the heft I believe them to be chrome plated steel.
Thank you for responding. The weight of the cover indicates that it is not steel and it is NOT magnetic. If it was chromed steel, I wouldn’t have been able to hand sand the chrome plating off. I would’ve had to use a grinder. I am quite sure it was anodized. The only thing I wasn’t sure of is the head cover material metal. I strongly suspect that it is stamped aluminum.
 
Thank you for responding. The weight of the cover indicates that it is not steel and it is NOT magnetic. If it was chromed steel, I wouldn’t have been able to hand sand the chrome plating off. I would’ve had to use a grinder. I am quite sure it was anodized. The only thing I wasn’t sure of is the head cover material metal. I strongly suspect that it is stamped aluminum.
Seemed to heavy to be aluminum but like I said I don’t have mine to check anymore.
 
Just a heads up:

Check the threads for the roundel bolt holes.

The first RSD engine cover I had come in had incorrect cut threads. They’re supposed to reuse the factory 4mm bolts, but what came in was about 4.5mm.

Replacement cover came in correctly. Unfortunately we didn’t learn this until we spent an hour installing the first one…
 
Back
Top