850 Side Panels

I have a rather crusty 1974 Roadster.
It has the cross-wise battery tray:



The side panels that came with it do not appear to fit;



The tool pocket inside the panel fouls the battery tray:



Question: do the cross-wise battery tray models have a different left side panel?

Yes - the MkIIA sidepanel didn't have a tool tray, instead it had a plastic tray which sat above the rear mudguard
The panel located on 2 pegs, the front one was part of a bracket bolted to the plastic air box and also held the ignition switch
It fastened on with a plastic Dzus fastener through the bottom right of the panel.
The battery tray has a square hole to take the Dzus receptacle.

Thanks, Andy.
It looks like I need a new side panel.

It appears as though you have an 850 Mark III battery tray. The reason I say this is because it does not have the bracket that would support the side panel's plastic dzus receptacle.

Assuming you don't have the original plastic air box, you might want to consider buying an earlier type battery tray so that you can use your existing side panel. If you go that route you will also have to relocate the rectifier because the tool box within the side panel would run into it. Another thing I see is that there is an oil filter mounted in that area which would have to be relocated for the same reason (as it was originally mounted).

Peter Joe

bucksfizz said:

It looks like I need a new side panel.

Click to expand...

Do you have the black plastic airbox with the Mk2A panel upper retainer bracket?

If not, then as the Dzus bracket is also missing from your 'A' battery tray it would probably be easier (and cheaper) to adapt the panel that you have (by cutting the tool tray out and adding another rear retaining bracket.

PeterJoe said:

It appears as though you have an 850 Mark III battery tray.
Peter Joe

Click to expand...

Well spotted, PeterJoe!
When I bought the motor cycle, it was not matching numbers, and I determined that the frame from its number was from the Mk III series.

L.A.B. said:

bucksfizz said:

It looks like I need a new side panel.

Click to expand...

Do you have the black plastic airbox with the Mk2A panel upper retainer bracket?

If not, then as the Dzus bracket is also missing from your 'A' battery tray it would probably be easier (and cheaper) to adapt the panel that you have (by cutting the tool tray out and adding another rear retaining bracket.

Click to expand...

I don't have the plastic air box, so I think your suggestion in lieu of finding a Mk III panel is a good one.

bucksfizz said:

L.A.B. said:

Do you have the black plastic airbox with the Mk2A panel upper retainer bracket?

If not, then as the Dzus bracket is also missing from your 'A' battery tray it would probably be easier (and cheaper) to adapt the panel that you have (by cutting the tool tray out and adding another rear retaining bracket.

Click to expand...

I don't have the plastic air box, so I think your suggestion in lieu of finding a Mk III panel is a good one.

Click to expand...

Well, if you did find a Mk3 panel then without the Mk3 plastic airbox there would still be no upper mounting (the Mk3 panel fittings are different to Mk2A) so you'd end up having to modify the panel fitting arrangement although a special bracket is available from Old Britts for this purpose.

http://www.oldbritts.com/13_066330b.html

L.A.B. said:

bucksfizz said:

L.A.B. said:

Do you have the black plastic airbox with the Mk2A panel upper retainer bracket?

If not, then as the Dzus bracket is also missing from your 'A' battery tray it would probably be easier (and cheaper) to adapt the panel that you have (by cutting the tool tray out and adding another rear retaining bracket.

Click to expand...

I don't have the plastic air box, so I think your suggestion in lieu of finding a Mk III panel is a good one.

Click to expand...

Well, if you did find a Mk3 panel then without the Mk3 plastic airbox there would still be no upper mounting (the Mk3 panel fittings are different to Mk2A) so you'd end up having to modify the panel fitting arrangement although a special bracket is available from Old Britts for this purpose.

http://www.oldbritts.com/13_066330b.html

Click to expand...

I have a brand-new spare stainless dzus bracket for a left sidepanel if anyone needs it. You would need the dzus and circlip, but I believe the hole in the frame gusset is already there. Cleanest way to fasten it to the sidepanel is with 3 stainless pop rivets.

@Danno - PM sent.