Hi all, this is goingto seem like a really stupid question, having just taken ownership of a Le Man 3, before i go and do some damage how are you meant to get the side panels off? I would think you just pull em hard from the bottom but they dont seem to want to shift.
Hi, you are correct, they just pull off at the bottom and then lift upwards to release the top part from the frame mountings. However you need to be careful as it is easy to break the covers. The lower steel lug passes through a rubber grommet and it is essential that you support the cover from behind and push it off the steel lug rather than pull it. This is particularly true for the right hand cover as it is weaker than the left side due to the cut out for the brake rod. I would suggest lubricating the rubber with some WD40 or similar to help slide the rubber over the lug. The seat has to be raised to lift the cover lugs (two off) from the rubber grommets in the frame. Again, some WD40 may help. Once off check the condition of the grommets and replace if necessary. Then a dab of Vaseline on the them will ease removal in the future.
Cheers Phil
Was the bike the white one from Speedsuperbikes in Exeter ? if so you beat me by half an hour !!
Hi Phil, thanks for that, having got them off now I know why they were resting, the rubber grommits had paint on them which had glued itself to the securing pin, good tip of yours to get your fingers behind and pull, took a few really good tugs and some of the gromet was left on the pin. yes it is the one from Speed bikes, id been looking at it for a while and took a trip on the Spada with a mate on his T3 to go and see it, initially my mate wanted to see it, he didnt like the prone position but I sat on it and it felt good, the then asking price was too high and I said to my mate on the way out, that needs to be at no more than 5 grand, lo and behold I was looking at my watched items on ebay and there it was ,price reduced by a grand phoned and bought it that day. Ive been giving it a going over ie; bled the brakes, they needed it, charged up the battery, sorted carb fuel leak, adjusted the clutch, checked the fluids, glad to say its all there and run sweetly, I will use it now untill the winter when itll get partially stripped, sorted, and resprayed [paint work on it is poor]. To me the Mk1 is the buisiness, not so keen on the 2, awfull fairing, the 3 back to a nice looking fairing and is a nice looking motorcycle in its own right, if you stop compairing it to the 1, there we are got to stop rattling on, thanks again Phil.
Hello everyone.
I had this problem about 20 years ago on a Le Mans. There was no social media then ( not to me anyway) so when I wanted to look at the brake master cylinder I pulled the side panel from the bottom and the bottom fixing stayed fixed, the rest came away in my hand. So obvious after I’d done it.
Regarding Tatti and fairings, the Le Mans looked the bees knees to me but in practice directed all the weather to my upper body and head. In contrast I had a mk2 some years later and even without the lowers the top fairing gave excellent protection. I’ve never had a mk3 so can’t comment.
Regards. Dave
Hi Eggnog, im not supprised that you broke em, seems a really bizzar system funny shaped gromet, a round one would have done the job.One of the side panels on this 3 has been broken judging by the amount of glue and silicone apllied on the inside, luckily I have a mate whose a very fine fibre glass expert and has promised to make me two new panels when the bike comes off the road this winter. Today I went for my first ride on the lemon, about 40 miles and im glad to say there are no major problems with this newly purchased bike, just a couple things to tweak, and just to let you know the fairing on the 3 is excellent, although it dosnt extend in front of your hands you get no wind on them, your helmet is in the wind a bit but not unpleasantly so, only thing I might change are the grips, my hands dont like thin things to hold onto [Years of being a carpenter, espesially early on doing roof work and stud walls, all with 4" nails in those days, grpping a hammer]