My 1997 LR has two rivets at 12 and 6 o'clock holding the points cover on. The points covers I have seen for sale have either 5 bolts or bolts/screws at 3 and 9 o'clock. My questions:

1. How do you get the points cover off?

2. How do you attach the new cover?

Appreciate any advice.

 

Drill out the rivets to remove.
When you find one to replace it, you can either use screws to hold it, or buy special rivets ( the dealer has them...) that don't have a breakaway piece on the back.

 

drill out the rivets. remove the cover. there is another plate under there. take that plate out too. go to a hardware store. match the holes up with a tap that will work in that size hole. while you're at the same hardware store get some stainless allens that will be the same as the tap you will be using. ask for help if you have to. i wouldn't use the dealer rivets. too expensive and if you ever need to get in there again all you have to do is remove the screws.

 

My inner part was already tapped for screws from the factory. I forget the size, but 10-24 sounds about right, but they might be #8's. I've used the "proper" rivits when I had to go in there, putting the original plate back on. The correct rivits are blind aluminum, as described, with the inside end completely sealed. The stealer charges a buck a piece or whatever or you can get a box of them for a couple bucks, but you only need 2 so the cost is the same either way. My original cover finally had all the writin' rubbed off by my boot, so I changed it out to a plain chrome one and used the screws that came in the set.

 

The covers with five screw holes are for twincam engines, not evos.

Big twin evo covers have the holes at 12 and 6, but Sportster covers have them at 3 and 9. You can use a Sportster cover by removing the inner cover screws at those positions and screwing through both outer and inner covers together. That gives you more options of cover style!

 

Maybe I'll just paint it black, it'd probably be a lot simpler.