Painted my primary/cam covers wrinkle black check it out.

[bajabomber87]

You cannot remove the cam cover because it supports one side of the cams. First step is taking the rocker boxes off to releive valve spring pressure from the cams and that might be more work than you would be willing to do.

The cams won't just fall out without having the cover on, if they did, how would the builder ever set the timing with the cover off?! Magical pigmy fairy mexicans to hold the gears/cams up?

would it work if you just leaned the bike to the left?

You could do this simply on the kick stand, even with the bike locked straight up on a lift. You really have to wiggle the gears to pull them out, no worries!

 

[bfletcher]

Magical pigmy fairy mexicans to hold the gears/cams up?

Where can I get some of those? I need some for help with adjusting my headlight after I do the headlight vent mod.

 

[Buellysses]

The cams won't just fall out without having the cover on, if they did, how would the builder ever set the timing with the cover off?! Magical pigmy fairy mexicans to hold the gears/cams up?

I would agree with your statement almost 100% The inner cam bushings WILL hold the cams in place with the cam cover off. My reason for qualifying that with an "almost" is that if you do not take the timing cover of and remove the bolt holding the timing cup (I don't think that's the proper name for it, but you get the idea) you WILL pull one of the cams out. And it is a pretty big pain in the ass to get it back in. Further qualification... this is for the pre-2008 bikes only. I haven't worked on the newer engine.

 

[bajabomber87]

FYI on an 08 you can remove/install the cam gear cover with the heads torqued down, I had no problem installing the cover, lubed it up, lined it up, gave it a little tap with a dead blow and pushed it all the way flush by hand.