No...no need to remove the whole side panel.There are TWO fasteners inside the lower panel at the seam.The rearmost edge of the panel is a phillips screw.The one is an allen...the one closest to the front.Take the Phillips screw(at the rear seam of the panel)all the way out.Now loosen the allen at the front to allow the bracket to come free of the fastener in there.It may have to come all the way out.Remove the bracket.The screw and allen heads are facing in toward the motor.You'll see em behind that seam.I would pull the side cover out.
I'm not contradicting you Rudy.But the whole upper panel does not need to be removed.better safe than sorry until it NEEDS to come off.
I used a phillips( VERY SMALL)to get in there.One of those you can buy at an automotive parts store that has the phillips bit already built in..small wratchet..maybe 4-5 inches long.And a small allen for the front one.
Now fold the panel upwards and out,being careful to NOT snap the tabs(or slots) running along the top seam of the panel.Install just the reverse of this.If you've never installed the side cover...be aware that as you slide it forward into the front slots that you make sure the tab aft of the tines in there is sliding UNDER the rubber boot...where the allen attaches to the tab.And make sure as you're doing this that the tabs at the top of the cover are going INSIDE(under) the tank cover panel.If they aren't..DO NOT push on them to try and get them under that lip.Pull the cover away from the tank panel edge there(pulling gently DOWN,just enough to clear the tabs),and reposition the cover UNDER the lip and SLIDE the panel forward till the tabs go into the slots on that upper tank cover edge.This has to be done BEFORE you secure the allen screw in the center tab of the cover..the black allen screw(yours may be silver).I used a small flat bladed screwdriver to 'open'the rubber slot as I pushed the side cover tab into it.The front tips of the tines need to go in between the inner black fairing and the outer painted part..Rock the side cover gently and push forward.The frontal tine edges must align with the slot cutouts on the midfairing.all the way forward.Once that's in,reinstall the brackets and screw/bolt into the lower panel seam area.Install the lower bolts,and the Quickrivet up front.You can see the brackets on a parts diagram on Babbitt's online or another site.
* Last updated by: Grn14 on 10/4/2017 @ 10:22 AM *