They are called steering side covers. The pins are called trim clips (I believe the grommets would be the holes). You need to pull the inside pin out to relieve the size of the outer clip. Use a very thin screwdriver or knife under the inner pin and pry it out part way until the entire clip comes out.

Honestly, I still break them so bought a supply at Honda and then don't worry about breaking them.

G.

PS There may be a Phillips head on the inside pin. That is just there to confuse you into thinking it somehow turns and finally buying a manual.

 

Thanks, I thought that's what they were but I briefly tried to get a skinny flat head screw driver under the center pin and pry up but I was unable to get it. I only tried for a second because I was on my way to work when I thought to look at it on my way out through the garage. Plus I wanted to make sure that they actually were those kind of clips before I started prying on and possibly breaking something. I know what you're talking about the ones with the phillips heads on them. I learned that the hard way a long time ago trying to get one off of a car. I thought the plastic threads were stripped and figured out what they were when I tried to pry up on it while turning it with the screw driver. Well, and also that link I posted is a picture of the ones with the phillips head on them.

 

The neck covers on my wife's VLX are clipped together in the front, with a hole on one cover that a tab from the other cover fits into, and the screw at the back holds it together and on the bike. Maybe yours is different, though. I'd remove the screws at the back, and try tilting them out from the tank side, and see if they come right off, either as if they're hinged or just clipped together like the VLX.

 

Well, I was wrong about a couple of things. First of all the side covers weren't plastic, they're metal. I don't know why I assumed they'd be plastic. Second of all, those aren't trim clips. They were just bushings in the side covers and the center parts are pins welded to the frame that the grommets go over. I just had to pull them out to the side and remove them as ABQ-Jammer said.

 

Sorry, I misread your post as 1998. I think the mention of plastic side covers and the photo threw me off but glad you got it sorted.

G.

 

I found a couple of those trim clips with the Phillips screw head on my bike a few weeks ago. I found that if I turned them 1/4 turn they moved outward enough to get a screwdriver under them to remove them.

I thought I was seeing things,,,then took a good look at them after I got one out. Yup,,,made that way!!! I almost fell over,,,something actually designed to work as it should!!!??

Sent from my SM-S920L using Tapatalk

 

I replaced them with these,they look the same and now its easier to remove.