Point cover no stamped "Made in Japan" on the first series Sandcasts?

[4pots1969]

I restore a " French Sandcasts " number E-1017118.
I open this topic that I think that it is maybe a great information..

I have almost certainty that Point Cover of the first series Sandcast (Early) were not stamped "Made in Japan".
On parts list of 69-4 E7 Contact Breaker, no detail of "Made in Japan" in the drawing.. Why?
On parts list of the beginning of the year 1970, we see curiously the "Made in Japan" appear in the drawing??

I don't think at all that it is an oversight of the graphic designer because we know all the rigor of the Japanese people for this kind of small details..

If you look very carefully at the covers of the photo 011 jpg you see that the differences are glaring for embossing and dimensions...

In a French magazine dating July 1969 an article on the presentation of the CB750 Honda (pré-production) in the
Importateur Honda France and there curiously also no trace of this Made in Japan on the point cover...
Curious coincidence or irrefutable evidence?

Please look at the pics at the different height (approximately 8 mm), at the holes of screws and embossing
with subtle differences..
How many Sandcast were made with this point cover with no stamped " Made in Japan " ??
100? Who can claim to know the exact number..?

Vic World (WORLD MOTORCYCLES) contacted me in PM because for him, this point cover would have only equipped the pré-production..
I do not believe that it is the case, because I have just found in my archives a French magazine dated September 1969.
There, ...we speak no more prototype...It is the analysis of Sandcast of the man in the street...

On the photo below we see clearly the point cover is not stamped " Made in Japan "...
On the photo of the top we see clearly the marking " Made in Japan " on the cover of alternator...

We can thus deduct from it without making a mistake that the first series Sandcast of the people had
a point cover not stamped.

To you to judge...And I am taker of any information on the subject.

 

[kp]

Hi Gerard
Sorry but I have only just seen your post This is a very interesting point you have made and it would be good to hear other members comments regarding this cover

[4pots1969]

Two others found in a sale a few months ago...

[Steve Swan]

Two others found in a sale a few months ago...

I certainly cannot or will not argue with their factory authentic appearance, the plastic bags, paper wrappers, etc.  It would be great if we could find one on a bike, and i imagine we will someday.  i know it may sound like i am changing my tune, but we know these covers were not hand made like other parts such as gas tank cap/latch, oil filler cap, etc, on the late p-p bikes.  Considering Gerard's covers were machine made, the factory may have had to produce a certain quantity of them to justify manufacturing expense, or if another parts manufacturer made them to order for the factory, this manufacturer required a minimum quantity.  On the flip side of the coin, we do not know Gerard's covers are the same as ones seen on late p-p bikes.  Gerard's covers are deeper.  unfortunately, ALL the pictures i have in my magazine collection show only poor quality pictures of the cover.  Another fascinating question to ask, have covers like Gerard's been found in the USA?  Considering French sandcasts were produced well after the last of 7414 sandcasts came to the USA, i am wondering if somehow there is some relationship between the reasoning for the factory to use sandcast cases in motorcycles exported to France and these points covers going to France.  I assume the factory sent these covers to France.  Gerard, were these covers all in France when you purchased them?

[4pots1969]

The matrix of the press for these covers was made with a first mold quite different from the versions 69 and 70 clearly visible on the first photos of the topic...
But these lids have nothing to do with the late French Sandcast... Honda just thought it would be better to have a "Made in Japan" on both sides of the bike and so these lids were deliberately "thrown" into spare parts...
They could however they could find their place on one of the 4 pre-production machines...
Here is a photo of a pre-production with its cover without the "Made in Japan" :

[Steve Swan]

Thanks Gerard for your reply.  yes, those covers are distinctively different from the covers typically seen on production bikes.  i hope someday we learn more.