Oil Sight Glass - Removal and Replacement

On my 5th generation VFR, I have noticed that the inside of the fairing has been contacting the lower leading edge of the right side/clutch engine cover. It has worn the paint right down to the metal. I am thinking of getting the cover refinished and modifying the fairing or its mounting to prevent this from happening again.

It would be preferable to have the oil sight glass out of the way for refinishing, especially if the cover is powder coated or ceramic coated and baked at high temperature (400F - 500F). But, a couple of local Honda dealers have told me the part is not available separately. This seems a bit strange to me, since I know that the oil sight glass is available separately for Kawasaki, BMW, and KTM models, and perhaps others. I'm worried that if I simply proceed and press out the oil sight glass, it might be damaged in the process and then I would be stuck purchasing a completely new cover. Also, the rubber seal probably wouldn't be reusable.

Simply masking the glass and painting the cover would be an option, but I would prefer something more durable than paint. So the questions are:

1. Has anyone done something similar and know of a source for Honda oil sight glasses?
2. Does anyone know if the oil sight glasses from other motorcycle manufacturers will fit the Honda VFR800?

Thanks for any help.

 

Looking at the online fiche on ronayers.com, the sight glass is definately part of the clutch cover and not a sepreate item. One thing to keep in mind (which you may already be aware) is that just because the sight glass is (or may be) replaceable on other brands or even other models of Honda motorcycles, does not hold true for all. On Ron Ayers, the cover is about $190 ($187.08 on a 2000 model VFR) plus shipping. Part number 11330-MW4-020. At Service Honda, the cost is $160.38. Hope this helps.