Fork caps?

[MrDavo]

A quick question, which occurred to me just now in the garage while looking at my CL450.

Both this bike and my previous CB750 had fork caps which are 'handed' - they aren't symmetrical, and there is a gap one one side which, if you have them on the right way round should be to the rear - why?

I'm guessing its so there is an element of 'pinch' against the front wheel spindle (you really don't want that to be a loose fit!) but why not have the same gap front and rear, why only at one side?

You can see the gap here on a page from a manual for another Honda altogether, top picture, ignore the arrow and question mark, I nicked the photo from another forum. There is a very subtle arrow to show which way round the cap goes. Easily missed, don't ask me how I know. 

[Bryanj]

Go look at the bulletins in Ashs alladins cave,
1 there is an arrow on them that points forwar2 high end(front) tightened fist then rear

[Tomb]

I always assumed the front was closed - bolted up tight to the fork bottom, making the rear one tightened as a pinch bolt (or nut if on a stud)

And the front one bolted up closed - to stop road crap filling the gap if it was the other way round.

[K2-K6]

Adding to the valid reasons given above,  if you just try to write an instruction to tighten one with equal gaps in its design you'll probably see why it's designed as it is.

"tighten one side without torque rating to reach prescribed gap,  tighten other side to torque reading listed,  look at gaps,  release or tighten second nut to equal gaps, recheck torque" ......... Well you can see the idea, as it potentially goes round in circles or introduces just more error opportunities 

Much easier to effectively put the instructions to a joint designed to be easy and more or less foolproof,  if you get the components in the correct place.

[oldboy]

Thanks Mr Davo, just cracked my screen trying to kill that bug