Why didn't Honda design a Bash plate with 2 holes in line with the drain plugs so you can drain the oil without taking the sump guard off? Also if they expect you to remove the bash plate to drain the oil why didn't they fit steel inserts in the farme so you are not screwing into alloy? What mare I had had this weekend. First off the rear bolts wouldn't come out so one needed drilling out so I could then rotate the plate to loosen the other one off. I wouldn't mind but new oil came out of the gearbox when i drained it. So this was a waste of time. Then when i tried to put the plate back on the front bolts threads were knackered so needed helicoiling.

Where were you draining the oil from? Both drain bolts are on the gear lever side and shouldn’t need the sump guard taking off. Even with a horribly bent sump guard there is usually room to manoeuvre to get the generator cover off for the oil filter. But yes they can be very spring loaded if they are bent and twisted and can require clamping before removing the bolts

I am also a little confused on why the sump guard would be fully pulled to drain the oil, when the guard gets a lot of hits I find I like to loosen it a bit to change the oil filter when pulling the cover but that is about the extent of it... if the guard is messed up enough it needs to be pulled to do the work I would change it for a new one myself.  Really like the CSP guard for the Montesa myself. 

Use longer bolts in the rear and I cut the rubber gasket to easily remove the cover.