I received a new/used right side crankcase cover today to replace the stock one the previous owner destroyed, and I noticed something different on this cover I received. It has a oil drain coming from the water pump bearings. It almost looks like this is stock. However, there would have to be a different casting for this cover, since there is obviously more material where this drain is. Is this something that was done by someone (welded more material?), or did later model Super Hawks come with this? Look at about 8 o'clock on both pictures.

Stock '98 cover


Cover I received today
(You can see the rust colored metal hose bent at 90 degrees coming out of the cover)

 

I'm not positive this is what your are looking at, but I know there is a water pump weep hole towards the front of the cover, and on later models there is a nipple with a hose attached, while the early models just have a hole in the casing, no nipple or hose attached

 

That is the weep hole, one with a small drain tube, one with just the hole.. Not oil, but for coolant when the seal starts to go bad..

 

I guess a weep hole makes a bit more sense. When I took my air hose and blew pressurized air into the nipple of the case in the bottom picture, oil came out through the bearings. I just assumed it was for oil.
Mystery solved. Thanks guys.