Topic: "Bobbing" rear fender?

[dgilling]

I've seen posts here and there on chopping the rear fender to give it a more modern look.  My question is, has anyone tried it without chopping anything at all?  I feel like I could just slide the fender up farther, make some holes in the plastic fender for the two bolts on the end of the metal fender, and drill two new holes for the main mounting holes.  I'm sure you'd probably have to put some side reinforcement in as well. 

Thoughts? 

here's is a pick with the fender just sitting there.  I think the tail end would come down some if I screwed it down and made holes in the plastic fender



Here's where I would need to make holes in the plastic fender



Here's a look from underneath. 

[Lostboy Steve]

Seems like it could work. The reason I cut and shortened mine was to keep the strong mounting area. The factory taillight and blinkers are quite heavy.

[flybox1]

the only issue i see with mounting it directly to the inner plastic fender is stress and cracking of the inner fender from vibration.
why not make new holes in the fender, and use the existing frame cross brace holes to mount the fender to, and locknut the underside of the fender.   at least its well supported here, and can support the weight of your tail lights....

[Retro Rocket]

Have a look under the rear guard you want to chop, you can see that there is a subframe joined to the guard, separate the two, cut the guard and rejoin, looks neat and completely stock, it will bolt up the same as a stock guard....

[dgilling]

the only issue i see with mounting it directly to the inner plastic fender is stress and cracking of the inner fender from vibration.
why not make new holes in the fender, and use the existing frame cross brace holes to mount the fender to, and locknut the underside of the fender.   at least its well supported here, and can support the weight of your tail lights....

I was planning on doing both.  I would use that frame cross brace to mount the fender. 

Have a look under the rear guard you want to chop, you can see that there is a subframe joined to the guard, separate the two, cut the guard and rejoin, looks neat and completely stock, it will bolt up the same as a stock guard....

i'm not sure I follow what you're suggesting.

[Retro Rocket]

the only issue i see with mounting it directly to the inner plastic fender is stress and cracking of the inner fender from vibration.
why not make new holes in the fender, and use the existing frame cross brace holes to mount the fender to, and locknut the underside of the fender.   at least its well supported here, and can support the weight of your tail lights....

I was planning on doing both.  I would use that frame cross brace to mount the fender. 

Have a look under the rear guard you want to chop, you can see that there is a subframe joined to the guard, separate the two, cut the guard and rejoin, looks neat and completely stock, it will bolt up the same as a stock guard....

i'm not sure I follow what you're suggesting.

Turn your rear guard, the metal one you want to shorten, upside down and have a look underneath, there is a frame spot welded under the guard with the frame mounts on it, the guard is 2 piece, remove that, shorten the guard and reattach.... Someone recently did exactly that on the forum, if i can find i will post it, its not that hard to do and looks stock when finished...

[Indy72]

What I did is probably not want you want but its also reusing stock fender and making new mounting brackets. I added taillights but don't have picture right now.

[mystic_1]

What I did is probably not want you want but its also reusing stock fender and making new mounting brackets. I added taillights but don't have picture right now.

Heeey, now THAT is pretty trick.  I gotta say that's the first time I've seen it done this way on a 750, and I like it.

mystic_1

[Retro Rocket]

Here you go....   This is the best way i've seen yet, notice that it bolts back up exactly the same as stock..

[dgilling]

Retro Rocket, you're a genius!  That looks perfect.  I'll look into this tonight!

[Retro Rocket]

Retro Rocket, you're a genius!  That looks perfect.  I'll look into this tonight!

Glad I could help....

[mystic_1]

Here's a look from underneath. 

Based on this picture, the OP's fender is different and doesn't have quite the same sub-structure.

mystic_1

[Retro Rocket]

It still looks like the same mods are possible, its just a different subframe..., or he could just buy an early fender, the mounting points on the frame are all the same and the mounting points on the fender in that picture are still a subframe type structure...

[mystic_1]

Yup, me I'd ebay up a decent fender with the right substructure to bob and leave the stock one as a fall back just in case.

Looks to me like the reinforcement arch and the lower side panels on dgilling's original fender are three separate pieces, so it'd be more work to pull this off.  Still doable.

mystic_1

[Retro Rocket]

Yup, me I'd ebay up a decent fender with the right substructure to bob and leave the stock one as a fall back just in case.

mystic_1

Thats exactly what I was thinking...

[dgilling]

i didn't have a chance to look at it tonight.  but i'll find away.  i'll probably not buy another fender, i'm trying not to spend anymore on this project.  Somebody is going to get cut this weekend!

[Retro Rocket]

i didn't have a chance to look at it tonight.  but i'll find away.  i'll probably not buy another fender, i'm trying not to spend anymore on this project.  Somebody is going to get cut this weekend!

Fenders are cheap, you don't even need a good one, all you want is the frame work underneath, your fender can then be cut from the back leaving the rolled edge the stock fairing has, looks way better. Someone here will have one cheap, I have a #$%*ty one but I'm in Australia...

[dgilling]

wow, getting those pieces off seems next to impossible.  I'm pretty sure i'm just going to buy the bobbed rear fender from Carpy's for $70.  Worth it to me. 

[Don R]

And after I bobbed and welded the one in the picture I dropped it and put a big old dinger in it.

[mrbreeze]

Here's how I did mine. I had a fender that looked good on the bottom where it mounts to the frame but the chrome on the fender itself was poor and the area under the taillight was riddled with holes. I also had a nicer fender with better chrome and no swiss cheese but the bottom part I was referring to that mounts it to the frame was butchered by a PO that cut parts out of it to incorrectly install blinkers! Anyway.....like Mick was saying is you mount the shiny fender that you want to be seen on top of the fugly one that is still used as the support.
I would like to add that you need to cut the rolled edging off of the bottom one. The top mounts to the bottom just behind the hoop on the frame with 2 bolts and the Lucas style tail light. Hope the pics better explain........

[mrbreeze]

I used a cut off wheel on a die grinder to do all of the cutting....made fast work out of it.

[BobR]

  Just "bobbed" mine. I cut the front off and drilled new holes (in the sides too) while removing the grab handle. Going with a lucas style tail light and small LED turn signals too. Bob

[Old Moe Toe]

Retro Rocket, you're a genius!  That looks perfect.  I'll look into this tonight!

Retro Rocket. That is the best way I have seen yet too!. Great job.
Is that your bike?
I see whoever did it must have drilled out the spot welds, slid the fender forward and then re-attached it.
How was it re-attached?
Rivets perhaps?.
I bobbed my rear banged up fender by cutting and riveting. Kept the 2 threaded holes that bolt on under the seat. However lost a bit of the original set up just behind the rear blinkers.
Have since bought another better rear fender to take back to stock OR bob like that one you have shown.