Front Fender Problem on a motorized bicycle

GoldenMotor.com

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
I left both front and rear on my new electro. I did trim the rear one down so the motor had a place to go. I will keep an eye on them to see what happens.
 

ssmario1

Member
Apr 26, 2008
47
0
6
port hueneme
easy rider i would like 2 no if u have picture of the front motor mouth on the schwiinn:confused:its that i got my kit from thatdax and i can weight 4 the the week end 2 drve my bike:ride2::(^)
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
easy rider i would like 2 no if u have picture of the front motor mouth on the schwiinn:confused:its that i got my kit from thatdax and i can weight 4 the the week end 2 drve my bike:ride2::(^)
I'm not sure if I understand the question but the front mount is a 1x1 square tube with a couple of bolts attaching to the motor and on the other side is a couple of bolts attached to a flat bracket. It's the same one I used on my bike. Let me know if we are on the same page and I'll take some pics off of my bike.
 

HoughMade

New Member
Apr 15, 2008
623
1
0
Valparaiso, IN
In addition to all good suggestions above, here are some others:

If you want to keep the stamped steel fender brackets (I mean the ones from the hub to the fender, not the fork tab), get 2 sets- they are cheap at about any bicycle shop- online lowrider shops have these parts- epoxy or braze one bracket inside the other. Takes some work to get it right, but the resistance to cracking is more than doubled.

Better yet, go buy some 1/2" X 1/8" flat stock and make your own brackets. Bend and fit them until they are the right shape, then drill the holes where you need them. A bracket like that will not soon crack. You can use the same stock to make a tab to attach to the fork. I would prefer that over L brackets. They work fine, but are not as thick...and look like hardware store L brackets.

It would never hurt to use rubber washers where any of the brackets attach.

Finally, and perhaps the most draconian solution for having "fenders", but not dealing with this issue is to build simulated leaf springs- they are thick, strong and do the job of fenders without the worry. Look up some old motorcycle from the pre-war days. My front leaf (ornamental only) does not move at all- AT ALL- when I ride let alone vibrate. I am building the rear leaf this week (hopefully). Two problems with this- first, it only really looks right on a bike built to look like a pre-war model. Second- it is all self-fabricated. You won't find a kit anywhere and if you do not braze or weld, forget it.
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
I agree the L brackets won't break or crack but I've experienced the area on the fender near the L brackets crack. I cracked my fenders so for safety measures, I decided it would be easier if I just took them off especially the way we ride.
 

Dave31

Active Member
Mar 1, 2008
11,199
47
38
Aztlán, Arizona
I used L brackets as well, But I riveted them on then welded them to the fender. I also used what I call plumbers strap in the inside of the fender the entire length of the fender's and riveted that as well to stiffen them up and a few spot welds to the frame were I could. Yeah, it's a pain to get them off but I've only had to do it twice in 4 years. The peace of mind at least to me is worth it.
 

bills money pit

New Member
Jun 16, 2008
16
0
0
I may be totally wrong, but from the pics, something other than a finder comming loose caused the damage. Are we being spoofed?
 

Gronkster

New Member
May 20, 2008
26
0
0
I'm looking at building another bike. I have been thinking of spot welding the seat post, handle bars and other items in place that don't interfer with maintenance. Since I'm the only one that will ride the bike, why not tailor it to my size and comfort. Eliminate as many item that can loosen and cause a problem at high speed. Also drill some small holes in the frame to run the wiring to clean things. My "Moon Dog" has more crap on the out side it's hard to see the paint. Since I'm new to this hobby do these ideas have merit or am I not seeing something that could be a problem?
 

FileStyle

New Member
May 27, 2008
719
7
0
Decatur,IL
thats a good thing about custom fabricating your own bike you can do what you want however, keep safety in mind when building , as far as running wire through your frame it is do-able when you make your own frame! I want to build another frame myself this winter! Iam just collecting all my pcs. right now!
 

motorbiker

New Member
Mar 22, 2008
569
0
0
Tampa Bay Florida
Wow, that bike is crashed ! Glad he is OK !

I take them off. They come off before I remove the stickers. Then I take the wheels off and adjust the spokes and get the wheels straight. On the Moon dogs sometimes some of the spokes are loose.

I have a pile of Moon dog fenders. (c)
 
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oldguy

New Member
Sep 12, 2008
10
0
0
Missouri
Has anyone tried those snap on plastic fenders? I need something and if they work they probably would not be much trouble if they came off. I don't like grit in my teeth or a wet rear. Most of the time they could just be snapped off and bungied down somewhere.
 

frenchlayer

New Member
Jul 8, 2008
7
0
0
I use and have used the plastic fenders for years with no issues. The rear is put on like usual and then I use two small bungees tied to the rear rack to keep it as high off of the back wheel as possible, and I stay clean. The front fender is bolted to the brake assembly in the middle with an l bracket , it does not cover the whole front wheel only a little forward of the brake assembly and rear of that, manily to protect the rider and bike of road scum. I have had these for years and move them from bike to bike. They have outlasted two mountain bikes so far
 

HOOKWORMRIDER1

New Member
May 21, 2008
38
0
0
Decatur Illinois
I talked to a older guy that rides a cruser bike that the same thing happened to him on gravel at 25 mph.The solution is to loose the steel and go with plastic.All of the vibration in the world wont shake my fenders off.Plus they will take several crashes and never fail (trust me ).
 

Attachments

Dave31

Active Member
Mar 1, 2008
11,199
47
38
Aztlán, Arizona
Calvynandhobbs:

Here is the front fender set-up I have on the Della Cruz...I will get the rear fender set-up when I have more time.

1st pic....The one on the left is what I have left of the stock bracket that comes with the bike. As you can see it is not much and did not last two rides around the block.

The one to the right next to it is a "L" bracket that I picked up at Ace Hardware. It is much " Healthier" then the stock and lasted about two years.

2nd pic... The one on the left is the Ace Hardware L bracket. The one on the right is even bigger home made L bracket from scrap I had around. You can buy L brackets just as big or even bigger.

3rd & 4th pic....Just what it looks like mounted up

My rear set-up is a little different...will post when have more time and pics.
 

Attachments

calvynandhobbs

New Member
Aug 28, 2008
103
0
0
Ledyard, CT
Calvynandhobbs:

Here is the front fender set-up I have on the Della Cruz...I will get the rear fender set-up when I have more time.

1st pic....The one on the left is what I have left of the stock bracket that comes with the bike. As you can see it is not much and did not last two rides around the block.

The one to the right next to it is a "L" bracket that I picked up at Ace Hardware. It is much " Healthier" then the stock and lasted about two years.

2nd pic... The one on the left is the Ace Hardware L bracket. The one on the right is even bigger home made L bracket from scrap I had around. You can buy L brackets just as big or even bigger.

3rd & 4th pic....Just what it looks like mounted up

My rear set-up is a little different...will post when have more time and pics.
Thanks for the pics. I haven't even started taking my bike apart yet, but I think I'm going to go with a pair of hd "L" brackets. One facing forward and one facing backward with new hardware and locktight on everything. I'll know more and how I want to do it exactly once I get it apart.