Another Fender Crash Story

Hey Bairdco!
If you REALLY hate the bike, I'll be happy to punish it severely for you....
(I'm fast and fat)
 
Early on, my front fender broke off harmlessly and I never attempted to reattach it. Then much later, my rear fender finally gave way and harmlessly broke off. I never attempted a repair for that either. Both went straight in the trash can........where they belong. LOL
 
Well guys, I guess I'm back in the saddle. I took Captain America out today for a short ride, 3.6 miles, then came home and got on the black chopper that bit me Father's day. I rode it for a little less than 3 miles. I didn't take the old Norton bike out today, maybe tomorrow.

I'm a little tense and don't have that relaxed feeling of confidence I had come to know before the accident but I think I'll get back there. I'll extend my riding as time goes on and I think I'll get back to where I was before the crash. It was just good to ride again, even if only a couple of miles. I've sure missed it.

Tom
 
that's great tom. :)

i'm not comfortable at all on my cruiser, but i've got no problems on the moped. rode it about 30 miles over the weekend.

been working on the 65 cadillac a lot lately, but i think it's time to build another bike.
 
bairdco said:
that's great tom. :)

i'm not comfortable at all on my cruiser, but i've got no problems on the moped. rode it about 30 miles over the weekend.

been working on the 65 cadillac a lot lately, but i think it's time to build another bike.
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That's good to hear.....for a second I thought you were done with bikes and went moped army on us.......seriously. All i've been hearin from ya lately is moped this and moped that laff
 
that's 'cause my moped is freakin awesome! :)

seriously, it's just a change of pace. i've built so many bikes that i kinda got in a slump. and crashing didn't help my enthusiasm any.

i've been collecting parts to build up a few vintage bmx cruiser frames i have, too, so the whole motor thing just got put on hold.

i just cleaned up and organized my bicycle graveyard, so i'm sure i'll come up with something.
 
go get ém baird

keep the flow

check: let your mind soar under pictures on forum for constant inspiration
 
I run both front and rear fenders with factory braces but have reinforced them with stainless rods as well as fitted nilock nuts with a rubber washer to prevent vibration , seems to have done the job quite well , I see the reasoning behind doing this though as within the first week 3 of my fastenings on my rear fender had come loose and fallen off ,I didn't even notice they had done this until I pulled up home and my wife pointed it out to me

Hope all is ok with your knee mate and your up and riding again
Kindest regards Henshooter
 
Thanks Hen. I'm back to about normal but it took a while. When you get to my age you heal a little slower than when you were young.

It sounds like you have addressed the fender issue correctly. The factory fender braces and mountings were never meant to take the vibrations imposed by an engine. I was confident that mine were mounted well but look what happened. I keep a very close eye on my fenders and suggest to anyone who uses them to inspect and check them often. Good for you that your lady noticed yours before they caused you a problem.
Thanks again.

Tom
 
Unless you ride in the *wet*...........fenders, who need's them?

None of my powered bikes have fenders these days and this is a prime example of why. If you are running fenders on your bike, you really should use loctite on all of the fasteners ;)

.wee.
 
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scotto- said:
Unless you ride in the *wet*...........fenders, who need's them?

None of my powered bikes have fenders these days and this is a prime example of why. If you are running fenders on your bike, you really should use loctite on all of the fasteners ;)

.wee.
Click to expand...

Nylock nuts seem to do the job well ,since fitting them the anchor points haven't moved an inch on mine , locktite is a good option but if you want to remove them to fit a part or service the bike in areas where the guards hinder this you've got a lot more work on your hands , I spoke to an engineer mate who said some split pins and a hole drilled into the bolt just above the nuts thresholds will do the same thing ,obviously over time they would need replacing but with all the chemicals and oil on the roads one would come to the conclusion it must have a negative effect on the stability of locktite

Regards Henshooter
 
Another issue that fenders have is not so much fastener failure but mounting tab failure.
The cheap, stamped steel angle bracket that goes between the fender and fork/ frame cracks through.
Replacing the angle bracket with a much stronger one (some folks add a second bracket on the other side too) and using loc-tite or nylock nuts on the bolts seems to hold the fenders reliably.
 
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Replace all the angle brackets with heavier steel, make or find several of the thick round steel hoop style mounting brackets and use more than stock, and use all nylock hardware for vibration resistance.
Add an extra hoop or two as well for real bulletproofing.
 
But if you do use fenders (I do) make sure they're soundly attached and look them over regularly. Where I live it is often wet and being out in the forest I am also subject to dirt roads which kick a lot of junk onto the rider. I also like classy vintage rides which just don't look right without fenders, at least to my eye. Knowing they are a weak link is a good thing to keep in mind.
SB
 
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