not a fan of shortening our rear fenders.. but this idea actually looks cool...
hope you don't run into clearance issues though.. looks a bit tight round the tyre.

 

With my shortened version of the stock fender I have found that there is a clearance issue with the stock taillight if you try to lower the bike even a little. In my version I have removed around 3.5 inches and ran into difficulty to keep the stock tail lamps so i use LEDS. I have a attached a few pictures showing the actual clearance I had with a bike lowered 1.5 inches.

Also If you are going to cut up a good metal fender may i suggest maybe finding one that is damaged as eventually there will not be any good original stock rear fenders left and it pains me greatly to see people cutting up the good ones as there are people who are looking fro stock fenders from time to time.

In the pictures you can see the taped section of the first picture is the amount I removed from the fender. the others show the shorter fender with respect to the tire (It is a 260 tire with a PCS lowering kit)

I know that this has been done successfully and maybe with a stock tire and no lowering it will work. One thing to do is look at your stock set up and then measure back the amount you want to cut out of your fender and then imagine where the tail light will be located and then check your clearance

 

Ugh, lol.
Thanks Christopher.

I currently have the bike back to stock height cause I got tired of dragging my pipes all the time but probably would have put my lowering links back on later.
maybe trying 3" off.
I will definitely be taking allot of measurements and if I can't get away with using the stock tail light then maybe I'll go shorter and use an led strip but I didn't wanna have to spend money considering being broke for a while lol.
I know what you mean on finding another fender but mine isn't as good as in the pic since it's an old pic, it was dented and a crease and the bolt holes warped by the fender support also a few dents on the top and a slightly rusted spot. But I guess it is still concerned good condition. I'll check around for another one.

 

you can do the shorter version and if the rear light does not work it looks pretty good just putting 2 strings of LEDS under the fender lip a little different from the OEM fenders.

just check like i said by imaginarily moving your light back the amount of space you are thinking of and then see how much clearance you have. you may be able to get away with it. I know there is at least one member who has done it and as long as you are doing all the welding because to get it done it is a lot of work and at an hourly rate it can get $$$$ real fast.

 

Ok, I checked it out and I couldn't resist working on it(lots of help from the wife lol.)

I'm not sure about the welding yet but my older friend(old school chopper guy) welds for a living, he actuary runs the college welding department. He likes doing this stuff and he helps me allot, so last resort if I can't do it he will.

 

Ok, I jumped on working on the fender. Here it Is mocked up.
only removed 3" for now I might remove the 4" after I trim the tail light/license plate mount. Here's a top view with the fender cut but all attached.

 

looks like it is coming along well and the clearance with only the 3 inches taken out looks good except for the things hanging under the Light. next time please take a picture from the rear as well. You can just change the lean angle of the plate bracket which will give more clearance as well as looking better. I have put in some pictures of a simple plate holder I made which allows you to put the plate at the angle you want. I taped two LED strips I bought at Walmart for $20 under the edge of the trail light to light the plate. I made the backing out of fiberglass and used a piece of aluminum flat bar that I bent using a vice to the length to fit under the tail light section while bolting into the stock fender nuts. You can see form the picture of it mounted with my 260 that the angle is much more pronounced the way i set it up yet it is a nice clean look and the angle when looked at from the side matches the tire profile

 

Hmm, that plate looks good like that.
I have a swing arm mount but I think I'm gonna do that maybe with aluminum since I can get it free.
I have a couple tail pic's but can't really tell the difference from the whole and -3". I'll post some soon.
thanks.

 

Christopher, here are the tail end pics with measurements.
I cut, well actually used my soldering iron pen to remove the bottom tail light tab since I can't use my arm to cut/saw it off .

With just the fender and using the steel ruler measuring the tail end to the closest to the tire I have 6 3/4"(the pic shows just under 6 5/8" but I tightened the fender support bolts and it lifted 1/8").

The next closest area of the fender measures 4 1/4"

With the tail light installed measuring to the tire I have 3".

 

I don't think you can go any shoprer than that. If you do you will reduce your clearance even more. 3 inches of clearance should be okay if your suspension is set up hard and you don't carry a passenger. should be able to stick the license plate out back if you want but if you are side mounted now i would probably stay that way

 

Just for future informational purposes, have the stock links on and the 1000lb spring with the preload about 3/4 + tightened. I also have a 235/45 so my tire is about 1/2" closer then a stock tire would be. I'm happy where it is. I'm gonna try 1 thing just to know my maximum travel or the closest my tire gets to the light. I'm gonna loosen my preload to its lowest setting and have 2 people get on the bike and bounce it and try a see how close it gets.

Here's the tail light cut with the iron.

 

Stitch welded the tail end of the fender on with my Lincoln mig Flux core wire, man I have to get some gas. What a headache. It'll work. Gonna take it to the college and have em smooth down the weld(wish I could do it). Hopefully they cut my tank by now so I can set it up for welding .

Christok, I can only use my mig Flux core till I can get gas for it. Should I have my friend weld it up with his tig or try and get shield gas from him and mig? Unless you think the Flux core will be fine.
I guess I can use my Flux core but try and keep it clean.

 

Hey if it sounded like cooking bacon when you welded it then the weld should be okay. I am not a welding expert but it looks good to me and you will see when you grind it down. You can always show it to your friend at the college and he will probably be better equipped to comment. As far as I know flux core works good.

 

Yeah, it sound good and penterated good. I never weld on thin sheet before so I wasn't sure.

Well, the guy said it looks then ground it down and said it looks great then gave me a 75/25 bottle .





Now for the sides, I'm gonna go bug him for some 18 gauge sheet tomorrow

 

Fender sides in the shaping process. I might go slightly different then I wanted but not sure yet. Here's a mock up.

 

I would try to keep the lines as close to stock as possible. This keeps the guessing game going when parked beside a warrior with the stock fender. Lot of work but looks like it is coming along very well

 

I agree christok, here's another trimming closer to the stock lines.

Maybe a bit more shaping.

 

I was going to use the rolled edges I cut off but I just doubled up the edges. It's sturdy. I'm gonna weld a bead on the edge to have it clean.

 

I like it more now. That weird space between the fender, battery box and tire always makes it look like something is missing.

 

What's missing is a little storage box, like I had on my '77 KZ750.

 

No comment can't SEE pic

 

What #post cant the pic's be seen.

 

#19

 

Ok, that pic is just the doubled up edge. Try this pic attached.

I'll take better pic's during the day cause the last ones were dark.

 

It's getting there. I think I'm done with it till I can afford to paint it but I may just clear it so it doesn't rust up. I do like the look of work in progress so it'll be on the bike for a few months as it looks.
now back to the tank widening.

 

Looking great so far rij.
If you're not putting colour on it yet, your best bet would be to sand the whole lot down, fill your weld areas and give it 3 good coats of black epoxy primer, rather than the clear. The clear has crap adhesion to steel and will rust easy, the epoxy will prime and seal it ready for future coats. I wouldn't use ordinary primer as it's porous.

 

Looks great!

 

Looks great. Cant wait to see the tank .

 

Another sugestion if you don't know or have not been told, make sure you address the welds from the back side also, if you don't it will come back to bite you is the Butt, and thats the last thing you want from your hard work, Looks great can't wait to see it all back together.

 

Yep, got that taken care of now.

 

Cool man, I'll look into it.

 

Ok. My friend uses it. Carquest paint department sells it here, Never thought about it till you brought it up. It's southmost $25 a can but it's good stuff.

 

I have been using k2 paint on all my small parts, it is awsome stuff.