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AndyW 04/2003 For removal of the
original fender see "Removing the Seat Tail Cover,
Undertray and Rear Fender" and Jimbo77 has some useful tips as
well "Jimbo's DIY Rear Fender
Replacement" The object of my 'Eliminator' apart
from the obvious need for a mounting for the number plate and
indicators was to cover the gap/slots left at the top of the undertray, below the lights, on removing the original fender.
After spending hours playing around with bits of carboard making
trial 'brackets' I used the final design as a template to cut a
piece of aluminium sheet (1.5 thickness). The aluminium already had
a pretty good finish which I just gave a bit of a polish. I used the
Motrax 'Rrsend' bracket (www.motrax.co.uk) which is bolted to the plate I made up and
the plate in turn is bolted through to the two rearmost original
fender mounting points on the frame without having to make any holes
in the undertray. I used stainless steel button head Allen bolts
bought from the local hardware store. The smart
bullet style led number plate lights bought from
www.reality-hotrods.co.uk If you want to make up
this bracket, make the template in card first so that you can try
it against your bike and adjust it if necessary - I've marked the
20mm scale on the template so you can check that the image is
printed to scale. (click the image below to open the template full
size in a new Window or Right click, Save Target As...)
NB: Update: The template displays larger than life on
screen!!! but prints at the right size, the image should be 28.11cm x 12.26cm which is very slightly larger
than the actual template. I've tested printing and strangely it
depends what application you use to view the image!? ...Jimbo77 "those dimensions work out to be 11.0669" by 4.827", or
47.78 % the size of the original. I'm using Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1 to
view and print. This works much better...."
 The bracket
is made from aluminium sheet but the finish is beginning to suffer
already so if you know a metal worker get it made from stainless
steel sheet (not easy to work with for DIYers like me, hence I chose
aluminium) however a regular polishing gets it back to a decent
finish. I lined the bracket/plate with very thin foam just to
make a better fit to the underside of the bike.
I drilled three holes for the indicator and number plate light wires
but the middle one became obsolete as the number plate wires fitted
with the indicator wires in the end - rubber grommets to
stop the wires chaffing. (Note the two plugs just above the bracket
mounting holes in the pictures below...where I got my first measurements wrong!
(measure twice or more, cut/drill once!!) -
which reminds me..I said I
did not have to drill through the undertray...slipped my mind, I
did! (see images) but these holes would not be visible if the
original fender were to be reinstalled (as if!!??)
The picture above also shows the gaps/slots referred to above.
The braces are made of plastic and glued on...not sure if they are
even necessary, just a precaution.
AndyW Update 05/2003
WARNING!!
I think the finished item looks great but....out for a decent run
recently, 140 miles down
to Minehead, Lynton, Porlock and up to and around Exmore...survived
the diesel spill on the hair pin (it was wet) at the bottom of
Porlock Hill and the suicidal sheep on Exmore that tried to wipe me
out!
Anyway to the point, the weather was showery and the roads obviously
wet at times as a result...with the rear fender gone, sooo much dirt
and crap all over the rear of the bike, number plate and light/led
unit. So if you are a regular wet weather rider think carefully
before removing the fender.
I have to admit that when I took the fender off I'd not consider
how vulnerable this would make the light unit to stones and crud
flicked up from the tyre... AndyW Update 04/2004
Although I've thought of either buying a Hamicad Fender Eliminator
or making a cut down version from the original fender, my 'bracket'
is still in place!..........the bike is in general a fair weather
toy and I just like the way the job I've done looks so much, I can't
bring myself to replace it! AndyW Update
02/2005
Still going strong! ..............being made from Aluminium the
finish is not as smart as it was but pretty good 11,000 miles in.
Stainless steel recommended or buy Norms excellent eliminator from:
www.hamicad.co.uk
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