Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[leoniru]

Greetings to all.
I can't say enough how much more 'safe' I now feel knowing that there are all you folks out there sharing the same pains of SERK ownership. I am only at week 3 of CACO ownership, but have several 'issues' with design deficits(?). Perhaps--with your help--I'll get them solved or at least improved.
My first question ---and perhaps I just didn't search thoroughly enough---has to do with that 'shorty' front fender that allows all kinds of road debris to sandblast the oil cooler area.
I foolishly asked my dealer if the  MoCo could just whip me up a paint matched dresser fender to replace the original---boy, I'll bet they got some guffaws out of that one!
Doesn't seem like a 'flap is the way to go what with that rear fender edge flipping up somewhat. Maybe mounting something off the frame downtubes with a fairly fine stainless mesh.
Has anyone tried to contrive some sort of protective mod to prevent debris kick-up?
I hope that a whole new set of sheetmetal won't be the only way to go.

Thanx,
leoniru

[nidan]

You may want to check the Sumax street sweepers , http://sumax.com/fenders%2006.htm there are a number of other vendors that make similar styles

[bisounours]

Hello leoniru,

I send you the  from FRANCE.

It'll be nice for the other members if you present you in the thread "New Member Introduction"
with a pic of your bike 

Best regards

   Jacques

[harleyteam]

my wife has the same fender on her 05 se fatboy as I have on my 07 serk.  neither one of us has had a problem yet.  are you doin all your driven on gravel roads?

[leoniru]

Harleyteam;
I live in NE Pa. in a small village located in the very northern tip of Schuylkill Co.
Our roads leave a LOT to be desired--endless potholes in all stages of repair and disrepair, perpetual road construction/demolition, and that most wonderful of all road wonders  'oil and chips'. If you haven't ever experienced hitting a freshly put down layer of this stuff---well, you just can't imagine what you're missing. It's kinda like Shake and Bake for the road. Doesn't last long, only enough to splatter sticky, gooey tar all over the wheel spray prone areas of whatever your driving coupled with a vigorous peppering by the pea-sized aggregate. Unless one maintains an exaggerated following distance it's like driving in an abrasive hailstorm. I guess a lot of the road debris might also originate from material spilling off of poorly or non-covered trucks hauling construction materials. It's kinda like the wild west here abouts wrt the roadways.
Only a year ago I just barely dodged a softball-sized rock (no exageration) that was nipped just right by the car ahead of me such that it was launched right at me on my Beemer. I pulled on one bar end and pushed on the other and I could actually hear the whizzing sound as it passed my head even with a full coverage helmet on.
Speaking of the Beemer, you should see the front cover of the engine from 28 plus years of being subjected to exactly this environment ---it's all nicked and chipped, and it's a more protective front fender design than the SERK. I'm afraid I'll be replacing oil cooler units and/or the chrome trim cover on a regular basis.

[Hoist!]

Harleyteam;
I live in NE Pa. in a small village located in the very northern tip of Schuylkill Co.
Our roads leave a LOT to be desired--endless potholes in all stages of repair and disrepair, perpetual road construction/demolition, and that most wonderful of all road wonders  'oil and chips'. If you haven't ever experienced hitting a freshly put down layer of this stuff---well, you just can't imagine what you're missing. It's kinda like Shake and Bake for the road. Doesn't last long, only enough to splatter sticky, gooey tar all over the wheel spray prone areas of whatever your driving coupled with a vigorous peppering by the pea-sized aggregate. Unless one maintains an exaggerated following distance it's like driving in an abrasive hailstorm. I guess a lot of the road debris might also originate from material spilling off of poorly or non-covered trucks hauling construction materials. It's kinda like the wild west here abouts wrt the roadways.
Only a year ago I just barely dodged a softball-sized rock (no exageration) that was nipped just right by the car ahead of me such that it was launched right at me on my Beemer. I pulled on one bar end and pushed on the other and I could actually hear the whizzing sound as it passed my head even with a full coverage helmet on.
Speaking of the Beemer, you should see the front cover of the engine from 28 plus years of being subjected to exactly this environment ---it's all nicked and chipped, and it's a more protective front fender design than the SERK. I'm afraid I'll be replacing oil cooler units and/or the chrome trim cover on a regular basis.

Welcome aboard leon. There ain't no bigger DMZ than NYC, You want potholes come to NYC. You want oiled dirt/gravel roads, go up to the Catskills. There ain't nothing wrong with the fender. Don't baby the bike, ride it and don't worry about it. It ain't a collector's item, it's a motorcycle. It's made to be ridden, and ridden hard. And it will hold up fine. you're gonna get nicks and chips and scratches, if you're doing miles. Potholes, rain, mud, salt, oiled gravel roads. If that's difficult to deal with, the get a Harley Bubble and keep it in there and never take it out. You won't get one nick on it that way! Don't take this the wrong way. But you can't have it both ways. And the bike will be fine. When it get's too bad for you, rebuild/replace/repaint the nasty chit. You're never going to enjoy it until you stop worrying about it. enjoy the site! Hoist!

[Midnight Rider]

Leon...if you're concerned about the chrome cover for the oil cooler, you might try cutting some of the 3M transparent film to cover the surfaces...should'nt be too difficult to do on that surface.  On my V rod, there is a diamond shaped mesh on the front of what appears to be the radiator (it's not really)...a piece of that material in stainless or even painted black would serve as protection against rocks getting thrown into your oil cooler fins, or at least one's larger than 1/4".  Just pull the cover and use some Gorilla Glue to stick it to the inside...that stuff will glue anything.  The mesh is large enough not to impede air flow.

[leoniru]

Great Idea TCM!!
This is exactly the kind of brain storming I was hoping for.
I'm very familiar with Gorilla glue as I'm a hobbiest woodbutcher.
Just need to find some durable, good looking mesh.

Any idea where would one find the 3M transparent film?

leoniru

[Midnight Rider]

I think you can get the film at most auto parts stores, or auto paint suppliers.  I think I've seen it in sheets like typing paper.  The mesh should be available at a hardware store.  I'll start looking around if you don't have any luck.  A fabrication shop might have a piece of scrap large enough to do the job you're talking about.

[leoniru]

Found this place (www.internetmesh.net) the other day. Heck, they even have real gold mesh.
Didn't get any prices from them yet, though.

leoniru