to have a front fender or not to have one? worth it?

[lowliferat]

i have read posts that said the front forks are sloppy without a fender or brace on there is that true? how many of you run a fender ? whats your opinion on that subject?

 

[pamcopete]

lowliferat,

Try it...

 

[XSLeo]

I have a 75 with a front end of 79-82 parts. The 75 fender didn't work well. I got a later style front fender of an XS1100. This fender didn't have the heavy bracing under it like the XS650 fenders.
Not having the bracing made the bike feel loose in the turn and erratic on bumps. I got a later XS650 fender and the bike is much better.
If you want to find out what the difference is, ride your bike on a curvy, rough road, push it a bit hard. Once with the fender, once without.
I don't run without a fender. Never liked the experence of riding on wet roads without one.
With the fender changes I have done I'll never ride with out a properly braced fender again.
Leo

 

[littlebill31]

I ride in the wet and rain, so I need a fender.

 

[ann0yed]

I have a fork brace and no fender. I think the bike looks way better with no fender but when I hit any water it goes right into my face, you can forget ever wearing a white shirt while riding too. Its a trade off.

 

[pa23driver]

^^^ same thing here. its a fair weather bike so i don't mind loosing the weight, and it does look pretty cool without the fender. with the fork brace the bike is very stable going into corners and hitting bumps.

 

[tonyc]

The Brits call these mud-guards for a reason. They also can kick up small rocks which could crack your face shield, if you are wearing one.

 

[5twins]

It's probably rather pointless to try and convince someone who thinks it's a good idea to cut the rear shocks off that removing the front fender is a bad idea, lol.

 

[XSLeo]

Some people think looking good is better than working good.
Leo

 

[rkeys]

Any recommendations on what’s a good fork brace?

 

[XSLeo]

A stock XS650 fender, Tcat, Daytona, the one Mike's sells. In that order.
Leo

 

[Hairyblackdude]

I have a fork brace on my bike- no front fender..

Any type of puddle or water in the road gets slinged right in your face.. Almost feels like you're in the shower !!

Its not a big problem for me, I don't ride when its wet anyway... Only had it happen 2-3 times in the last several hundred miles & months of riding..

However, I am looking into adding a fender, just have not gotten to it..

Not a big deal.

 

[jchrisk1]

Yeah, once you get caught out in the rain, you'll be putting the fender back on.

 

[jamesgs4]

I ride in the wet and rain, so I need a fender.

I ride in the wet and rain too, but I just tie a bandana to the forks on those days. it is almost just as good as a normal fender, I would rate it at 85%.

 

[HooliganCycles]

I have no front fender, on dry days i dont notice a difference, when its raining i dont notice it, right after it rains it is a dick pain, shit fli gs in your fave all day, i live on a gravel road and it sucks, i also dont have a rear fender so i often have a stripe up my face and down my bike, but to each his own

 

[Tron]

I ride in the wet and rain too, but I just tie a bandana to the forks on those days. it is almost just as good as a normal fender, I would rate it at 85%.

Tie a bandana? Mind explaining how you mean?

It rains here a lot, but I still ride fenderless..

Wouldnt mind a bit of extra coverage.

 

[Ghetto]

Depends on the look of the bike. Rain with no fender is no fun at all. It hits you all in the face.

 

[jamesgs4]

tie it so that there is a triangle of material that rubs the top of the tire.

 

[adk_rider]

Anybody running a cut down front fender? I know it won't near as good as stock but was wondering how much is too much to cut off. Was thinking about cutting 5" off the front and 8" on the back so its even with my 320mm brake rotor. I still want it to provide some function while riding in rain or dirt roads. Was thinking about getting a very heavy duty inner tube and riveting a 3" mud flap off the back of the fender like the one on my moped.

 

[pa23driver]

if you're looking for a minimalist fender that incorporates a fork brace motolanna sells one, a bit pricey but its all stainless steel and pretty nifty looking

http://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/prod_502447-Fender-Front-Bobbed-Stainless-w-Brace-SR500.html