I'm plenty cranky too, TW. Toglhot, when you remove the front fender you also remove the bracing that it provides. My primary reason to install a brace would be safety.
46th, I don't really have a preference, all kinds of things work. I'm using a Daytona brand fork stabilizer that I bought on clearance around 1993. It clamps onto the dust caps on the sliders. I was skeptical about how well that would work, but it's done a good job for many years.
Whatever you use, correct installation is critical. With no fender or brace on the forks, jack up the bike so that the front end hangs free and install a zip tie around the fork tube. Push it down so that it contacts the dust cover. Then lower the bike, level it with blocks under the rear of the swingarm, and gently climb on, assume riding position, and climb off. Then raise the bike again with the front end hanging free. Measure the distance from zip tie to dust cover and record the number. Label it FLS (free laden sag).
If you're using a fender, install it and repeat the exercise above. If laden sag with fender (label it LSF) is over 3 mm. less than FLS (that's a personal standard, you may be more tolerant, and yes the pun's intended), shim or bend to relieve pressure. If you're using a fork stabilizer alone or with fender, do the above and file, bend, shim or do whatever needs to be done to keep forks from sticking. As an example, with the Daytona fork stabilizer I have to attach two layers of electrical tape to the middle piece to keep the fork sliders from being pulled together and creating a bind. Just that little bit of plastic tape makes a 10 mm. difference in laden sag.
