Rear fender extension
- Thread starter Rubio
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One reason, maybe not enough room between the tire and the Swing arm, due agree would be good to have it covering the swing arm and the tank.
Find an old semi mud flap and cut a piece to fit, affix with pop rivets. Some worry that the wind would blow it back against the tire, so don't make it any longer than necessary.
Uncle Phil
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Yes, there have been folks that have 'extended' the fender in the past.
I remember a thread that discussed what @jdmccright described - a rubber flap screwed to the inside of the fender covering the swingarm. Alas, said thread is no longer with us.
OP
OP
That’s what I’m considering doing. The gap seems so obvious and I can’t believe engineering approved it unless there was some intent?
You can make your own or, like I did, buy one from Bike-Quip
https://www.st1300-accessories.co.u...DeVm3eEtHp0ypuCVkTDOFuy2-WnbOh7HXDQGg_2IgmYuN
Bike-quip make one which I fitted to my 1300. Very effective. Uk based.
https://www.st1300-accessories.co.uk/product-page/st1300-rear-shock-protector
Edit : That wasn’t there when I started writing ! What you doing up at this time of the night @Flexit ? (Don’t answer )
https://www.st1300-accessories.co.uk/product-page/st1300-rear-shock-protector
Edit : That wasn’t there when I started writing ! What you doing up at this time of the night @Flexit ? (Don’t answer )
Anything in contact with the swing-arm (and road grime added as the perfect abrasive) will rub and grind, sanding through paint layers, primer, zinc plating, eventually cutting into the steel...
so most likely just accelerating corrosion on the contact patches created...
The stiffening transverse box and sleeving do feature draining holes on the bottom to prevent water accumulating limiting the unseen corrosion caused by it; over decades they get clogged with road grime...
frequent rising, cleaning and cavity protection does help...
Its normally not even a real problem for most riders, especially those in zones with either no winter at all, or those with real winters, where snow and ice covered roads simply inhibits any riding...
But for some odd reasons you Brits seem to simply enjoy to slip and slide around in the highly concentrated brine of your winter roads, whilst at the same time obviously neglect frequent washing to at least dilute if not remove the salt accumulated... leading the issue shown in your picture there...
Frequent cleaning and conserving the cavities by fogging them with ACF-50 or Waxoyl might not have completely eliminated the problem, but at least have helped slowing it down significantly...
I'd rather ground the ST until you get hold of a decent replacement swing-arm (eBay), over the risk of the corroded transverse box collapsing... MHO...
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OP
OP
I don’t ride in the winter but who knows what the previous owners did. The rust is light scaling, certainly nothing worthy of replacement. The fender is slightly inside the swing arm so I don’t expect any extension to rub. The Bike-Quip protector looks like the perfect solution but will be too expensive by time it gets to me in Canada. I’ll find something locally that fits well.
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Oops, sorry I missed your location when I replied!
I don't intend to worry you, but I suggest to give the underside a serious inspection...
The sample below also only looked like "some surface rust", once I started removing the paint on the underside, holes started to show, so I decided to scrap it but cut it open for investigatory purposes...
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Seems the better option might be to make a cover for the top of the swing arm so it doesn't get pelted by rocks and salt.
OP
OP
I don't intend to worry you, but I suggest to give the underside a serious inspection...
The sample below also only looked like "some surface rust", once I started removing the paint on the underside, holes started to show, so I decided to scrap it but cut it open for investigatory purposes...
I changed my location for clarity given the international audience. It didn't take me long to get to bare metal with the needle scaler. No holes developed. I'll be able to spray corrosion inhibitor inside the cavities that can't get paint applied.