When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Come this summer I'll be running my 2013 Slim without a front fender, I really like the Bobber look. I'm looking for feedback from anyone here who has a softail and is riding it minus the front fender, here's why: I see that Roland Sand's (Design) offers a fork brace for a no front fender set up but I really question the need for it. I've built vintage racers and cafe racers and for those bike I've used a brace but a Slim has a lean angle of 25 degrees before hard parts start dragging so it's not exactly a canyon scratcher. Sand's stuff is nice but real pricey and I just can't see buying one of his or fabbing my own unless there are some real handling issues with the Slim if I don't brace the front forks. Riding seasons another month away for me but I'm starting to kick this stuff around now. Opinions?
I don't think you would need a fork brace, but ascetically it might look better to have something there. The bosses for the fender mounting will really stand out unless you shave down the fork legs to remove them.
I guess if the RS version at ~$150 (from Revzilla) is too pricey, then you dont want to
even look at this one, although it looks a bit beefier than the RS version....
last fall I installed a 16" wheel on my softail standard and ran the bike without a fender for a short time and soon realized I wanted a fender back!!
right away I noticed a fairly loud knock when I would hit any substantial bumps!! figured it was probably due to the fairly light 41mm forks having some flex?
so I put my fender back on and the knock went away but looked ugly because too much gap between tire and fender!! so I ordered a RSD fork brace and found a different fender!!
ended up just using the fork brace for the mount for the new fender, got fender painted and brace installed but haven't had a chance to ride it yet due to still having winter up here in the Dakotas!! come on spring!!
I guess if the RS version at ~$150 (from Revzilla) is too pricey, then you dont want to
even look at this one, although it looks a bit beefier than the RS version....
If need be I could make something close to either for probably $10.00 in material if I don't already have the material around the shop, well there's that and I'm notoriously cheap. For right now it's more of an issue of how much I really need one.
last fall I installed a 16" wheel on my softail standard and ran the bike without a fender for a short time and soon realized I wanted a fender back!!
right away I noticed a fairly loud knock when I would hit any substantial bumps!! figured it was probably due to the fairly light 41mm forks having some flex?
so I put my fender back on and the knock went away but looked ugly because too much gap between tire and fender!! so I ordered a RSD fork brace and found a different fender!!
ended up just using the fork brace for the mount for the new fender, got fender painted and brace installed but haven't had a chance to ride it yet due to still having winter up here in the Dakotas!! come on spring!!
Too much gap with fender
Finished
I really like what you've done with your bike and appreciate you posting up those pictures. Thanks for the feedback on how the bike rode minus a brace it's leading me in the direction of adding one.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Fork Brace
