OEM 180mm Tire Install on a '07 or '08 - A How To
#23
Thanks PAPAFISH!
No matter what I tried, the 2010 fender would not mount to the 2007 frame and provide the protection it was meant to provide. So I resorted to a little slicing & dicing. Welding sheet metal is a specialty of mine, so I was not afraid to dive into it.
-The rear of the 2007 fender was cut off at the strut uprights.
-Then it was cut in half lengthways and mounted by way of welding captured nuts in the original mounting holes.
-It was trimmed to recieve the 2010 fender which was also cut, then butt welded to form one hybrid fender. Its a definite "one off".
It was actually easier to do than it sounds.
I had other parts like the lower fairings and side covers I wanted to paint so I did them all at once.
No matter what I tried, the 2010 fender would not mount to the 2007 frame and provide the protection it was meant to provide. So I resorted to a little slicing & dicing. Welding sheet metal is a specialty of mine, so I was not afraid to dive into it.
-The rear of the 2007 fender was cut off at the strut uprights.
-Then it was cut in half lengthways and mounted by way of welding captured nuts in the original mounting holes.
-It was trimmed to recieve the 2010 fender which was also cut, then butt welded to form one hybrid fender. Its a definite "one off".
It was actually easier to do than it sounds.
I had other parts like the lower fairings and side covers I wanted to paint so I did them all at once.
Last edited by Recycled; 06-12-2012 at 01:17 PM.
#24
A few more pics showing the hybrid fender. The young lady who supplies my paint nailed the color match. Unless you are an expert with these bikes, it looks like an unmodified stock bike. I've had dozens of fellow bikers look it over and not notice anything out of the ordinary.
Last edited by Recycled; 06-11-2012 at 02:09 PM. Reason: added pic
#26
Thats a whole different mod where an aftermarket wheel with hub machining is needed. The OEM Ultra wheels need the IDS pulley. ABS is not a factor as far as mounting the wheel because the caliper is the same. It is only the wheel/tire diameter or tone ring that will affect the ABS.
As far as I know, I am the only one that has done this mod using OEM parts. If anyone else has done this I would enjoy discussing some of the finer details with them.
Last edited by Recycled; 06-11-2012 at 02:52 PM.
#28
#29
As you know each model & year of bike and chosen tire/wheel package presents their own set of problems to solve. The most important bit of advise I could give anyone attempting to go wider, taller etc. would be...do the math. Its as simple as that. Calculating the total width of the selected rear assembly and subtracting from the total available width within the swingarm & frame dictates what will fit. Fenders are only sheetmetal that can be reworked to fit the existing space as well.
I actually left a lot of clearance on the table and could have gone wider but didn't want to compromise the handling characteristics of the bike by doing so and besides that I already had the wheels & tires.
Above all else, maintain proper alignment. I had a bit of difficulty fine tuning the camber of the rear wheel and that was because I did not pay close enough attention to that detail early on while building the swingarm. It was a simple fix but just an example of how a small miscalculation can snowball into unecessary frustration. If I was to do this again it would be so much easier just because I know what to watch out for. It still was a fun project. Good luck with yours!
Last edited by Recycled; 06-12-2012 at 01:20 PM.
#30