Making a Bobber out of a late model Softail seemed the ideal project for the Softail book. After all, Bobbers are popular right now and all we had to do was install a new short rear fender, throw away the front fender, install a solo seat and get rid of the factory dash (maybe). We started the mock up with a 2002 Night Train, though the Night Train would be replaced later by a Softail Standard.

What you see here is the first planning and mock up session. And we can’t emphasize enough the importance of the mock up for any kind of customizing project. As explained, the Night Train was replaced with a Standard, but both are late- model bikes and the chassis and swingarm are the same so it really isn’t a big deal. Just follow along as we try to decide which fender best fits our “keep it simple” Bobber project.

Disassembly

The disassembly is straightforward, the only real trick is to disconnect the wiring, which must be done before the fender and rails can be removed. Most late model Harleys route the rear turn signal wires into the taillight housing. This makes more sense if you take off the taillight lens and scrutinize the way the wires from the blinkers are routed up into the housing and then turn and plug into the light-base.

Once we had the bike apart, Neil and Ken tried three different fenders before finding one that seemed to hold promise. We tried a late model front Dresser fender, a round fender blank, and a re-pop of an early Springer fender meant for 1937 to 1948 models. I was trying for a late-Bobber/early Chopper look and the front Springer fender, stripped of its supporting brackets and turned around, seemed the best fit, both literally and aesthetically.

The photos tell the story of our little planning or mock-up session better than words. In the end we had to cut the bottom off the fender, then do a pie cut to ensure the fender would follow the radius of the wheel.

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