Since we had to mock up the rear of the bike to know the exact position of the wheel before fabricating the rear fender, we take advantage of this mock up to check if our pulley spacing is correct. We lift the rear of the bike with 2 4x4 pieces of wood under the frame, and give the wheel several rotations forward and backward. We observe the belt running on the pulley. It doesn’t want to go off the pulley. Of course, the belt (1 ½ inch) clears the tire on 1 side and the frame left side plate on the other side. Our wheel is perfectly in place. We lock tightly the wheel. (You don’t want it to move during the fabrication process, or be ready for bad surprises: tire too close or too far away from fender, fender not following curve of tire, etc…). Yes, it happens. Trust us again about this one. Now, we can start the rear fender fabrication.

Even when we build a solo seat bike, we make our rear fenders strong enough to carry a passenger. We are very understanding of our clients: we know that may leave alone, then need to ride back with a passenger…Anything wrong with fabricating a fender stronger that it should be for a solo rider. It’s the reason why all our fenders have internal struts. These struts are quite difficult to make for a pointed fender. As starting point, we want to use the slots in the frame where classic parallel struts are supposed to slide in.

But I immediately realize that a curve starting from this position will not follow perfectly the curve of the tire. So, I cut a piece of cardboard extending rearward the frame sideplate. Using a flexible steel rod, and using the tire as a reference, I draw a curve and cut the cardboard to know the extra piece we have to add to the frame side plates. From there, 2 thick rods will be welded and will join each other where I want the rear fender to end: 1 inch behind a vertical line going through the end of the swingarm.

No English wheel to fabricate this fender. No aftermarket fender to start from. Just 2 sheets (because this fender is going to be “double wall”) of 14 gauge steel hammered and hammered during half a day until Sean gets the shape I want.

           

Not only our fender is very thick, but also Sean reinforces it with 2 steel lips. “Boxed” this way, no chance the fender will ever vibrate or crack the paint. Sean, who was 195 pounds before hammering it, and 190 pounds after, is finally authorized to sit on it. As strong as stone can be. I joke that we are very safe because nobody with such a bike is going to go back home with a girl his weight.

Time for spraying cheap primer. Because as everybody knows: I hate rust.

On to Part 5........

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