Oldy's Fiberblass Rear Fender

[coolwind57]

Well I have the chain/harness guard installed on my newly fabricated mounts.  I'd redone all the crazy poorly-done fender wiring using solder and shrink tubing.  The Previous owner really did a number back there.

I decided to go ahead and replace my chain and sprockets while I had no fender installed yet.  I thought I'd try an larger 18-teeth front sprocket and stay with the standard 40-teeth back in the rear.  I chose a Nickel X-ring 112 link chain from JT Chain.   This will all arrive today, so I'm looking forward to the weekend to button this all up.

[coolwind57]

I worked on my new Oldy's rear fender most of this weekend.  Here's some things to share of my experience:

1.  I'm not sure how I could had done this without a step-bit.  I didn't have one and by the time my buddy had seen and responded to my text message about seeing if he had one, I had already made the purchase at home depot.  Dang thing was like 50-bucks!

When Oldy's build the fenders, all holes are filled in the process.  And there's a BUNCH of holes to drill out.  Most of the holes are for rubber grommets and I was hopeful that any slight error would be forgiven.  I began by eye-balling the center of the area to be drilled and shot a hole with a small regular bit.  I then taped up a stop point on my step-bit and proceeded slowly, holding my breath and saying a little prayer each time.  Not all holes are the same size either, but I think the majority were just two different sizes.

2.  I was able to mount all the original rails and tabs correctly and without issue, which relieved me.  Oldy's left enough indication of where to drill all the holes.  I did choose to go with all stock items (brake light, license plate mount, fender rail, etc.)

2. Your old ABS fender has mounting tabs inside for your chain guard/wiring harness.  Oldy's does not have this molded in.  I struggled trying to come up with an idea to address this area and finally decided to just fab up new mounts.  I didn't want to drill into the fiberglass and have a fastener sticking out the other side of course, so I just built my tabs with aluminum sheeting covered in multiple layers of fiberglass cloth and resin.  It took some careful measuring and dry fitting.  Hopefully tomorrow it'll be cured and I can drill my fastener holds and get this fender mounted up for the first time.

With the fresh paint only a few days old, I covered my work area with t-shirts to help prevent scratches.

It is tedious work.  I have probably 7 hours in this...it is no easy task. Fortunately, I was able to work totally uninterrupted so that was a blessing.  You will need no distractions and plenty of patience if you take this on, fellas.

I was quite surprised how flemsy the old ABS fender is...especially compared to the more rigid and thicker Oldy's.  It is definately heavier too, and I'm more than fine with that.

So there's an update for those thinking of taking this project on.  I'll get some pics of the "after" once I get her all installed.

[coolwind57]

So I've had my rear fender from Oldy's for about a Month now.  I've got it epoxy-primered and ready for top coat probably on Wednesday this week.

Just a few observations I'd like to share if any of you guys are considering Oldy's fiberglass fender:

#1.  Its a sturdy fiberglass fender, made of what I believe is chopped strand.  I may be wrong on the terminology, but there's no weaved mat--looks like blown-in fiber that you see on the underside  The top finish is excellent.  I'm not concerned about the underside and I'm still considering whether or not to put some type of coating on it.  Probably just fine without any.

#2.  The original ABS (?) fender is much flimsier now that I have it removed.  And thinner.  No wonder they're prone to cracking.  There's bulk to the Oldy's.  The ABS fender has anchoring points where the wiring harness/chain guard mounts underneath.  Oldy's does not.  The stock chain guard is just like a plastic rail, so I suppose it would provide only minimal protection for the fender if the chain would explode.  It would also provide protection for the wiring harness, as the wiring harness is attached along the top of the chain guard.  My chain guard did have quite a bit of buildup from chain lube over the years and I had to scrub it considerably to get it clean.  I'll need to figure a way to mount the chain guard/wiring harness assembly without those anchoring points that the ABS fender has.

#3.  Oldy's will ask you if you'd like them to include the tail light "bucket" area for those wanting to retain the original stock tail lamp.  They actually have to add this recessed area after the initial fender build up.  I chose to retain the stock setup, but was very tempted to do some kind of cool custom tail light.

#4.  Paint matching, for me, was a toss up.  I took a painted piece to the local paint store and did the best i could to match.  I spend probably a couple hours reading what I could about the exactly proper paint code for my 2003, but ended up having to pick one out of a paint chip book they had there.  I went outside in the sunlight and everything to make a best choice.  I ended up with a GM color if I remember correctly.  I chose to use an acrylic enamel.

#5.  Taking that old fender off was a involved process.  Drilling all the holes in the fiberglass fender will be hairy too.  I did choose to drill after the paint.  Might had been a better idea to drill out the holes and "dry fit" all the stuff first, but I've already committed to doing it afterwards and my fender sits  45-minutes away at the Aviation school I attend on nights.  If I had it to do over, I'd drill and dry fit before painting.  Oldy's did recommend using a universal "step bit" to drill out the holes, by the way.

It would be nice to have this thing shot and reinstalled this weekend.  I'll keep you guys updated on how things go.

[chief]

I know it has been done but I don't have any details. It would be great if you could take some pics and a bit of a narrative on the install.

[coolwind57]

I just pulled the trigger on an Oldy's Fiberglass rear fender.  My original has some pretty nasty-looking gouges that I'm wishing weren't there.

I like the thought of more rigidity and a less fracture-prone product than what Kawasaki came up with (ABS, I believe).

Anyhow, I'm curious if anyone here is rockin' the Oldy's fiberglass rear fender....   If so, would love some feedback with your experience with installing and having it on your bike.

Nice guy at Oldy's by the way.  We spoke for several minutes on the phone.  Seemed like some good ol' boys up there in Iowa.