Is a front fender extender worth it?

[dduelin]

And explains the quickness in the aftermarket offering fender extenders and radiator guards.

 

[lowrider]

I've been making front and rear extenders for all my bikes out of ribbed rubber floor runners material from Home Depot for years...except the Harley and it's chrome. Not only does it protect my bikes but it also stops rock damage to other riders and cars behind you. I just rivet it up inside the fender and it lasts for a long time. On my dirt bikes I usually flair the bottom some to make them more effective...especially the front one. That has saved my DRZ 400 radiator more than once and it keeps the gunk out of them and seems to cut the dust on dirt or gravel.

I was up in Glacier NP on my Bandit 1250 last fall and they were shooting oil on the road and it was overspraying on my side. When I got home there must have been 1/4" of dried road oil on the underside of the front extender and very little on my headers. I drilled out the rivets and replaced it and used some mineral spirits to clean the headers. It would have been a real mess without the extender, and I was trying my best to miss the oil.

When my new NC arrives I will make a set for it...I'm sold on them...YMMV.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

To me that clearly indicates the back of the front fender is too short

Sadly that is the norm with many modern bikes. However the V Strom 1000 is an exception. I remember with fondness, back in the day when a new bike would be complimented on having "well valanced mudguards" (or fenders in your parts).....

 

[Rabbit]

Sadly that is the norm with many modern bikes. However the V Strom 1000 is an exception. I remember with fondness, back in the day when a new bike would be complimented on having "well valanced mudguards" (or fenders in your parts).....

My Royal Enfield had superbly valanced mudguards. There are a few still out there.

 

[670cc]

The rotation speed of the front wheel may determine how high the dirt and mud would spray off the front wheel. In this low speed event, you can see in this photo of a Fenda Extenda equipped NC, that there is mud flung on the skid plate but no mud visible on the radiator guard. It seems that the Fenda Extenda is a) effective, and b) quite sturdy.

 

[bigbird]

My question begs an answer.
Why wouldn't the factory put a longer fender on the bike, if the purpose of the fender is for protection?
Is it about style or cost, or both?
Am I missing something here, besides the boat?

 

[halfSpinDoctor]

Why wouldn't the factory put a longer fender on the bike, if the purpose of the fender is for protection?

The fenders are legally required in most countries / US states, so the dimensions of the fender are probably specified by some combination of design aesthetics and the minimum requirements of the most restrictive jurisdiction where the bike is sold.

 

[670cc]

My question begs an answer.
Why wouldn't the factory put a longer fender on the bike, if the purpose of the fender is for protection?
Is it about style or cost, or both?
Am I missing something here, besides the boat?

My guess Is that style plays a larger role in fender design than function. That is evident in other parts of the bike, too, like seats.

Things have worsened with modern motorcycles. The attached photo shows a 1982 Suzuki GS850G, like a blue one I owned from 1982-1998. The Suzy has a proper and effective front and rear fender, and a proper seat. I never needed a fender extender or aftermarket seat with that motorcycle (and of course, no radiator guard!). Those days are long gone. Style now prevails over function.

 

[lowrider]

My guess Is that style plays a larger role in fender design than function. That is evident in other parts of the bike, too, like seats.

Things have worsened with modern motorcycles. The attach photo shows a 1982 Suzuki GS850G, like a blue one I owned from 1982-1998. The Suzy has a proper and effective front and rear fender, and a proper seat. I never needed a fender extender or aftermarket seat with that motorcycle (and of course, no radiator guard!). Those days are long gone. Style now prevails over function.

Certainly agree with that! If I recall correctly my 74 CB 750 had no problems with debris thrown up by the front tire.

I just picked up a 1974 CT 90 and the front and rear have very stout fenders and the seat is pretty comfy for what it's designed for. After all you meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

[hulkss]

Debris flies off tangent to the tire surface. Just lay a straight edge against the tire and rear fender edge to see the highest angle of spray from the tire.

 

[CapeMan]

My guess Is that style plays a larger role in fender design than function.

Yeah, but a shorter fender also uses less material to manufacture. Maybe those pennies add up over time?

 

[jackthebiker]

My guess Is that style plays a larger role in fender design than function. That is evident in other parts of the bike, too, like seats.

Things have worsened with modern motorcycles. The attached photo shows a 1982 Suzuki GS850G, like a blue one I owned from 1982-1998. The Suzy has a proper and effective front and rear fender, and a proper seat. I never needed a fender extender or aftermarket seat with that motorcycle (and of course, no radiator guard!). Those days are long gone. Style now prevails over function.

Nice bike! I was a big Suzuki guy back then, 1968 X6 Hustler, 1972 GT750 Lemans, 1978 GS 750, and a 1980 GS 750, all bought new. I liked the GS850G a lot, shaft drive I believe. But I started buying Kawasakis in 1982, my cousin was the dealer, KZ1100.

 

[TheIronWarrior]

Yeah, but a shorter fender also uses less material to manufacture. Maybe those pennies add up over time?

In my opinion, with such a "niche" bike, I'm not sure it will add up to much. The value is going to depend on units sold.
Looking at extremes, if you've got a mega-mass-produced item coming out of a high volume factory that's selling like hotcakes, every penny is going to amount to a major savings.
If you've got a specialized product that's painstakingly handcrafted and you only sell a few units, a couple of pennies isn't going to mean much.
You've got to consider the overhead (fixed) costs. Tooling, molds, heat and lights, wages, etc. isn't going to vary much if you use slightly more or less plastic. There's going to be a number of units that crosses the line between whether it's worth it or not. The line is somewhat arbitrary, and there's no question that less plastic is cheaper than more plastic. It's all going to come down to whether having a slightly "worse" product is worth the savings or not.
Think getting a real OEM fairing VS a cheap aftermarket knockoff. Usually, the OEM part is going to be a better part, but come with a higher price tag. Some people are fine with a cheaper part for a cheaper price, and some people want the best part no matter the cost difference.
Or, a Ford Fiesta is going to be more likely to save on materials where possible, and a Rolls Royce is more likely to deliver a high-end product regardless of cost.

 

[the Ferret]

I see it a little differently. Short fenders are just a styling nod. Across all brands and the vast majority of models, the front and rear fenders are shorter. And truthfully, "most" motorcycle owners don't really need full fenders, because honestly "most" motorcycle owners don't really ride unless weather conditions are perfect. 2500 miles a year or (way) less on blue bird sunny days. Who needs full fenders for that? Look at ads for motorcycles, "low miles, garage kept, never ridden in the rain" are popular sales pitches. It's not unusual to find a 10 year old motorcycle for sale with less than 1,000 miles per year on it. I see it on multiple forums every day. I've said for years that motorcycles aren't killed, they are neglected to death.

Riders need full fenders. Most motorcycle owners are not riders, so why should the manufacturers put them on?

 

[lowrider]

You're both correct and I wonder if Honda would consider the NC a "niche" bike since they put the DCT on only a few models? Maybe for market research and it appears the DCT equiped bikes are popular abroad and here in the US., at least I don't seem to see overages on dealer's floors. Ferret is right...riders need full fenders.

 

[MZ5]

I wasn't going to mention this, but I suppose there's no harm. I recorded a _small_ but measurable decrease in mpg after putting the Fenda Extenda on. I didn't remove it to cross-check and re-install, but the mpg decrease started with the next tank and was consistent thereafter.

I think that between most motorcycle owners not being riders, the super-small but real savings in materials, and the super-small mpg reduction, Honda chose to ship the bike with a too-small front fender.

 

[Alias]

I recorded a _small_ but measurable decrease in mpg after putting the Fenda Extenda on.

Really? Please elaborate.

 

[MZ5]

1.5 - 2%.

 

[the Ferret]

Stopped over at my buddy's house that has a NC 750. Yep he had a dirt stripe up his radiator. So I guess a fenda extender might be worthwhile

 

[frog13]

Wise choice.......yes I have the Fenda extender. I also have a radiator guard as well.......comparatively cheep protection.