I'm thinking of chopping my rear fender similar to the way the Slim fender looks. I'll get the running/stop turn signal conversion for the stop lights and install a side mount taillight.

At first I was going to do the RSD Tracker but I like building over buying.

If you have some pictures of your chopped rear fenders, post them up here.

Thanks!

 

I bought a second fender for my fatboy to chop. I liked the look that dennyo (have I spelt that right?) and others have achieved. But the problem is that there is a massive (4"+) gap between the top of the tyre and the fender.

If you're going to go for the slim fender look, then you might be alright, as the fact that it comes over the top and a little down the back will disguise the amount of air underneath. But I wanted mine chopped to 12 o'clock or even further towards the seat. And it ends up just looking like a dirt bike fender.

The way to get the "hard tail" look (other than to actually go hard-tail) is to use air suspension to enable you to lower the bike when parked up and get the low-profile fender look. But the stock fender is much more square cross-section than the tyre itself, so also looks a little odd when "slammed". Either way, at ride height, they still look pretty ridiculous IMO (even if you like your bike lowered a little from stock).

I came to the conclusion (and YMMV) that I had two options: One was to get rid of the stock fender altogether and build a swingarm-mounted fender that attaches to the front rail of the swingarm and weld on some lugs by the axle mount. That would look good whatever the ride height, but requires some welding.

The alternative I'm thinking of doing when the weather turns is to fab up a kind of roll-bar type thing that bolts on where the fender struts would normally bolt, onto which the seat bolts and provides support, and have a think plate welded inside the plate to hold the ecm and provide weather protection for the electronics. (Effectively having no rear fender at all, but retaining the structural integrity required for the seat.)

 

Also, here is (part of my) collection of photos of nice fenders (chopped and stretched) that I've discovered. There are some hdforums ones in there too:

http://www.pinterest.com/PeterRogers/fenders/

 

peg20 is right. You end up with a pretty decent gap. I chopped a FB fender to put on my NT. THis is how it looks after lowering it 1.5". When I sit on it, the gap tightens up quite a bit though. Just depends what bugs you and what doesn't.

 

Thanks for the feedback and the pics.

I see what you mean now by the amount of gap between the wheel and the fender. The RSD kit is looking like the way to go.

 

i have a bobber style fender its the lucky f*cker kit. had it fabbed to fit my 91 fatboy put it on and didnt like the look so i took it off. its sitting in my attic now

 

i went with the rsd and had to have it cleaned up and slightly reshaped before painting. i think most aftermarket will look better than one chopped. if you want to truly build one, then i would have a custom make one for you. otherwise i think heartland is nicest, then RSD tracker (i just couldn't justify the cost for a heartland).

here something i just posted about mine in another thread....
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...l#post12990812

 

I don't mind paying for quality, but damn, Heartland is just stupid expensive. $2200 for a fender, struts, and a seat? Holy ****!