Lost front fender and…

[Greb]

Was he embarrassed when your 1300cc moto totally smoke checked his 1800cc pig?

It's not a faulty motorcycle rather a faulty mechanic that played a part in this mishap.

Someone probably removed the fender to install a new front tire and didn't button everything up good and tight.

This happened to me after the dealer did a tire change. I found I was missing a brake caliper bolt and a fender screw when checking out for a ride. They fixed it after I pointed out the issue and before it became a problem thankfully.

I never take my fender off to change a front tire, not sure why others are.

 

[HaulinAshe]

I never take my fender off to change a front tire, not sure why others are.

I do every time. For me, it makes the tire change much easier.

Hard to believe all four screws to the front fender fell off in less than one tire life. Must have been left floppy loose and not even finger tight.

As others have said, bad mechanic, not bad bike.

 

[dsmack]

Courthey ~ Along with everyone else, I'm sorry you had your fender fall off! Thanks for the heads-up, as I'm in the process of getting ready for a 2,000 mile trip this coming week with my son and a friend... you can bet after this reminder, I'll be checking all visable fasteners with the appropriate tools!

I agree that the mechanic is to blame for this problem, not the bike. It sucks, but is preventable

Don

 

[Nightshift]

I would have to go with Greb on this. Just isn't any reason to remove fender for tire change. Let us know when you find out why the fender bolts were loose.Mick

 

[wheatonFJR]

I do every time. For me, it makes the tire change much easier.

+1...not necessary, but taking off a couple of screws to make the work that much easier is worth it...I do it every time now.

 

[Texan]

My windshield stayed on fine with one missing nylon screw while it was on order.

The good news is that you have improved your power to weight ratio!

 

[weekend rider]

I would be buying me some BLUE LOCK TITE AND USE IT

 

[mr.paul]

Just another vote for blue Loctite! It ensures/insures many fasteners on my Feej. I also have never heard of "losing" a front fender on an FJR. Maybe someone "borrowed" it?

As for those plastic screws on the windshield...in 2006, when my FJR was just a couple of months old, it was caught in a ferocious hailstorm. Parked and in full view of me, cannonball-sized bombs from the skies rained down and destroyed many cars parked around it. Seriously, many cars had to be dragged away on flatbeds. At the end of it all, my FJR gained a couple of small dents to the tank and a broken "tailight lense" on the GIVI V46. Up front though, the windshield trim piece was laying on the ground and all but one of my windshield screws was sheared off. I rode 30 miles home with only one of those wimpy screws holding the shield in place. Interesting to me, my wifes pristine 2005 Honda ST1300 was parked next to my Feej and received even less damage.

mr.paul, from Minnesota

 

[Geezer]

If you use loctite on the fender screws and bolts, be very careful to not get any on the plastic fender. I am a big fan of loctite and use it a lot, but not near plastic.

Regarding the fender and tire changing, I used to leave the front fender on and jack the bike up high enough to clear it, but now I remove it and leave the bike a little closer to the ground. That's just about the only time my fender gets cleaned.

 

[Bustanut joker]

If you use loctite on the fender screws and bolts, be very careful to not get any on the plastic fender. I am a big fan of loctite and use it a lot, but not near plastic.
Regarding the fender and tire changing, I used to leave the front fender on and jack the bike up high enough to clear it, but now I remove it and leave the bike a little closer to the ground. That's just about the only time my fender gets cleaned.

Plus, we're men here Greg.. We like to tear stuff apart. :lol:

:jester:

 

[GunMD]

Windshield screws tend to have the heads break off now and again. Especially when traveling at FJR nominal speeds w/ an aftermarket windshield. Oh, and especially the day after I "check them for tightness" by putting about a sixteenth of a turn on each of them. Bad idea. The good news? Ace Hardware carries some suitable replacements.

 

[RPrice]

My '06 FJR had about 750 miles on it, and I was admiring it parked in the garage when I noticed a fender bolt was "backing out", I applied some blue loctite to all the fender bolts and tightened. No problem since.

 

[radman]

I use

on every nut and bolt. Just once will do it for ya.........

 

[Spud]

I use:

Works every time!

You don't have to glue a bike together if it's properly torqued.

 

[Geezer]

I use

on every nut and bolt. Just once will do it for ya.........

Rad, do you recommend the red tube or the black tube for fender bolts? Or do you just mix them together to get the benefit of both? B)

 

[GillaFunk]

Worry not mang, this SAME thing happened to me about 2 weeks ago. I guess the previous ower failed to tighten all the nuts and bolts down. All new fender and mounting hardware is about $90.

Dont feel bad. I did a search for the comporable part for a BMW. Fender alone was $278.

 

[Zorlac]

No radiator damage or other issues with the fender exiting?

That's what I was thinking, Ida been glad it didn't jam somewhere and take me down, although you could just keep riding, it's just an optional piece of plastic especially if it's not raining.

 

[supertankerm60a3]

Just remember, the windshield screws are plastic as a safety in case you go over the bars in an accident. The windshield comes off before it breaks and disembowels you.

 

[Yambone]

So I’m at 1100 miles of 1800 on day three and my front fender comes off at 65 MPH. It’s embarrassing because I’m riding with my Dad who has a 03 VTX 1800 with 40,000 miles (of course he’s had no issues). I’m at 21,000 on a “touring” bike and stuff is falling off. I get to Utah (from Alabama) to find that one of my windshield bolts is broken off. WTH! Why such issues with the super-sport touring bike? Has anyone else lost the front fender? Gezzzzz….

I think you're the very first to report a lost front fender. An honor and not a trend, methinks.

I'm glad you're only embarassed and not piled up in a crash. Would hope you would post details of the wallop that fender must have given as it left your vicinity.

Only way to lose fender is for last person (you or your mechanic) didn't snug it up. If mechanic, you might consider getting another one or double-checking their work in the future. If you, then fire yourself and beg to be rehired in the near future, as no dealer/mechanic can do it as well as you.

Loctite is overkill on that part, IMHO.

Windshield screws are made to give way, as others have said. I've had a couple of mine fail under long hard hauls in high wind. Not a big deal and certainly wouldn't feel 'embarassment' over that. They are also very easy to overtighten and either break or weaken. I've broken a couple till I figured that out. I've also forgotten to tighten stuff. Usually too much beer lubricant on the assembly side.

Anyway, hope you had a good overall trip, Bama to Utah, nice ride!

 

[Courtney]

Thanks everyone for the replies to my post. I'm "over" the embarrassment and a little wiser from the experience. I was able to get a new fender over nighted into St. George, UT along with mounting hardware (and I bought six extra windshield screws to keep around).

The fender seemed to be loose at the two rear mounts (can't really prove this) as the front two screws remained in place. I was riding a two lane across north AZ (Indian reservation) and the road was pretty rough. I heard a very loud "rumble strip" type noise that quickly went away. Seconds later I heard a loud pop and a flash of something out my right side mirror. I had no issues with handling or any other indication other than the noise. I pulled over at this point to see the fender gone. I turned the bike around, found the plastic, strapped it on the bike, and took off.

The tires had about 3,000 miles at the point of losing the fender. I'm sure it was an honest mistake of my tire guy. Problem now is I don't have any confidience in him. I know I should have double checked the work. I know better now.

I compared the ride to the VTX simply because that's all I had to compare to at the time. The original post reflects my frustration as several family members and friends were taking bets as to who would have the first "issue" on the long bike ride. I hate to be the loser as I just knew the old VTX would be left behind (in more ways than one) and the FJR would shine. Nothing like being humbled.

Here are the specifics of the trip:

9/3/2010 (East Bound)

Day 1: 540 miles

leave Gallion, AL

stop in Greenville, TX

Day 2: 560.5 miles

stop in Santa Rosa, NM

Day 3: 438.8 miles

stop in Tuba City, AZZ

Day 4: 237.7 miles

arrive Santa Clara, UT

Return trip on 9/11/2010 (West Bound)

Day 5: 372.1 miles

stop in Williams, AZ

Day 6: 577.1 miles

stop in Santa Rosa, NM

Day 7: 562.3 miles

stop in Greenville, TX

Day 8: 543.2 miles

arrive in Gallion, AL

Grand total of 4,006 miles in eight days (had a few extra riding around St. George, UT).

Rode through Zion NP, Vegas for lunch, Hoover Dam, and Grand Canyon NP.