Designing a new rear fender - winter project

Jagster · Apr 24, 2023

stingray said:
Have you thought about selling those? That's what I need too.

I have in the past produced and sold parts that i've designed initially for my own bike, but those were complex 3d printed high value parts that couldn't be sourced anywhere else. I don't think it's going to be financially worthwhile for something like the extender.
I would need to charge more than many folks are prepared to pay for such a component just to break even.
If I had a moulding shop doing other parts in grp then it would be more likely that it could be done at a realistic price, but i'm not in that business. I'm a designer, not a manufacturer.
If there were hundreds of Rocketeers wanting one, then I could maybe get a local grp shop or vacuum-forming shop to make a production tool and have them make batches of them for me to sell on, but in reality I can't imagine there being enough demand to cover the initial set up cost.

Jagster · May 22, 2023

......Finally got my home made top box back from the paint shop and i'm about to set off on the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.

I'm pleased with how everything has turned out......Enough of projects.....time to ride!

Frans · May 23, 2023

nice!

PS Next design where the top box "overhangs" the connector plate such that the top box sits flush with the rear ?

Jagster · May 23, 2023

Frans said:
nice!

PS Next design where the top box "overhangs" the connector plate such that the top box sits flush with the rear ?

.....lol.......The projects never end in the pursuit of perfection

1olbull · Jan 13, 2024

Jagster said:
Ok....well...I think the first 3D print looks very promising.
The part isn't quite fitting fully up into the tail unit just yet. I reckon the fender will go up a bit more when i've done a few tweaks. Maybe 3 to 4mm.
The tail light is fully visible despite the turn signal unit being positioned very high, so that's proven positive for one of my earlier concerns.

I recon that if the fender was painted in the metallic red, it would look maybe even better, but the satin black of the raw 3D print actually doesn't look as bad as I imagined before.

What do you think?

Awesome work! Wish I knew how to do this on computer.
Might consider the direct blockage of the tail/brake lights by the license plate light and signal assembly?

Jagster · Jan 13, 2024

1olbull said:
Awesome work! Wish I knew how to do this on computer.
Might consider the direct blockage of the tail/brake lights by the license plate light and signal assembly?

Thanks!
Design & CAD modelling is my day job, but the CAD modelling is all self taught, so don't imagine that you couldn't learn to do it, if you would really wanted to do it.

Re: the obscuring of the stop tail light.
It was a concern early on in the project, so that's one reason why I made a smaller licence plate/turn signal housing. In reality however, I don't think the stock housing was obscuring anything in reality.....maybe would a bit if you were following behind in a formula 1 racing car due to very low eye level. Not with this latest geometry though.

Jagster · Jan 22, 2025

Well....It's taken me a while to get around to it, but i've completely solved the flexing front fender problem.

All of these models have front fenders that vibrate and flex badly. The vibrating noise that they generate can be damped out by using some foam rubber strips between the three plastic components that come together to form the complete fender.
However, that doesn't solve the flexing of the fender, so when I made my fender extender, the additional length and weight made the fender flex even more during use, causing the fender to come into contact with the tyre, which is a no no, of course. So I had to remove the fender extender till I came up with a solution to the weak and floppy nature of the fender assembly.

I originally had ideas to reinforce/stiffen from underneath the fender, so the modification would be hidden from sight, but after trying out a couple of different designs, I got to the stage of thinking that I was trying too hard. The whole idea seemed too complicated and heavy.

So, I had a break from working on it and came back to it during the Christmas holiday......and dreamed up a much lighter and simpler solution, by bending up some stainless wire ( 2.3mm welding wire ). It completely transforms the structure of the fender assembly.

No floppyness now.
Solid as a rock.
So the fender extender is back on the bike.
Aesthetically, I would prefer it if there wasn't anything to see, but then again, I would also prefer not to have to have a fender extender. The bike needs one from a practical point of view, so the stabilizing 'rods' are a necessary part of the assembly.
Job done ! Finally !!

KildeRouge · Jan 22, 2025

I made always with english wheel a front fender from a 1.5mm thick aluminium sheet

Idaho Red Rocket 3 · Jan 22, 2025

Jagster said:
Well....It's taken me a while to get around to it, but i've completely solved the flexing front fender problem.

All of these models have front fenders that vibrate and flex badly. The vibrating noise that they generate can be damped out by using some foam rubber strips between the three plastic components that come together to form the complete fender.
However, that doesn't solve the flexing of the fender, so when I made my fender extender, the additional length and weight made the fender flex even more during use, causing the fender to come into contact with the tyre, which is a no no, of course. So I had to remove the fender extender till I came up with a solution to the weak and floppy nature of the fender assembly.

I originally had ideas to reinforce/stiffen from underneath the fender, so the modification would be hidden from sight, but after trying out a couple of different designs, I got to the stage of thinking that I was trying too hard. The whole idea seemed too complicated and heavy.

So, I had a break from working on it and came back to it during the Christmas holiday......and dreamed up a much lighter and simpler solution, by bending up some stainless wire ( 2.3mm welding wire ). It completely transforms the structure of the fender assembly.

No floppyness now.
Solid as a rock.
So the fender extender is back on the bike.
Aesthetically, I would prefer it if there wasn't anything to see, but then again, I would also prefer not to have to have a fender extender. The bike needs one from a practical point of view, so the stabilizing 'rods' are a necessary part of the assembly.
Job done ! Finally !!

Nothing wrong with this. Looks good. If we wanted to commission you like an artist to make 1 of these fender extender front kits, how much would you need ?

Gimlet · Jan 23, 2025

Jagster said:
Well....It's taken me a while to get around to it, but i've completely solved the flexing front fender problem.

All of these models have front fenders that vibrate and flex badly. The vibrating noise that they generate can be damped out by using some foam rubber strips between the three plastic components that come together to form the complete fender.
However, that doesn't solve the flexing of the fender, so when I made my fender extender, the additional length and weight made the fender flex even more during use, causing the fender to come into contact with the tyre, which is a no no, of course. So I had to remove the fender extender till I came up with a solution to the weak and floppy nature of the fender assembly.

I originally had ideas to reinforce/stiffen from underneath the fender, so the modification would be hidden from sight, but after trying out a couple of different designs, I got to the stage of thinking that I was trying too hard. The whole idea seemed too complicated and heavy.

So, I had a break from working on it and came back to it during the Christmas holiday......and dreamed up a much lighter and simpler solution, by bending up some stainless wire ( 2.3mm welding wire ). It completely transforms the structure of the fender assembly.

No floppyness now.
Solid as a rock.
So the fender extender is back on the bike.
Aesthetically, I would prefer it if there wasn't anything to see, but then again, I would also prefer not to have to have a fender extender. The bike needs one from a practical point of view, so the stabilizing 'rods' are a necessary part of the assembly.
Job done ! Finally !!

I think it looks fine. Of course, your bodywork is red but mine is black. If I had the same arrangement on mine, with a black extender and the wire stabilisers blacked out in some way as well, I don't think you'd even see it without looking hard.

Designing a new rear fender - winter project

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Designing a new rear fender - winter project

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