Since the bike is apart and waiting on parts... see this thread http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=76880 I decided to go ahead and order a Creese Bracket and some smaller turn signals and chop the fender. Easy enough from everything I've read.
So I contacted Creese directly, he sold me the bracket for $15 shipped, and it got her very quickly..GREAT guy to deal with. This is the bracket
The one several people have used and recommended.
Well the pre 98 must be different. The bracket has bends on the end to provide easy mouting spots for turn signals. Problem is, with these bends, it's not long enough to bolt into the existing screw holes in the brakelight housing (where the tail fairings bolt to in the rear).
But I digress...first let's address the actual "Chopping" of the fender. I already had the tail fairings off during this process. I didn't want any of the fender visible with them on.
So I take off the license plate and bracket, the reflector, the stock turn signals etc. And there is the metal "shovel" bracket underneath the plastic. Now it braces where the grab bars bolt up, as well as provides support as this is what the tail lights bolts to. But the metal extends down low in the rear. I didn't want to eliminate the bracket, as I like the idea of some metal being there to support the things mounted to it. So I removed the bracket and cut the end off with a cuting wheel on the dremel. (I'll post pics tonight)
Then I use a dremel cutting wheel to get a hole started and I use my jigsaw to slice the shovel off and cut the fender flush.
NOTE: I did try leaving two "tabs" in the fender to mount the turn signals...I just didn't like the way it looked and the mounting didn't seem all that solid to me.
So after bolting the metal bracket back in and after cutting the fender...I tried using the Creese bracket, and like I said, with the bends, it's not long enough. So I flattened it out a bit to get an idea of what it would look like and this is where I left it last night
I'm going to go by a Hardware store today at lunch and pick up a piece of alum / metal (and hopefully new Stainless suspension bolts since Home Depot / Lowe's was a flop on that account) and make my own bracket.
It's basically going to look like what they provide in the high $ fender eliminator kits, but I want to extend mine down a bit so I can also have room to install a license plate light. I'll post pics tonight hopefully.
So I contacted Creese directly, he sold me the bracket for $15 shipped, and it got her very quickly..GREAT guy to deal with. This is the bracket
The one several people have used and recommended.
Well the pre 98 must be different. The bracket has bends on the end to provide easy mouting spots for turn signals. Problem is, with these bends, it's not long enough to bolt into the existing screw holes in the brakelight housing (where the tail fairings bolt to in the rear).
But I digress...first let's address the actual "Chopping" of the fender. I already had the tail fairings off during this process. I didn't want any of the fender visible with them on.
So I take off the license plate and bracket, the reflector, the stock turn signals etc. And there is the metal "shovel" bracket underneath the plastic. Now it braces where the grab bars bolt up, as well as provides support as this is what the tail lights bolts to. But the metal extends down low in the rear. I didn't want to eliminate the bracket, as I like the idea of some metal being there to support the things mounted to it. So I removed the bracket and cut the end off with a cuting wheel on the dremel. (I'll post pics tonight)
Then I use a dremel cutting wheel to get a hole started and I use my jigsaw to slice the shovel off and cut the fender flush.
NOTE: I did try leaving two "tabs" in the fender to mount the turn signals...I just didn't like the way it looked and the mounting didn't seem all that solid to me.
So after bolting the metal bracket back in and after cutting the fender...I tried using the Creese bracket, and like I said, with the bends, it's not long enough. So I flattened it out a bit to get an idea of what it would look like and this is where I left it last night
I'm going to go by a Hardware store today at lunch and pick up a piece of alum / metal (and hopefully new Stainless suspension bolts since Home Depot / Lowe's was a flop on that account) and make my own bracket.
It's basically going to look like what they provide in the high $ fender eliminator kits, but I want to extend mine down a bit so I can also have room to install a license plate light. I'll post pics tonight hopefully.
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