Update on Corbin rear fender...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original post: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...0&postcount=93
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I ran across another "routine" job (yesterday and today) that is impacted by the design of the Corbin fender... a rear tire change.
Other than the fender-related stuff, the removal and reinstall of the rear wheel is not that big a job... maybe a "4" on a scale of 10 and 1.5 hours total (both off and on)... with the proper tools.
However, the fender "engineering" comes into play yet again... the part where the mounting bolts are molded into the fender, not "through" the fender as the stock mounting bolts are. What a pain!
With a tire change, fiddling with it is a little better than the original install if you actually remove the axle (once you remove the brake caliper from its mount <two 13mm bolts> and loosen the alignment bolts by about ten full turns) and drop the tire down for clearance... but it's still a pain.
My dealer would have charged $75 +/- for normal removal and install "on-the-bike" which is a fair price with the stock fender. I wanted to do the first one just to see what extra time would be involved. My guess, without breaks, cokes or smokes, an extra hour of labor would be fair. All of a sudden, that $75 would turn into $170 in this market... with the Corbin fender.
Fixes:
1. I mentioned in the first post that the very thin (24 guage?) Corbin license light wiring was exposed to dirt, mud and rocks from the rear tire. That's not good particularly as the wiring is within 1" of the tire itself.
While I had the fender off this time, I covered the exposed wire with four layers of duct tape and then sealed the edges and tape seams with RTV. Good old duct tape... a million uses. I thought using about a 1/8" ID small tube, or conduit, but took the duct tape/RTV option as I figured it was "flatter" and would be more resistant to mud.
BTW, if you've never used Posi-Locks and Posi-Taps before, buy some... you'll love 'em for minor electrical connections. Google "Posi-Lock" for more information. I found them not too long ago and absolutely could not do without them, now.
2. As I also mentioned before, the original fit to the fender mounts left wide gaps due to construction. My trusty large rubber mallet and giant Vise-Grips took care of that fit with a little work on the fender mounts... not the fender! It does look somewhat better now. But... if I ever wanted to go back to the stock fender, I'd have to re-bend/fit the mounts.
This fender is not an accessory for the person (1) who can't perform his own fitting, (2) who doesn't want to beat on his/her Spyder with a rubber mallet or (3) who is a perfectionist (it will drive you nuts thinking that you paid $229 plus shipping for it).
.