Keep cracking front fender

[Thyg0d]

Hi!

I've searched but didn't find anyone else with the same issue..
My -99 keeps cracking front fenders, just around the rear mounting bolt just above the calipers.. In three years I've replaced it 3 times..
It's starting to get expensive! And I just don't get WTF it keeps breaking..
It's always been genuine Suzuki front fenders, they always crack on the right side.. Well, except this time now it's broken on both sides..
I torque every bolt on the fork to specs according to the manual all the way from the handlebars all the way down to the lockbolt for the front wheel axle..

Any guesses?

 

[Commuta_Busa]

hard braking and poor suspension setup could cause the fender to hit the horn. I would think the fendor must be hitting something and it just ends up cracking at the rear mounting locations (weakest points). Look for any other signs of damage on the fender to determine if it's caused by some kind of impact.

 

[Thyg0d]

Never thought of something hitting it actually...
I'll check one of the old fenders to see if I can find any marks..
It's raised about 1.25" in the rear which puts more weight on the front wheel..
It does see some serious braking and with the Brembo pads on it really stops fast..
Don't think it's a poor setup though 'cause I've had help from Ohlins setting it up with the right sag and stuff at a trackday..

Thanks!

 

[Busa1166]

Never thought of something hitting it actually...
I'll check one of the old fenders to see if I can find any marks..
It's raised about 1.25" in the rear which puts more weight on the front wheel..
It does see some serious braking and with the Brembo pads on it really stops fast..
Don't think it's a poor setup though 'cause I've had help from Ohlins setting it up with the right sag and stuff at a trackday..

Thanks!

Are the little black things that go into the fender with the bolt on there ???

 

[aussiekeeper]

Install rubber bushings under the bolt heads and don't make them too tight.

 

[Thyg0d]

Are the little black things that go into the fender with the bolt on there ???

Actually thinking of removing them to allow a little more
movement..

Install rubber bushings under the bolt heads and don't make them too tight.

That's an idea worth trying..
Should work with simple O-rings...
Perhaps combine that with removing the "little black things"

 

[djsin]

its the horn mine did it and cracked the fender in half...stop wheeli'ng

 

[Busa1166]

Removing may not help... vibration may crack it anyway

 

[heavybusa]

its the horn mine did it and cracked the fender in half...stop wheeli'ng

+1

 

[Thyg0d]

Unfortunately I didn't find any marks at all in the front fenders...
(Yeah I saved them, don't ask! )
Don't wheelie that much... Just happens sometimes when me and the little wifey's flying down some of my favorite roads over here which have some small 3-5feet hills..
I MIGHT blip the throttel just when we pass them.. But not if the misses asks..
Then it just happens!

The only other thing I can think of is that the Brembo brakepads combined with Galfer rotors is so much better that the alu holding the caliper in the fork actually bends..

 

[blusmbl]

Has the bike ever been in a wreck? Any chance the fork tubes aren't square in the triple trees? That would add additional side load to the front fender, promoting cracking.

 

[heavybusa]

Lets see pics of said "trophies"

 

[Commuta_Busa]

post up pics of the damaged fenders so we can actually see the damage.

I don't think it's from your brakes bending the caliper mounting points. Different pads and rotors alone wouldn't likely be enough to flex the mounts and cause your fender to break. If that's the case then that's a new one.

 

[Thyg0d]

Has the bike ever been in a wreck? Any chance the fork tubes aren't square in the triple trees? That would add additional side load to the front fender, promoting cracking.

Don't know, but I don't think so.. Checked with the most common insurance companies when I bought it in 2007..
Square in the triple tree? You mean that the top and lower part of the triple tree isn't straight? Haven't checked that.. Didn't know they could be "out of center"..
When I hade the fork tubes serviced I put the fork back, tightened the wheel first and put it down on the ground and then tightened around each fork tube just to get them even heightwise.. (sp?)

Lets see pics of said "trophies"

I'll go down and shoot some in a second..
Started to fibreglass the two old ones so it's not much to see on those..

post up pics of the damaged fenders so we can actually see the damage.

I don't think it's from your brakes bending the caliper mounting points. Different pads and rotors alone wouldn't likely be enough to flex the mounts and cause your fender to break. If that's the case then that's a new one.

Sounds far fetched, I know but I'm at my wits end and actually quite tired of them braking all the time..

Give me few minutes I'll go and shoot a pic or two.

 

[sixpack577]

The forks being tweaked sounds good. But if they are outta whack, you'de think the front fender would be hard to mount, the holes wouldn't line up very well. Still sounds like the best guess though.

 

[Thyg0d]

Pics on the trophies!

Sorry 'bout the last sh!tty pic.. Got a tad bit to close...

 

[Thyg0d]

The forks being tweaked sounds good. But if they are outta whack, you'de think the front fender would be hard to mount, the holes wouldn't line up very well. Still sounds like the best guess though.

Nope, the front fender slides in more or less..
Give and take a mm.. Nothing out of the usual anyway..

 

[sixpack577]

Nope, the front fender slides in more or less..
Give and take a mm.. Nothing out of the usual anyway..

It doesn't take much for the forks not to be square, but if they were out enough to keep breaking fender mounts, I think you would've noticed that in your steering and overall ride.

 

[Commuta_Busa]

does the damage look the same on both sides?

 

[Thyg0d]

It doesn't take much for the forks not to be square, but if they were out enough to keep breaking fender mounts, I think you would've noticed that in your steering and overall ride.

How do I check it? Just loosen the stem nut a bit with the wheel on the ground and it will square up by itself? Or am I missing the target with a mile..
Can't say I've noticed anything special but then again you do get used to things..