Rear fender mod?

[lefty1615]

Does the fender really need the huge scoop that the oem one has to clear the wheel?

I am thinking about ditching the oem fender and then just blocking of the sub frame underneath to make a big storge compartment for stuffing gloves and such in. Has anyone tried this before? Can anyone tell me that the tails gonna slam down onto the wheel if I do it?

There just seems to be so much clearance under the tail for how much travel I can get out of the rear end.

[Watcher]

I've never heard of anyone turning the tail into a storage compartment.
I'd guess clearance would all depend 100% on how deep you go.  But I'd imagine other than gloves and maybe a Hi-Viz vest or extra base layer you'd be too deep...

As far as the mud flap part, a sawzall makes short work of it.

[lefty1615]

I'm talking like a plate bolted to the bottom of the subframe. I figure I could get a jacket and pants into it if I squished them. I'm just a little worried about the tail dragging down on the rear wheel on a bump on the highway or something.

[Janx101]

May also depend on what rear shock you have in the bike!?

[lefty1615]

Stock but I am open to doing a swap to something like the r6 rear shock (gives a bit of rise to the rear end yes?)

[Bluesmudge]

It probably wouldn't hurt the shock to fully compress it any find out for sure.
Put the bike on the center stand and weight it or strap it down so that the bike balances on the front wheel. Then remove the seat and wrap a ratchet strap or two around the frame and swing arm. Stick some cardboard or rags under any part you are worried about scratching and then ratchet away!

I have a feeling suzuki molded that huge scoop in there for a reason.

[gsJack]

They provided just enough clearance for the tire to clear the fender at max shock compression.  Put 80k miles on my stock 97 without ever bottoming but did bottom my 02 a few times when it was at 80-90k miles with a well worn stock rear shock but not after I replaced the rear shock with a like new one at around 90k miles.  I weighed 230-240# and had 1" lowering links at the time which reduced the clearance a bit. 

[ShowBizWolf]

There has to be a safe and simple way to figure this out but I haven't had time to just sit and think about it. This is the best I can do for now.

If I was wanting to find out, I'd do something like... figure out the point under the seat where I'd want the bottom of my storage space to be... and then cut like a crayon or a paint brush to the length it would be from under the stock fender down to the point I'm trying to see if the tire will hit. Then get some sticky tack or hot glue and attach the paint brush? ...yeah I like the paint brush idea because I could dab a little bit of silver paint on the end... sticky tack or hot glue that thing to the plastic stock fender and let the brush side hang downwards. Then I guess I'd sit on the bike and bounce a couplea times (insert dirty jokes here haha) and then even have a passenger get on the back too... see if any of that silver paint gets on the tire. If it does, that means the tire is coming up high enough to rub against where you'd want the bottom of that storage space to be.

Silly I know but... it wouldn't take long to try 

[Watcher]

Aside from just wanting to be different, why not just get some saddlebags?

[lefty1615]

Ratchet straps sound like a great way to go, Might try that this afternoon. I agree it seems like it would be there for a reason but maybe it was an aesthetic choice? it seems like there's over a foot of travel clearance and there's no way that rear shock can pull that. But idk that's why I posted haha.

As to why not saddlebags, they're ugly (not a big deal for a trip but I have to admit part of my attraction to bikes is they look cool af), make it hard to ride a pillion and with the exception of expensive hard cases aren't safe to keep on the bike.

[Watcher]

If you want to keep the bike "clean" but add some storage a magnetic tank bag is an excellent idea.
Storage when you need it, remove it when you don't, take it inside when you get to your destination...  No straps, no clips, no buckles, no keys, just drop it on or lift it off.


I just think all the work involved for such little storage is a case where the ends won't justify the means.  I'm picturing something the size of a laptop case, I don't think there's room for much.
If that's all you need, then I encourage you to go for it, it sounds like a cool project.
But I think you'll get more versatility from something simpler.

[ShowBizWolf]

I'd love to see an experiment done with this too! When I had my bike all apart and I was doing the lights, I thought about this kind of thing. It's like they bubbled that thing up under the seat to make sure you couldn't really fit anything there. But like Bluesmudge said, there's most likely a reason they made it that way.

That all being said, I agree that Watcher brings up a great point about a tank bag. Up until about 5 or 6 months ago I'd always use one of those string back pack things and for more stuff I have one of those stretchy nets for the tail. Was never ever happy with either of those things but the pinch penny in me put up with it.

Then several months ago I saw Big Rich's tank bag on his GR and I was like ooooo I really like that one. I opened my wallet to let the moths out haha and bought the Nelson-Rigg 2020 magnetic tank bag and I have never regretted the purchase. I'm really picky too about how the bike looks but this bag (to me anyway) looks great on the GS. I can't get over how much stuff it holds and the clear pockets on the top are great for my iPod and garage door opener. Plus I never have to mess with unlocking the seat to get to my stuff... I can stay sitting right on the bike to get a drink of water or put my sunglasses on, etc.

:end of my ramblings: lol

[mr72]

agree about the bag. I just bought a tail bag.

[lefty1615]

Yah this is mostly a project for projects sake. There's a lot more I'm doing to the back end at the same time so this is a pretty minor thing to track on.

The issue with tank/saddle/rear bags is none of them are secure. I had a tank bag for a while and it was sweet, super convenient and easy to haul around but I left it on the bike one night and it got jacked. The other thing about having a little storage that's secure is when your out on the bike and realize you want to grab a couple small things from the store, it's nice to have something already there that you didn't have to remember at the beginning of the day.

[gregjet]

Well I was going to post  some photobucket piscs to show you but I can't get it to respond.  And we can post direct so if it has gone bust this forum is gonna be a bit sparse.
I have pics of full compression both with the stock shock and the Suzuki gs650 ( I think US calls it a katana ).
I have a shock spring remover so I have no trouble taking the spring off and compressing the rubber bumper.  It is with a 150/60 tyre though which is 12mm lower than the 130/80 stock.
Even with the lower tyre, the tyre travels up to level with the bottom of the top square rails, so std tyre will go another 12mm.
So in short, The bulge doesn't need to go as high as the OEM one BUT the top of the top rails is as low as you want to go.

[ShowBizWolf]

  for gregjet!! host those pictures on a different site, I wanna seeeeeee them !!

...And lefty, yeah you have an awesome point about going out and having "permanent" storage that's always on/in the bike!! Sorry to hear about your tank bag getting swiped 

Can't wait to see if you do this project 

[lefty1615]

Ditto @ gregjet! throw them over to imgur or paste us a link to follow!! Also fairly certain I have 130/70-17 stock size rear tire which looks pretty close, about 2m in outside diameter, if your on a 17" rim with that 150/60.


Showbizwolf - its happening, the seats off and broken down and the front end is coming apart for some work up there. Just a matter of time + $$ but I'm hoping to get the entirety of the bike done by end of January-ish (probably be beginning of April knowing how these types of things go) but the fender mod will probably be at the front of the list. I'll make a build thread with pics once I make more progress than CAD models and parts in the mail.

[Watcher]

Yah this is mostly a project for projects sake. There's a lot more I'm doing to the back end at the same time so this is a pretty minor thing to track on.

The issue with tank/saddle/rear bags is none of them are secure. I had a tank bag for a while and it was sweet, super convenient and easy to haul around but I left it on the bike one night and it got jacked. The other thing about having a little storage that's secure is when your out on the bike and realize you want to grab a couple small things from the store, it's nice to have something already there that you didn't have to remember at the beginning of the day.

By all means, go for it!  I'm interested to see the results.


Yeah, you do have to be conscious of a bag.  They aren't fixed to the bike.  My Buell has a plastic "tank" and the bag is secured via 4 straps, but with buckles it's not a permanent attachment either and I have to remind myself to take it with often times.
But being that it straps on, the bag is rather useless without the straps.  I'd hope any thief would consider that.
That bag basically lives on my bike.  Unless I'm going on a short rec trip up the mountain or something the bag is with me.  Either I'm commuting, running to the store, or taking water and extra clothes with me.

My Buell actually has a roomy tail, it would store a lot of small things quite well...

... if it didn't have the remote reservoir for the suspension and the ECM/Bluetooth/programming/diagnostic modules under there...  It could have been organized much more efficiently.  But I can still fit my lock, ROK straps, the factory tool kit, a multitool, and my kick-stand pad under there.

[gregjet]

OK photobucket is finally working again. It's gonna be funny for a huge number of forums on all sorts of things that you can't post pics direct when all these image posting sites disappear ( and they will . they ain't forever).
Here are the pics for what they are worth.
This is with the spring removes and both the "katana" shock and the stock shock. The katana is the one that travels furthur up. REMEMBER the tyre is a 150/60 so it is 12mm smaller radius. The stock tyre will be higher towards the rails.

All pics are with the axle pushed full forward and a 150/60 tyre. REMEMBER also this is no spring with the weight resting on the bumper. 150/60 tyre and shock full bumper compression takes it to just inside the top rails but not above.
Stock shock full compression





Katana shock full compression

[lefty1615]

Thanks for throwing those up! Any idea why the Katana shock sits lower than the stock? I thought it brough the tail up an inch and a half or so, would have thought it would bottom out higher as well