So I've been looking for a thread with some info on what I'm looking for, but haven't been able to find anything. I want to find a smaller front fender for my GS. One like this on the newer sportsters:
I've been looking at the stock fender and it looks like I can cut the ugly bits off the sides without any problems, but it still won't be quite right. Anyone know where I can get maybe a really simple metal fender that I can get to go on? Maybe even just a fender without mounting holes or brackets or anything that I can mod to fit onto the GS's fork brace...

and oh yes, new here and to motorcycles in general and would like to say thanks for this great site, it's been invaluable already.

im not sure youll find anything do to the fack that if i remember from when i had my sportster the bracket is molded to fit the fender and hooks on the inside of the forks where ours as you know has a flat spot on the top to mount too.

I'm not looking for a sportster fender nor a way to attach one, just some kind of fender in that style without any excess plastic on the sides. I was just using the photo as an example of what I'm looking for. one simple line covering the wheel, nothing more than necessary.

If I'm remembering correctly, the fender mounts via the top, not by any side mounts, so you can get it minimally thin by cutting off the sides.  The cheapest option would be to get a rashed-up ugly one from a parts bike and practice on it - measure twice, cut once, repeat.  Then paint it black.

what i was saying is a metal fender is rounded on the top and well its also to narrow.  the plastic one could be cut down but if you cut off the sides it will become flimsy and most likely rub the wheel at speed with the air pushing it down.  the way they make the front fender look so nice and small on the sportster and on any other cruiser style bike is because the front wheel is only about 2 inches wide.

Josh: Not only does the tire on the pictured sportser not look particularly skinny, the spec size for 2009 (according to a quick google search) is 19-100/90, so that's roughly a 4 inch wide tire - not so much skinnier than our stock 110 front.

OldManColin:If you poked around a bike junkyard and found a suitable victim, you could make an adapter block to bolt it to the fork brace. Epoxy putty would work, or it could be fancier. Cleaned up well and painted, epoxy putty would be fine, though, I think. DO have to be careful that the screws don't impact the tire, of course.

On the far end of that scale, given that the pictured style of fender is going to let plenty of water by if you ride in the rain (as does the stocker, but it will stop even less), you could go fenderless.

I'm thinking of going more the other direction if I ever find time to fiddle with it - something like:

GSndian?

look at the old bandit 600(90's version)
you will need the bandit fender brace
then you can use any lil fender

look it up on bike bandit.....
did i do gud?
did I win a prize?

just browse around ebay and see what you can find. With that frame brace it at least gives you come options because you can just clamp one on to that, instead of having to make it bolt to the mounts on the fork tubes

Quote from: Roadstergal on October 05, 2009, 05:27:31 PM
GSndian?

Something like that. Suited to all-weather (above freezing) and hauling stuff. Full DreGS?