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Eldorado bouncy rear fender

derider

Just got it firing!
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
5
I'd like to fix my rear fender on the Eldorado that bounces around on rough roads and makes the bike look not as solid as it otherwise is. I was thinking of drilling two holes through the rear seat support where it's in contact with the fender with rubber grommets in between to attach them and hopefully stop the annoying flopping around. Do you all think this will work or is there any other ideas out there. Thanks
 
Close inspection might reveal a crack in or around one or more of the 3 formed plastic bolt holes, my Custom rear fender failed a few months in and the first thing I noticed was that it was 'bouncy' too.
 
It's an annoying condition that makes the bike look cheap at stoplights. The only thought I had for a fix would be to dismount the fender, then lay down a strip of fiberglass with epoxy resin. Either that or some thin metal to reinforce. Haven't gotten around to it yet, but it is embarassing. My Bobber has metal fenders but they went with plastic on the "high end" bike.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I will have the dealer check on warranty to see if it's not mounted properly. after that I will look at other options. Eldo1400 or anyone else could you please post on here if you manage to reinforce your fender or if anyone makes an aftermarket metal or carbon fiber fender
 
If the video works this is mine at idle. Everything is standard just made sure all bolts etc. were tight.
 
I'd like to fix my rear fender on the Eldorado that bounces around on rough roads and makes the bike look not as solid as it otherwise is. I was thinking of drilling two holes through the rear seat support where it's in contact with the fender with rubber grommets in between to attach them and hopefully stop the annoying flopping around. Do you all think this will work or is there any other ideas out there. Thanks

Hi derider, couldn't upload a video here but uploaded it to youtube. My guard at idle. if yours shakes more than this then bolts are either loose or missing. Nothing has been done to mine except to make sure everything is tight.
 
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I was considering installing two thin steel bars down either side of that center line with the wiring in it, with epoxy to make it solid. It is kinda annoying to have that "Shimmy" as the engine idles. Either that or I am going to have to get to work on some sheetmetal and then have it painted but, that would be a huge PITA and I am not going to want to that.
 
Sounds like a good fix, if you do it some pics and comment would be appreciated
 
I've been ignoring my shaking rear fender for awhile, decided to finally tear it off and look at it today. I left the rear brace assembly attached to the fender when I removed it from the bike. I couldn't see any kind of cracking in the fender or the bracing. I simply reassembled it, picking up on the license plate as I tightened all the bolts, seems much firmer now. None of the bolts seemed loose, but there's a definite improvement. Maybe the rear brace manages to shake itself out of adjustment over a period of time. Seems like the design is lacking in quality. I'm thinking a permanent fix would be to remove the rear brace from the fender, and weld it in place where it attaches to the bike frame, then assemble the fender to it. Not that I plan to do that, a little too permanent of a repair for my taste. I'll just loosen up the bolts and re-position it, until that fix doesn't work anymore.

For anybody that wants to try this, there are 5 bolts that need to be loosened and re-tightened. After removing the rear seat, loosen the 3 bolts (10 mm socket) holding the rear seat base/grab rail, and 2 more that face up inside the fender (8 mm socket). These 2 are located about 1 in. further back from the location of the lone bolt located under the rear seat. Reach your hand up between the tire and the fender to locate them. I had to use some penetrating oil on them, and work them back and forth a few times.
 
I was considering installing two thin steel bars down either side of that center line with the wiring in it, with epoxy to make it solid. It is kinda annoying to have that "Shimmy" as the engine idles. Either that or I am going to have to get to work on some sheetmetal and then have it painted but, that would be a huge PITA and I am not going to want to that.

Early Yamaha Road Stars has a similar problem. In their case it was a need to have a rolled edge on the sheet metal fender to add stiffness. I did something similar to what you are describing to fix the "shakes". I cut and epoxied "doubler" strips on the inside of each side of the fender. it did the trick for the Road Star! Would probably work on the Eldorado as well.
 
Just a note about the Eldo rear fender .
It is made so it can be removed then the rear tire is removed,
it sounds like a lot of taking things apart but takes about 10 mins to have the fender off ,
I use a jack stand under each passenger peg and tie the front brake lever on.
also remove the heat shields to clear the stands and the left side muffler to remove the wheel and shock
 
About a week ago, I started hearing a chirping noise from the rear of the bike when hitting bumps in the road. I traced it to the rear fender, which I again tightened in the same way as in my previous post on this matter, which took care of the noise. I never did put loctite on the bolts, so, I decided to do that the next day. One of the bolts, after removing, wouldn't engage the clip nut, when I tried to reinstall it. I looked under the fender with a light, and found the breaks in the bracket, pictured below. I had a friend weld it, and I will keep an eye on it, to see how it holds up.

IMG 0015 IMG 0017
 
I've been paying a lot more attention to my rear fender situation this summer, after experiencing the broken subframe. So far, the weld repair is holding up. I bought a new subframe, as well, to have on hand, should the weld-job fail.

Something I've noticed several times, when the conditions are right: while riding at highway speed, usually about 55 mph, the rear fender starts oscillating. That's the term that seems appropriate, as it's rhythmic, beyond shaking. You can feel it in the ride of the bike. Sunny days are what make it easily noticeable, as I can glance over my shoulder and look at the shadow of the fender, fluttering away.

I've noticed an occasional vibration at highway speeds since when first purchasing the bike, and dismissed it as road surface conditions, since it didn't happen consistently. Only after repairing the fender subframe did I become aware of the fender oscillation, and connect the vibration to this. My theory is, under certain wind conditions, the license plate assembly hanging down catches into some turbulence, and initiates this shaking. Only a theory, I'm no engineer, and not an expert on aerodynamics.

I would like to relocate my license plate, to mount it sideways. Pennsylvania gives you the option to have your plate issued with that orientation, as I'm sure other locations do. It looks like a challenging project, mainly because there doesn't appear to be any easy way to attach such a setup on an Eldorado. In the US, I assume it should be attached on the left side. Has anybody on the forum done this with their bike? If so, a parts list and pictures would be greatly appreciated. If not, I'll give a shout to Todd, maybe you could create something. I see on this posting, https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/rear-fender-mounting-tabs-broken.12676/#post-93121 , that the cracked subframe isn't specific to the Eldorado, so there may be a market for a kit.
 
Something I've noticed several times, when the conditions are right: while riding at highway speed, usually about 55 mph, the rear fender starts oscillating. That's the term that seems appropriate, as it's rhythmic, beyond shaking. You can feel it in the ride of the bike. Sunny days are what make it easily noticeable, as I can glance over my shoulder and look at the shadow of the fender, fluttering away.

I've noticed an occasional vibration at highway speeds since when first purchasing the bike, and dismissed it as road surface conditions, since it didn't happen consistently. Only after repairing the fender subframe did I become aware of the fender oscillation, and connect the vibration to this. My theory is, under certain wind conditions, the license plate assembly hanging down catches into some turbulence, and initiates this shaking. Only a theory, I'm no engineer, and not an expert on aerodynamics.

I've noticed an oscillation at highway speeds also. Starts around 45 mph. Thought it might have been a tire but the bike is basically brand new. Then I thought it the road but it happens on multiple surfaces. I'll check my fender next ride.
 
In regards to my last post on this thread, I did a little more research, and found a vertical license plate mount from Kuryakyn that works. Part numbers are 3191 for the frame and 3127 for the mount. These parts are black, also available in chrome. The mount needed some material removed, as shown in the accompanying photos, to work on this application, as there is no mount made specifically for Moto Guzzis. The mounting hole is too big for the shock bolt, also. I happened to have a rubber washer in my stash that I used to fill in the gap between the bolt and the mount. The frame actually touches the muffler when resting on the kickstand, clearance increases when I sit on the bike. I road tested it on the bumpiest brick road I could find, no contact or damage noted. I'll report on this experiment further, after the DOT issues my vertical plate. Between waiting for the plate and cold weather setting in, it may be awhile before I can claim success in my effort.
 

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Thanks for the advice guys, I will have the dealer check on warranty to see if it's not mounted properly. after that I will look at other options. Eldo1400 or anyone else could you please post on here if you manage to reinforce your fender or if anyone makes an aftermarket metal or carbon fiber fender
I've fixed the problem in this way.

IMG 20191023 192548
 
You may need to replace the clip nuts as shown in the first picture and replace with bolts and nuts in the second picture. They are notorious for failing causing the rear fender to bounce around.
 

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In regards to my last post on this thread, I did a little more research, and found a vertical license plate mount from Kuryakyn that works. Part numbers are 3191 for the frame and 3127 for the mount. These parts are black, also available in chrome. The mount needed some material removed, as shown in the accompanying photos, to work on this application, as there is no mount made specifically for Moto Guzzis. The mounting hole is too big for the shock bolt, also. I happened to have a rubber washer in my stash that I used to fill in the gap between the bolt and the mount. The frame actually touches the muffler when resting on the kickstand, clearance increases when I sit on the bike. I road tested it on the bumpiest brick road I could find, no contact or damage noted. I'll report on this experiment further, after the DOT issues my vertical plate. Between waiting for the plate and cold weather setting in, it may be awhile before I can claim success in my effort.
Hey FrankZ! How did the license plate relocation go? Can you send a photo of how it looks now please?
Thanks!
 
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