VFR Discussion Group -> Competition werkes fender eliminator and oem bags

Hi all, I just got a set of OEM saddlebags for my '02, and looking at the instructions it doesn't look like my Competition Werkes fender eliminator will work with the setup if I need this fender plate installed.  

Anyone tried this or got it to work yet?  I still have my stock fender, but I'd hate to have to put that ugly thing back on...

I am cutting up the stock fender to cover the plate mount for the same reason.  I picked up an extra fender for $32 in case I screw it up.  My neighbor has an extra fine blade on a band saw and we are going to cut up the fender so that the upper portion is retained to cover the metal plate mount and that space between the cans.  Once I install it I will post some pics.   I going to try to make the fender as small as possible in order to hide the plate mount.  Unfortunately, you have to use the plate mount for the bags.

I'm not so sure you have to use that third point of attachment...

I got this link off this board, elsewhere. It's the first place I've seen the components.

If you fabricated bracket in place of the licence bracket that ties the two tubular frames together, it should tighten it up just a bit.  I don't think there'd be a load bearing issue with the frames attached to the grab-handle and the passenger footpeg brackets.  Anyway, it'd sag before it fell off or anything catastrophic.

I love my CW Fender Eliminator...  And although the bare bracket used in the linked write-up in better than the plastic monster, the CW is still nicer.

I was thinking the same thing, but I'm not sure yet.  I need to eyeball the setup and find out how much of the weigh distribution goes back there, think about the dynamic loading, blah blah blah...  If it makes sense I'm considering just a straight bar across between the two.  If it doesn't make sense I may try to get something fancy-shmancy machined that comes down from behind the CW when I want it.

I'd just really have to lose the CW!

I used a hacksaw to trim my OEM rear mudflap/fender to a tolerable shape.  Before cutting I put masking tape on the plastic, drew a cut line and slowly sawed with the fender installed.  Whole process took 10-15 minutes.  With the plate installed the fender is unseen below or to the sides of the plate.

Of course, last week I ordered a cw fender eliminator kit to go with the Remus GP pipes that will be here soon!  Can't leave well enough alone!  Don't know if the hardbags will fit with the Remus though?

I didn�t get a chance this weekend to cut down the fender.  VFRVTEC Saratoga NY do you have any pictures of how it came out after chopping it down.  I plan to cut at that area where the fender bends up to the light housing and eliminate the rest.  This way with the plate on, you shouldn�t see anything but the plate light and the black filler portion between the cans.  If I chop the fender does this make the bike a chopper now?

Does anyone have a final answer on whether this works, and how well?

There's a newer post from vfr03silver here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...ndpost&p=148779 that says it does work, and has a picture of his bike with it, but I'm wondering what other peoples' experience was.

Hey magi, not sure if I can elaborate any more, to try to assure you, but I'll try:

1) basically, I didn't put any fender on mine at all. Just installed the beefed up assembly that comes with the bags.

2) the cw elim isn't really "installed", honestly, it's just a piece of metal now that's now been used as a license plate holder, not at all in the way it was designed to fit. I just redesigned it for this application.

3) you could use any piece of flat metal to do the same, just bend it here and there and drill a few holes, nothing to it.

4) Not putting on the old fender doesn't cause any issues with structural integrity. remember, the fender is just a piece of plastic, it's not adding any support anywhere. I think you'd agree once you saw the bag brackets installed, all the plastic fender does is get bolted to the brackets and does not supply support, ie it just hangs on the brackets.

5) again, the cw elim no longer attaches to the bike the way it use to (on mine or anyone who uses it after installing bags), it can't, the holes it is designed to use are no longer available. So basically it's fashioned into a license plate holder instead of using the full fender, nothing more.

6) you just have to decide if you want to do without the fender (I have a hugger which helps, but you still get stuff underneath u have to clean occasionally), or cut up the fender (not a bad idea, I didn't have a dremel and the orig owner didn't give me the little bracket that the plate attaches to, although I do have the fender) or just put the ori fender on (I don't really like the looks myself, but hey, I don't mind cleaning underneath :)).

so yes, I do have the finaly answer, yes it does work, as a piece of metal that has now been fashioned to be a license plate holder, just as the pic shows. Let me know if I can help further, H

magi, Jul 12 2005, 01:51 PMDoes anyone have a final answer on whether this works, and how well?

There's a newer post from vfr03silver here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...ndpost&p=148779 that says it does work, and has a picture of his bike with it, but I'm wondering what other peoples' experience was.

Thank you, that is very helpful.

I already have the oem bags and have installed them so I'm familiar with the new rear/fender bracket they come with, but I don't have the fender eliminator kit so I don't know what comes with it, and wasn't sure if there was something magic or useful there.

So is this right? With the stock bike, if you take off the fender you no longer have a place to mount the license plate and you need a fender eliminator kit to give you that. With the side bags mounted, you have a moderately better place to mount the license plate, so you just remove the fender and it's up to you to mount the plate somehow -- the plate that comes with the Werkes kit happens to do a fair job of this, but is probably not worth the $60 to be used this way if you don't already have one?

I just installed my hard bags without the center bracket. I like the CW fender eliminator and I'm missing some of the parts for the stock fender, so I just left it with nothing in the middle. 8000 miles or so without failure so far...

No prob Magi, and also no, there is nothing magical there, but I would hesitate to say not useful though, but only in this regard:

1) if you look at the pic I have, you'll see that the license plate light fits into the cw elim, and has the holes for the little attachment bolts for this light. Not really a big deal, but made it easy.

2) by having the cw elim, one doesn't have to measure (re measure), fit, make mistakes, re do, etc, if you fashion your own. As you can see by the pic, it's the right size and looks 'normal'.

3) but yer right, if I didn't have that on the bike already, I'd have probably found a way to do a 'chop job' on the ori fender as opposed to spending 60 bucks on the cw elim (I'm a cheapo lol).

4) yes, you will not have a place to mount the plate if you remove the rear fender.
(caveat: the ori owner didn't give me the little bracket that goes with the ori fender for the plate. this bracket may actually hold the plate light also, and maybe it could be fashioned to work without the fender, been so long since I've seen this bracket I don't remember for sure).

5) yes, you are absolutely correct in your assesment. sorry I answered things out of order, but it's all here somewhere :) lol

good luck with it bro, let us know how it all works out for you :) H

magi, Jul 12 2005, 03:19 PMThank you, that is very helpful.

I already have the oem bags and have installed them so I'm familiar with the new rear/fender bracket they come with, but I don't have the fender eliminator kit so I don't know what comes with it, and wasn't sure if there was something magic or useful there.

So is this right? With the stock bike, if you take off the fender you no longer have a place to mount the license plate and you need a fender eliminator kit to give you that. With the side bags mounted, you have a moderately better place to mount the license plate, so you just remove the fender and it's up to you to mount the plate somehow -- the plate that comes with the Werkes kit happens to do a fair job of this, but is probably not worth the $60 to be used this way if you don't already have one?

Heres what I did. I did cut the very top of the center piece off to better see the plate. See my pic. I have never had any bad to report on this set up.

(IMG:http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1119885005/gallery_1749_201_387288.jpg)
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