Finished the rear fender mount on the 1200.

[John Schmidt]

I had first mounted the brace directly to the left side using two 3/16" pop rivets. Immediately found a problem....the brace interfered with the left caliper. It wouldn't clear it to reinstall the fender so off comes the fender and support. Due to the back end of the frame above it, the fender has to be fed in underneath, can't just drop in from above. So, using some SS scrap I cut out the support attachments you see, shortened the braces a bit and this is the outcome. I had to use more rivets than originally planned due to already having two holes for the first attempt on the left side. I decided to cut the brace supports a couple inches wide where it goes under the fender, more for looks than anything but it's really stout. The fender doesn't move unless you bump it hard on the side, just what I was looking for. On the left brace, the discoloration at the top is where I was experimenting with polishing it....they're 1/8" x 3/4" SS. I'm also considering grinding the supports down to match the width of the brace, again....only for looks. If you guys think it looks OK as is, I might leave them along. I next will drop the bike off the centerstand to check for frame interference above the fender since it's mounted to move up/down with the swingarm. If it hits the back of the frame, out comes the hack saw. It was a bugger getting the two mounts even across from each other. As you can see by the tape, it's pretty close, after a few checks it shows there might be less than 1/16" difference in the location of the left/right alignment. Not enough for me to worry about. Next I'll work on the seat pan for my friend in Ft. Worth to cover. If I have to cut the back end of the frame just behind the shock mount, that will have a big impact on the shape of the pan. Stay tuned, I might actually put a tag on the old girl next month when I renew the Valk. This project has turned into an expression of love.....I'd love to be done with it.  

Note the blue brake line fitting on the left side. I had to insert a 45 deg. in there to get the hose to go behind the brace, just another little PITA to deal with.

[_Sheffjs_]

4 rivets look fine in my book.

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

John I think its shaping up nicely . I dont see a problem with the rivets.  I think the only change I might make is to blend the radius from the fender ring into the upright brace . ITs just the two little square edges look out of place to me .

[Thunderbolt]

John I know opinions are like noses, everyone has one.  I would like to see another kind of fastener besides the rivets.  Preferably something with a smooth head.  I don't know what that would be though.  One more thing, round off the lower end of you supports. 
Well you did ask. 

[Valkahuna]

John I think its shaping up nicely . I dont see a problem with the rivets.  I think the only change I might make is to blend the radius from the fender ring into the upright brace . ITs just the two little square edges look out of place to me .

Agreed! Nothing wrong with the rivets, or the width of the "adaptor" near the fender. But blending the lower side of to to match the width of the supports would be better.

[John Schmidt]

OK, we seem to think alike. Soon as I had them mounted I sat back and looked at it, the width of those supports was the one thing that stood out. I'll be cutting them down to match the width of the braces, shouldn't take too long, hope I can do it with the fender mounted. It's a bit of a pain to pull the fender. As for the appearance of the rivet, Terry I think when the fender is painted black they won't be an issue.

As for cutting the width down, if you look closely at the left side pic, you can see where I had drawn a line on the right side of the brace. I was already thinking about it and got out the Sharpie.

[sixlow]

John, what ever happened with the brake bleeding issue ? Sorry if you had posted that already, maybe I was absent from class that day.   

[Pappy!]

A good hardware store will have radius head allen fasteners in chrome.
Second look may be to get some 1/4" smooth rod. Heat and flatten the ends with a hammer and grind smooth. Drill as necessary.
Just like Thunderbolt said.....you asked!

[John Schmidt]

A good hardware store will have radius head allen fasteners in chrome.
Second look may be to get some 1/4" smooth rod. Heat and flatten the ends with a hammer and grind smooth. Drill as necessary.
Just like Thunderbolt said.....you asked!

Are you talking about button head bolts, that's what I used to fasten the braces to the fender supports? They're an allen head but quite flat...and are chrome. The 1/4" rod approach is too involved and I also have some rivets that aren't the pull & pop type, but just as involved when it comes to hammer and grind. And the pop rivets were so easy to use!!  I still think that when the fender is painted black, they will pretty much disappear.

Six Low.....the front is still not right. I changed the pistons back to the original units that were installed, they're about 1/8" longer but I've not spent any time on it since. I wanted to get the fender mounted so I could spend some time figuring out what I wanted for a seat/seat pan. That's going to depend on the fender/frame relationship in back, and whether I need to cut the frame down and hence....the seat pan. Once done, then it's back to those ever lovin' brakes.