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Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | Took my Vision in for a new front tire on the 15th of Aug. During the change out the wrench noticed the front fender was cracked at the mount points on the left side. The fork seals were done last November under the extended warranty, so I'm thinkin whoever put the fender back on overtorqued it. So they order a new fender at $270.00 (long story short, the dealership has changed hands since and this guy no longer works there so I get to pay for it), So I borrow a bike for the Laughin trip we were going on as the fender won't come in for a week. 1 Week later to the day I pick up the bike with new fender installed and all is well, other than my pocket! Fast forward 10 days and I'm getting the bike ready for a trip into SE Utah over Labor Day weekend, I had heard something a couple days before like a "bang or clank" but assumed it was my thermos in the trunk. Turns out it was a BROKEN FRONT FENDER!!!!!! That's right, the fender that is less than 10 days since installed has broken completely on one side and started to crack on the other side!!!! I was at the dealer this morning before anyone else got there, had the first guy in look at it and he pulled both front pieces off so I could use the bike for my Utah trip. First opportunity you get go look VERY CLOSELY at you front fender mounts, My Vision has NEVER had ANY front end problems, never bumped a parking lot block or anything like that!!!! This TRULY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll talk to the dealership on Tuesday and post what they have to say after that. GO CHECK YOUR FRONT FENDERS!!!!!!!!!!
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | 1st image is the original fender (after they tried to repair it), 2nd is the broken right side of the "new" fender (out of focus but visable), 3rd pic is the left side of the "new" fender. |
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Chino Valley, AZ | When plastics start breaking for no apparent reason it is usually because something is not lined up properly. The only cure is to make sure the forks are properly aligned, if there is any variance in the alignment all it takes is time and vibration to break it again. |
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Posts: 324
New Orleans, La, | My origional fender cracked mysteriously and I was luck enough to have found one on Ebay for $100.00, but it too has cracked without the benefit of impact with another object. Maybe Victory needs to add a fork brace, or maybe someone in the after market should look into making one. I think I remember another post here of mysterious fender damage occurring with some other riders. I've decided to go with HMD520' s smoothy front fender, because of what I think will be a superior material for the part allowing more vibration absorption and flex, great looks, and a far better price. I'll re post once it arrives. One of the problems I see with the Victory part is that it's made of very thick, very hard, very brittle ABS plastic. Honda fenders are more flexable and better able to tolerate vibration without catastrophic failure because they are thinner and possibly a different type of plastic. They also incorporate a fork brace to help combat misalignment and fork walk. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | RustyNails - 2011-09-04 1:46 AM
When plastics start breaking for no apparent reason it is usually because something is not lined up properly. The only cure is to make sure the forks are properly aligned, if there is any variance in the alignment all it takes is time and vibration to break it again.
+1 I AGREE ... misaligned. maybe one a little lower than another? (check at the tree) there is a REASON why these broke while thousands of others do not.... |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | Arkainzeye - 2011-09-04 7:28 AM
RustyNails - 2011-09-04 1:46 AM
When plastics start breaking for no apparent reason it is usually because something is not lined up properly. The only cure is to make sure the forks are properly aligned, if there is any variance in the alignment all it takes is time and vibration to break it again.
+1 I AGREE ... misaligned. maybe one a little lower than another? (check at the tree) there is a REASON why these broke while thousands of others do not....
Wow, the DUH just hit me, and hit me hard. While I'll have to totally agree on the misalignment, I'll have to say that Victory used the wrong plastic on the rear portion of the fender. I believe mine broke sometime around the 30,000 mile mark. I've remedied mine with a fix I applied and have no further issues.
If it was just the misalignment alone, the front fenders would be cracking also, but they have the better plastic.
I'm still thinking on this one, the axle assemblied would not allow for any misalignment, or enough to make the crack. Man, it is too early in the morning to be thinking on this stuff. |
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Pittsburgh, PA | Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-04 7:46 AM
Arkainzeye - 2011-09-04 7:28 AM
RustyNails - 2011-09-04 1:46 AM
When plastics start breaking for no apparent reason it is usually because something is not lined up properly. The only cure is to make sure the forks are properly aligned, if there is any variance in the alignment all it takes is time and vibration to break it again.
+1 I AGREE ... misaligned. maybe one a little lower than another? (check at the tree) there is a REASON why these broke while thousands of others do not....
Wow, the DUH just hit me, and hit me hard. While I'll have to totally agree on the misalignment, I'll have to say that Victory used the wrong plastic on the rear portion of the fender. I believe mine broke sometime around the 30,000 mile mark. I've remedied mine with a fix I applied and have no further issues.
If it was just the misalignment alone, the front fenders would be cracking also, but they have the better plastic.
I'm still thinking on this one, the axle assemblied would not allow for any misalignment, or enough to make the crack. Man, it is too early in the morning to be thinking on this stuff.
that is a GREAT point Cap'n... the axle should Not allow for a misalignment.... so it might just be tightened down too tight.. i cracked the plastic on my 08 near under the glove box door. there is a 4mm screw that i tightened too tight then i heard it crack! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 804
Perry Hall, MD | Would rubber washers be something to consider to help absorb some of the vibration and reduce stress? |
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Iron Butt
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North Orange County CA | The cracking is a symptom of something other than the rigidity of the plastic or we would all have it.
Perhaps the "mechanic" who changed your fork seals put too much oil in one fork leg. This could stop the travel on that side while the other side can continue to move and would cause unintended flex in a lot of components.
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| You can check the axle by looking to see if its flush on both sides. Check the pinch bolts at the bottom of the fork tubes for being tight.
Then measure from the bottom triple tree down to the fender mounting bolts on both sides.
If all is the same then Yes there could be a lack of fluid in the one side or even to much.
There must be something out of a line cause if there is only a couple of guys with broken fenders and thousand with out something is not right |
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Tourer
Posts: 324
New Orleans, La, | I just took a look at the Wing and the LTC and they both use a plastic front fender and both mount them with one bolt up near the fork seals and one near the area between the axle and the caliper mount. Also they both employ a fender brace that supports the weight of the front of the fender and attaches near the axle. In other words they use a much more substantial brace/attachment design that spreads the weight out therefore dampening the vibration over a larger area. Just saying. |
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Visionary
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Pittsburgh, PA | Of all the visions out there, how many have posted about cracked fenders ? |
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Iron Butt
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North Orange County CA | Based on the fact that the cracks radiate up on one side and down on the other from the bolt holes, if we assume that the forks are evenly clamped in the trees, I am convinced that you are dealing with a stress that is being applied from an unequal amount of travel on one side of the forks; rather than from misalignment or over-tightening of the fender itself.
John is correct; either too much or too little oil in one fork would cause this. but certainly it appears to be an uneven fill. Easy to do if you dont have a graduated cylinder to measure the fluid, or if you're the kind of guy who thinks that close is good enough. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | V92SC - 2011-09-04 12:39 PM
I just took a look at the Wing and the LTC and they both use a plastic front fender and both mount them with one bolt up near the fork seals and one near the area between the axle and the caliper mount. Also they both employ a fender brace that supports the weight of the front of the fender and attaches near the axle. In other words they use a much more substantial brace/attachment design that spreads the weight out therefore dampening the vibration over a larger area. Just saying.
It's a common problem on the Goldwings too. Two of the guys I ride with have had it happen on their 'Wings. Replacement fenders for those bikes run about $180.
Here is a link to a popular "fix" that the 'Wingers do. http://www.rattlebars.com/chetswing/fenderfix.html
Ronnie |
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New Bohemia, Va | Tarpits99 - 2011-09-04 1:09 PM
Based on the fact that the cracks radiate up on one side and down on the other from the bolt holes, if we assume that the forks are evenly clamped in the trees, I am convinced that you are dealing with a stress that is being applied from an unequal amount of travel on one side of the forks; rather than from misalignment or over-tightening of the fender itself.
John is correct; either too much or too little oil in one fork would cause this. but certainly it appears to be an uneven fill. Easy to do if you dont have a graduated cylinder to measure the fluid, or if you're the kind of guy who thinks that close is good enough.
I'm only looking for a comformation in this logic,as I do not see the relationship in the improperly filled forks and the fender. The fender is mounted to the lower portion of the forks that rest on the axle, maintaining a constant and even pressure. The weight of the bike influences the pressure on the upper pistons that will cause uneven pressure on the tree if the forks are not properly filled on either side. Therefore I cannot see the fenders ever cracking even if the forks are not properly maintained. What I do note is that when I intall the fender there is a slightly greater distance in the forks than the width of the fender at the mount points. This tells me the fenders are not made proper overall, and the plastic is not flexible enough to withstand this slight deviation in some of our bikes. I've got a permanent fix on mine that I can live with and I do not see it is a fork problem at all. |
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Iron Butt
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North Orange County CA | Cap'n:
As I understand the issue oil and air (or water vapor) compress and pass through the fork dampers at different rates. A fork is a relatively simple hydraulic system nothing more. Think of it like water or air getting in your brake lines and you get the idea.
An overfilled leg will stop that fork from moving the full distance that it otherwise would, while an under filled fork will continue to move beyond its intended limit.
Either way one fork moves further and at some point faster than the other creating torsion (i think that is the term). |
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Visionary
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New Bohemia, Va | love it. I'm not ignorant of the principle, it is the physics that I'm referring too. The axle "fixes" the bottom part making it impossible for the inconsistant pressure, that folk say is causing the breaking. Think about it, then convince me I'm wrong.
Edited by Cap'n Nemo 2011-09-04 3:15 PM
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Iron Butt
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North Orange County CA | Cap'n:
By that logic not only would there never, under any circumstance, be a need for a fork brace because the axle would add all the rigidity you need, and similarly locking the fork tubes in the clamps at different heights wouldn't matter a hill of beans either, but as far as I am aware nobody has ever advocated that practice.
Huge numbers of modern motorcycles have fender mount systems that double as fork braces. If we assume that engineers and business owners rarely do anything they view as unnecessary this would seem to be a silly waste of resources based on their widespread application.
I have to assume therefore, that while the system appears to be rigid; there is actually a fair amount of flex in the front end of a motorcycle.
There is flex in the tubes, a certain amount of play in wheel bearings, the fork seals are made of soft materials and they act as the upper bearing surface for the entire system allowing a certain amount of deflection, and if the axle wasn't built to be flexible enough to move a little under thousands of lbs of force (like hitting a pothole at 80 mph) it would eventually fatigue and break.
So back to you. I am willing to take correction, ah I mean instruction, but that is my best uneducated guess as to why it would make a difference.
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Posts: 4278
| I would love to have a fork brace on my vision. It ties the two forks together and they move more like one. Then being individual and twisting. With a fork brace you take corners and curves way quicker. A brace reduces speed wobbles, fork flex, front tire wear and rain groove sensitivity while dramatically improving overall handling and front-end stability.
The fender helps tie the two forks together so if one side keeps braking there must be some kinda stress there. Yes the axle holds the bottom of the forks in place but there is stress in the middle.
When you make a turn say abound a corner the inside one will be quicker and the out side fork will try to catch up.
With cartridge forks you have a slow process of filling them and if you don't do the proper equal amounts of fluid you will have forks working in two different ways. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| John is correct. A fork brace has nothing to do with unequal movement of the individual fork tubes up and down which I believe to be physically impossible. A fork brace's job is to keep the wheel and handlebars in line. As an example, if you were to push your front wheel up against a curb or put it in your wheel chock you would then be able to turn the handlebars a bit from side to side. This is twist as a result of flex in the tubes. The fork brace reduces the fork's ability to twist like that by adding a cross member tying the two tubes together as close as possible to the wheel. There are fork systems that actually are designed so that one tube works entirely differently than the other. I don't remember which bike it is but it has rebound dampening in one side and compression damping in the other. Obviously this doesn't cause the tubes to move independently.
Marc |
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New Orleans, La, | I just want to weigh in again since I've had 2 fenders fail and I would like to know why. I,ve never had a visible fotk fluid leak on my VV but I did on my Venture Royal and I didn't have any fender failuers. Granted the Yammy had a different type of plastic which was thinner, more flexible, and less brittle than the one on the VV. So I'm still waiting to hear an explaination or hypothesis that I can wrap my head around. Keep the theories comming, thanx. |
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Iron Butt
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North Orange County CA | http://www.superbrace.com/simulation.html
It may all be advertising hyperbolae but Superbrace , in their technology simulation, shows not only the axle bending but the fork tubes themselves bending.
Obviously the extent shown is an exaggeration for the purposes of illustration and shows forks moving together, but if one tube stops moving it seems to me that the if the other side is not restricted in the same way that a some sort of flex has to happen. Surely there are some engineers here who could enlighten us.
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New Bohemia, Va | so am I to believe that the steel axle is also flexing enough to cause the plastic fender to break. As I mentioned before with the forks assemblied, the width of the mounting is greater than the width of the fender on mine. Thus there is a constant outward stress when mounted that I believe causes the brittle plastic to break, nothing more, nothing less. The flaw is in the fender and not in the fork flexing, twisting and so on. After many miles and tire changes, my front axle is straight as an arrow. If it was bent enough to cause this fender crackage the axle would be warped. I'm not an engineer but I do sleep in a Holiday Inn Express when I travel and it makes me a pretty smart fellar. |
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Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | Do forks "bow out"?
I like swimmin with bowlegged wimmin.
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Fort Walton Beach, FL | Bearcat - 2011-09-03 10:12 PM
Took my Vision in for a new front tire on the 15th of Aug. During the change out the wrench noticed the front fender was cracked at the mount points on the left side. The fork seals were done last November under the extended warranty, so I'm thinkin whoever put the fender back on overtorqued it. So they order a new fender at $270.00 (long story short, the dealership has changed hands since and this guy no longer works there so I get to pay for it), So I borrow a bike for the Laughin trip we were going on as the fender won't come in for a week. 1 Week later to the day I pick up the bike with new fender installed and all is well, other than my pocket! Fast forward 10 days and I'm getting the bike ready for a trip into SE Utah over Labor Day weekend, I had heard something a couple days before like a "bang or clank" but assumed it was my thermos in the trunk. Turns out it was a BROKEN FRONT FENDER!!!!!! That's right, the fender that is less than 10 days since installed has broken completely on one side and started to crack on the other side!!!! I was at the dealer this morning before anyone else got there, had the first guy in look at it and he pulled both front pieces off so I could use the bike for my Utah trip. First opportunity you get go look VERY CLOSELY at you front fender mounts, My Vision has NEVER had ANY front end problems, never bumped a parking lot block or anything like that!!!! This TRULY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll talk to the dealership on Tuesday and post what they have to say after that. GO CHECK YOUR FRONT FENDERS!!!!!!!!!!
I had the same problem with my brand new 2011... answer from Poolaris = "That's normal for that model". Good luck to you! LMAO.
Edited by Handyhoward 2011-09-05 8:39 AM
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New Bohemia, Va | Handyhoward - 2011-09-05 8:38 AM
Bearcat - 2011-09-03 10:12 PM
Took my Vision in for a new front tire on the 15th of Aug. During the change out the wrench noticed the front fender was cracked at the mount points on the left side. The fork seals were done last November under the extended warranty, so I'm thinkin whoever put the fender back on overtorqued it. So they order a new fender at $270.00 (long story short, the dealership has changed hands since and this guy no longer works there so I get to pay for it), So I borrow a bike for the Laughin trip we were going on as the fender won't come in for a week. 1 Week later to the day I pick up the bike with new fender installed and all is well, other than my pocket! Fast forward 10 days and I'm getting the bike ready for a trip into SE Utah over Labor Day weekend, I had heard something a couple days before like a "bang or clank" but assumed it was my thermos in the trunk. Turns out it was a BROKEN FRONT FENDER!!!!!! That's right, the fender that is less than 10 days since installed has broken completely on one side and started to crack on the other side!!!! I was at the dealer this morning before anyone else got there, had the first guy in look at it and he pulled both front pieces off so I could use the bike for my Utah trip. First opportunity you get go look VERY CLOSELY at you front fender mounts, My Vision has NEVER had ANY front end problems, never bumped a parking lot block or anything like that!!!! This TRULY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll talk to the dealership on Tuesday and post what they have to say after that. GO CHECK YOUR FRONT FENDERS!!!!!!!!!!
I had the same problem with my brand new 2011... answer from Poolaris = "That's normal for that model". Good luck to you! LMAO.
I have to agree with you HH, I've had nothing but problems since I bought my Victory. The grass is taller, the gutters are full, the wife hardly sees me and work is always looking for me. Man, why did I ever buy this thing. Oh, the dealer loves me though... |
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Prescott Valley, AZ | Fiinally got in touch with the "new" dealership's service manager this afternoon. He of course had not been told about my fender issue so I briefed him up on the whole deal. After a few minutes he got back on the phone with me and asked for my phone # so that after they talked to Victory about it he could call me back. No, I do NOT have a warm fuzzy feeling about this call to Victory, especially after seeing Handyhoward's post, While I'm not the brightest bulb in the package, looking at the 1st broken fender sitting on my garage floor it looks to me that this 2 lb, 1.40 oz fender has at least 75% of it's mass well forward of it's mounting point. I'm obviously not the only one to have this problem, I truley appreciate all the responses I'm seeing and believe I'm riding the best bike out there. My concern is that there very likely could be a problem in the design or manufacturing of the fender. EVERYONE needs to look VERY closely at your front fender mounts, you may be in for a surprise!! If you do have an issue please post it here so we ALL have a record of it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | The fender on my 08 is starting to crack. It's 'starring' like a windshield stone chip. I don't understand all the speculation about cause. It appears quite obvious to be that the problem is that the material for the rear fender wasn't properly spec'd. If it were a fork problem you would see the same type of failure in the front fender as well, eventually. The fact that not all fenders have cracked does not surprise me in the least. Not every fender was molded from the same kettle of soup. The plastic spec could well be tight enough to the border line that batch variance can mean the difference between a fender that last and one that doesn't. The only surprise I see hear is that one only lasted a couple days. I believe the installer push this one over the line. That's my story, and I'm stick'in to it.
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Fort Walton Beach, FL | glighto11 - 2011-09-06 9:41 PM
The fender on my 08 is starting to crack. It's 'starring' like a windshield stone chip. I don't understand all the speculation about cause. It appears quite obvious to be that the problem is that the material for the rear fender wasn't properly spec'd. If it were a fork problem you would see the same type of failure in the front fender as well, eventually. The fact that not all fenders have cracked does not surprise me in the least. Not every fender was molded from the same kettle of soup. The plastic spec could well be tight enough to the border line that batch variance can mean the difference between a fender that last and one that doesn't. The only surprise I see hear is that one only lasted a couple days. I believe the installer push this one over the line.? That's my story, and I'm stick'in to it.
Quit your crying and do something about it... if you don't love your bike and the company that built it, sell it and get one that you like. Quit bitching and moaning all the time... no company is perfect. LMAO |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe |
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New Bohemia, Va | glighto11 - 2011-09-06 9:41 PM
The fender on my 08 is starting to crack. It's 'starring' like a windshield stone chip. I don't understand all the speculation about cause. It appears quite obvious to be that the problem is that the material for the rear fender wasn't properly spec'd. If it were a fork problem you would see the same type of failure in the front fender as well, eventually. The fact that not all fenders have cracked does not surprise me in the least. Not every fender was molded from the same kettle of soup. The plastic spec could well be tight enough to the border line that batch variance can mean the difference between a fender that last and one that doesn't. The only surprise I see hear is that one only lasted a couple days. I believe the installer push this one over the line.? That's my story, and I'm stick'in to it.
g - I agree in part what you are saying, it is the material and the casting. I recall my fender being slightly narrower than the forks, thus putting a constant outward pull on the brittle plastic. Thinkfully it has only happened to a few. Also, it can be noted that putting on a mudflap can complicate the issue as mine broke shortly after adding the mudflap and others noted the same timing with theirs as well. |
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Fort Walton Beach, FL | Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
It's obvious that you either cannot or will not read and comprehend what is being said in this thread... the majority of the posts about cracked fenders are from 2008 model owners. It's weird that you have an arcane comment that adds nothing to a very real problem with Victory front fenders... just because you and others do not have the problem that is an ongoing topic, doesn't mean that it is not real for those of us who are having the problem. The fact that any front fenders are cracking... and they are whether you experience it or not... should be a concern of any manufacturer of said fenders and the company who puts that crappy piece of fender on such a fine machine.
What bike do you ride? You are either too lazy to list your bike , or cannot figure out how to... maybe. |
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New Bohemia, Va | Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
I agree with you Chris, it is strange, but as it was mentioned some had problems in the "soup". I did not notice any issue with mine until after I put on the mudflap and then it started to crack and then gave out entirely. Since I have a GO bike and not a SHOW bike, I applied my own fix that has held up perfectly and it is not noticeable to be a "fix". I do believe the majority of the folks have not had this is, and it sux to be one of those that has. I have found there is certainly bigger issues in life than a cracked fender. |
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New Orleans, La, | Been away for awhile and just revisited this post and I see where a 2011 owner has had the dreaded fender failure and that someone has posted an explaination that I can wrap mine head around. It may not be the sole reason for the failures but it fills in alot of gaps, that being the design flaw of the fender being to thick and heavy and long to be supported at one end by a pair of bolts so close together that they can't spread the load over a larger area. This in conjunction with a material that is brittle and can't absorb some of the sharp high frequency vibration and a poor casting conspire to lead to catastropic failure of the area of the mounting bolts. Thanx to all, I feel better knowing there are others that have had this same experience and have helped me reason it out. |
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Fort Walton Beach, FL | Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-07 7:44 AM
Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
I agree with you Chris, it is strange, but as it was mentioned some had problems in the "soup". I did not notice any issue with mine until after I put on the mudflap and then it started to crack and then gave out entirely. Since I have a GO bike and not a SHOW bike, I applied my own fix that has held up perfectly and it is not noticeable to be a "fix". I do believe the majority of the folks have not had this is, and it sux to be one of those that has. I have found there is certainly bigger issues in life than a cracked fender.
AND THERE IT IS FOLKS... ANOTHER FREE PASS TO SHODDY DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP!!! AND WE WONDER WHERE OUR JOBS WENT AND WHY... IT'S CHEAPER TO DESIGN AND BUILD SHODDINESS OVERSEAS!!! PLUS IT IS EASIER TO BLAME THE COMMIES THEN TO BLAME AMERICANS!!!
Edited by Handyhoward 2011-09-07 9:43 AM
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New Bohemia, Va | Handyhoward - 2011-09-07 9:40 AM
Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-07 7:44 AM
Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
I agree with you Chris, it is strange, but as it was mentioned some had problems in the "soup". I did not notice any issue with mine until after I put on the mudflap and then it started to crack and then gave out entirely. Since I have a GO bike and not a SHOW bike, I applied my own fix that has held up perfectly and it is not noticeable to be a "fix". I do believe the majority of the folks have not had this is, and it sux to be one of those that has. I have found there is certainly bigger issues in life than a cracked fender.
AND THERE IT IS FOLKS... ANOTHER FREE PASS TO SHODDY DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP!!! AND WE WONDER WHERE OUR JOBS WENT AND WHY... IT'S CHEAPER TO DESIGN AND BUILD SHODDINESS OVERSEAS!!! PLUS IT IS EASIER TO BLAME THE COMMIES THEN TO BLAME AMERICANS!!!
Sadly, again, you are way off base. While you, or others have a straight up problem with your fender, I agree YOU should pursue restitution for your problem and anyone else who had the same problem without obvious cause. I chose to modify my fender, understanding the potenial risk that it could cause it to crack and break under the additional weight and stress. Therefore, when my assumption came to pass, I could not blame Victory, despite my general observations, I chose to modify my broken fender. In no way did I encourage shoddiness or send any jobs overseas by applying my mod or not bothering Polaris with something that was not directly related to the workmanship.
Again, another baseless rant by you.
Edited by Cap'n Nemo 2011-09-07 11:06 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 166
Bullhead City, AZ | Checked mine after reading this thread, Bottom hole cracked on one side, when the VMC was in Presscott someone had steel fenders for custom wheels but I do not remenber what the vendors name was. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-07 11:04 AM
Handyhoward - 2011-09-07 9:40 AM
Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-07 7:44 AM
Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
I agree with you Chris, it is strange, but as it was mentioned some had problems in the "soup". I did not notice any issue with mine until after I put on the mudflap and then it started to crack and then gave out entirely. Since I have a GO bike and not a SHOW bike, I applied my own fix that has held up perfectly and it is not noticeable to be a "fix". I do believe the majority of the folks have not had this is, and it sux to be one of those that has. I have found there is certainly bigger issues in life than a cracked fender.
AND THERE IT IS FOLKS... ANOTHER FREE PASS TO SHODDY DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP!!! AND WE WONDER WHERE OUR JOBS WENT AND WHY... IT'S CHEAPER TO DESIGN AND BUILD SHODDINESS OVERSEAS!!! PLUS IT IS EASIER TO BLAME THE COMMIES THEN TO BLAME AMERICANS!!!
Sadly, again, you are way off base. While you, or others have a straight up problem with your fender, I agree YOU should pursue restitution for your problem and anyone else who had the same problem without obvious cause. I chose to modify my fender, understanding the potenial risk that it could cause it to crack and break under the additional weight and stress. Therefore, when my assumption came to pass, I could not blame Victory, despite my general observations, I chose to modify my broken fender. In no way did I encourage shoddiness or send any jobs overseas by applying my mod or not bothering Polaris with something that was not directly related to the workmanship.
Again, another baseless rant by you.
I wonder if anyone that installed those lights that mount to the front fender have any cracks? |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | Handyhoward - 2011-09-07 9:40 AM
Cap'n Nemo - 2011-09-07 7:44 AM
Arkainzeye - 2011-09-07 7:23 AM
its weird how there are guys on there with over 50,60,80 & 90,000 miles and no cracked fenders. all 2008 models i believe
I agree with you Chris, it is strange, but as it was mentioned some had problems in the "soup". I did not notice any issue with mine until after I put on the mudflap and then it started to crack and then gave out entirely. Since I have a GO bike and not a SHOW bike, I applied my own fix that has held up perfectly and it is not noticeable to be a "fix". I do believe the majority of the folks have not had this is, and it sux to be one of those that has. I have found there is certainly bigger issues in life than a cracked fender.
AND THERE IT IS FOLKS... ANOTHER FREE PASS TO SHODDY DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP!!! AND WE WONDER WHERE OUR JOBS WENT AND WHY... IT'S CHEAPER TO DESIGN AND BUILD SHODDINESS OVERSEAS!!! PLUS IT IS EASIER TO BLAME THE COMMIES THEN TO BLAME AMERICANS!!!
You want some cheese with that Whine? id say you should get rid of your vision and go buy a "PERFECT" bike that has zero problems and is 100% american made with a dealership every 2 miles.. but im sure there would be more posts about something else..... LOL see a pattern here? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | My 08 is still perfect, I have removed the bolts and replaced them with the Clearwater LEDs, the supplied bolts and mounts. Since I am as ham fisted a shade tree mechanic as there is ; I have to suspect some other force at work besides over-tightening.
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Cruiser
Posts: 166
Bullhead City, AZ | Nemo what did you use to fix your go bike. Mine is only cracked at one bolt, there should be a way to strengthen the fender and keep the others from breaking. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | loren2 - 2011-09-13 11:22 PM
Nemo what did you use to fix your go bike. Mine is only cracked at one bolt, there should be a way to strengthen the fender and keep the others from breaking.
loren - I used the same fix as nemo - he should have gotten back with you sooner - 
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Tourer
Posts: 324
New Orleans, La, | I discovered that fix when my rear half cracked awhile back except I used pop rivets in order to appear less conspicuous. I recently received my HDM520 front half replacement fender and I must say it is a quality piece. It is well designed, light weight, and, not that I think I will ever need to, repairable. I was able to come close to the paint color of SSG with a couple of colors of Duplic Color from the Zone. Once it dries and buffed I'll attempt to post pics. Only thing that migth improve this fender is maybe a metal ban linking the mount holes glassed within the fender otherwise it's 100. BTW who was the vender with the custom metal fender spotted at the VMC in Prescott? |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | Over torqued.
Too tight is broke. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | Okay, time for an update. Victory did in fact warrant the replacement fender and the 2nd new one was install this last Tuesday afternoon, I rode the bike 3 miles to my house, got up Wednesday morning and rode 13 miles round trip to work and back. Got up this morning and was about to ride to work when I looked at this brand new front fender with 16 milesw on it and saw the crack at the left side at the mount running from bolt hole to bolt hole!!!!!!!!!!! As I have said many times before, this bike has had NOTHING out of the ordinary happen, fork seals replaced last November and I'm POSITIVE the fender was NOT cracked after that. Granted, I Have not looked directly at the fender mounts after I checked the work on the fork seals job in November. When the second fender broke (less than 300 miles after installed) I could hear a noise that I thought was my thermos in the trunk bouncing around but was in fact the fender banging against itself. I told the service guy I am not interested in another Victory fender, if they can detirmine what is going on and fix it then maybe we can talk about a Victory fender, I do know that I certainly will NOT buy another fender from Victory, no matter what comes of all this. And so it goes, the drama continues, no idea what is next, they are going to contact Victory and see what they have to say. Stay tuned, I'll update as things happen. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I've got to ask this question, sorry if it has been answered before. Are the plastic inserts on the top that joins the front to the rear portion in place? Sorry, just got to know.... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 92
| Do they make a solid Metal fender for the VV? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | Yss the plastic push pins have been there each time the fenders have cracked or completely broken. Evereything is the way the engineers designed it and the bike is as stock as they come (other than some paint and chrome, I just couldn't help myself!). WE (the dealership and I) are at this point are at a total loss, no ideas at all right now.... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | Rumor has it that Big Joe at Kewlmetal is working on a one piece metal front fender for the Vision as we speak. I'll be investigating this soon and posting what is happening... |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Are the fenders being pulled out or pushed in to mount them???
What is the measurement on the forks where they mount and what is the measurement on the fender were they mount??
Even measure your cracked fender.
Tell us what you come up with. No don't measure mounted fender. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | The only thing I can think of, is what was just mentioned and also mentioned before, what is the width of the fender unmounted and the width of the forks. Also, is the correct spacers in place when the wheel and axle mounted? Also, check to see if the pistons are forks are true and not warped.
Keep us all informed of this mystery, I believe you'll be surprised when you find the root cause. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | NOT OVER TORQUED!!!! Installed EXACTLY like the manual states. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | The bike and the last 2 fenders are at the dealership and they plan to measure EVERYTHING in and around the fender mounts. I stood there last Tuesday when the mechanic (who I trust completely) installed the last fender. It fit onto the mount points without any pressure to install it and no gaps bnetween the fork mounts and the fender. We just don't have a clue why this bike is now all of a sudden eating front fenders.  |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I'll double check, but the screws that hold the fender on are shouldered, so they cannot be over-torque, misaligned maybe, but not over-torque to where it would crack the fender. Too bad you can't take it to the factory and put it on the road simulator and watch to see what happens. This is a good one to try and figure out. Hope you find it soon, I feel your frustrations... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | I have seen posts that say you cannot overtorque shouldered bolts, well, with 24 years working on attack, observation, and utility helicopters and inspecting other peoples work for a LARGE portion of that time I have seen MANY instances where a shouldered bolt was overtorqued. You can most certainly overtorque ANY bolt no matter what configuration it is. It is simply a matter of the amount of twist you apply to the head of the bolt, if you continue to tighten a shouldered bolt (or any bolt) it will apply that force to the suface it mates to up to the point it strips out the threads on the bolt or mounting holes, or the head of the bolt will snap off. I am absolutely POSITIVE the last two fenders were installed EXACTLY as the manual states, overtorque was NOT the problem. The holes and the bolts all went together as designed and it all looks just like it should, no missalighment with the bolts or the fender on either side. There is no doubt in my mind that if the bike were on a road simulator the fender would crack again. There has to be something in the front end or forks or fenders that is causing this to happen. I'll give the dealership a chance to figure this out and hopefully with some guidance from Victory they can get this fixed. I'm sure Victory will never state it is a design flaw, not enough folks are having this problem, so I'm curious what their position will be. All I know for certain is that NOTHING out of the ordinary has happened to the front end of the bike in my 38,000+ miles. I still believe this is the absolute best touring V-Twin on the market and it REALLY bugs me that I'm not out there riding today!!!!!
I appreciate every trying to help and giving their views, I'll continue to post any news here..... |
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Tourer
Posts: 554
2 mi from Jim Beam n KY | Wish ya the best Rick!
Very odd problem indeed!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Bearcat - 2011-10-01 2:32 PM
I have seen posts that say you cannot overtorque shouldered bolts, well, with 24 years working on attack, observation, and utility helicopters and inspecting other peoples work for a LARGE portion of that time I have seen MANY instances where a shouldered bolt was overtorqued. You can most certainly overtorque ANY bolt no matter what configuration it is. It is simply a matter of the amount of twist you apply to the head of the bolt, if you continue to tighten a shouldered bolt (or any bolt) it will apply that force to the suface it mates to up to the point it strips out the threads on the bolt or mounting holes, or the head of the bolt will snap off. I am absolutely POSITIVE the last two fenders were installed EXACTLY as the manual states, overtorque was NOT the problem.
I guess I always have to qualify my statement. From a general standpoint the shoulder will keep from putting too much pressure on the fender that will crack. Of course you can overtorque any bolt, however, that is out of context for my statement.
The holes and the bolts all went together as designed and it all looks just like it should, no missalighment with the bolts or the fender on either side. There is no doubt in my mind that if the bike were on a road simulator the fender would crack again.
Yes, I would agree it would crack again given the track record, however, you'll be able to observe from a vantage point that you cannot see from the saddle.
There has to be something in the front end or forks or fenders that is causing this to happen. I'll give the dealership a chance to figure this out and hopefully with some guidance from Victory they can get this fixed. I'm sure Victory will never state it is a design flaw, not enough folks are having this problem, so I'm curious what their position will be. All I know for certain is that NOTHING out of the ordinary has happened to the front end of the bike in my 38,000+ miles. I still believe this is the absolute best touring V-Twin on the market and it REALLY bugs me that I'm not out there riding today!!!!!
I'm only trying to keep the think tank rotating so that you can get your problem fix, I might not have the right answer, but by eliminating all the wrong ones will help you pinpoint it. I've been very successful in either myself or assisting others to find a root cause quicker.
I appreciate every trying to help and giving their views, I'll continue to post any news here.....
This is my final comment on this thread, however, I will lurk it in hopes you find your problem, with your fender.
Edited by varyder 2011-10-01 4:59 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i wonder if a manufacture date has anything to do with the cracking we are reading about? could have something been changed, or not properly installed within a certain date(s)? just a thought. a long shot i know. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | My Vic mechanic spent 1/2 hour talking to Victory about my problem this last week. They has him loosen all the clamp bolts on the upper and lower triple clamps, reset the forks by the book, and retorque the clamp bolts. They then "stop drilled" the newest crack(s) on fender #3 and had me take the bike Thursday afternoon to put some miles on it before they order another fender. Rode the bike back to work, home that evening and then back to work on Friday AM. Went out at lunchtime and took a look and found more cracks. When I pulled into the dealership's shop this morning one of the owners was in the shop. He wants to get a Victory Rep involved which is fine with me. Personally, I am now thinking that the tire they installed two months ago may be the culprit. The original fender lasted more than 34,000 miles, none of us know for sure when it cracked (I know it was not cracked last Nov after the fork seals were done), it was noticed by the tech when he was putting the new tire on the bike. The new tire was balanced and fender #2 were installed on the 22nd of Aug. I put about 300 miles on it (fender #2) before it started to crack just before we were to leave on our Utah trip over Labor Day weekend. Now the third fender has cracked and I don't have my ride. Although I don't feel any new vibration coming from the front end I don't know what else could be wrong, the tire itself is where I'd like to see the "investigation" head at this point as we have pretty much ruled out other possible problems. Mean while the bike now sits at the dealership (AGAIN!!) and I'm missing some GREAT riding weather, yep, this truely SUCKS!!!!!!!!!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 94
milwaukee wisconsin | have them check to see if the lower fork legs are rocking or loose on the inner fork tubes i have see when they have play between them that has caused some issues ?? |
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Tourer
Posts: 337
san antonio, tx | gsaoxies - 2011-10-25 10:13 PM
There are plenty of folks that realize they Phhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttt,,,,,,,,one of them.
I've just sent this PM to Mr. gsaoxies. Moderator, can you dump this knucklehead please? Thank you.
I have put you in the IGNORE status. Any chance that I may have purchased any product from you has gone away due to your innappropriate posting on a forum. Your website is bogus, and your "contact us" link sucks.
Good day.
Edited by cchristo 2011-10-25 10:44 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 63
| He is gone... thanks for the alerts guys. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 104
ROCHESTER,NY | I would like to see pic's on here of these cracked fender's,why havn't we seen any.I know you said, Victory and your dealer are working on this for you.But has anyone contacted the U.S. Attorney General. This is an ongoing problem. A huge saftey ISSUE!!!!!! If not, U.S. Attorney General, call your state Attorney General. Believe me when I say, if you get them involved, they will get to the root of the problem.
SPEAK UP!! SPEAK OUT!!! BE HEARD!!!!!! IT'S YOUR RIGHT!!!!! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 48
Simpsonville, SC | I just made a very close inspection under very bright light and found a hairline crack on each side of the plastic front fender at the mounting bolts. I encourage you to look very closely with a bright light source. My bike is an '09 that I bought new 1 year ago and only has 4,600 miles, is garage kept, gently ridden and have only used Turtle wax Ice products to clean it. I don't really even try to clean the plastic part of the front fender. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Perhaps the answer is in your last post, ie, no problem before the fork seals. Perhaps something was changed in that process that caused an imbalance, whereas one strut is carrying most the load. This would cause abnormal flexing when a bump is encountered. I don't know, but it could be the "change" you are searching for. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 51
REXBURG IDAHO | Its like this lets all face it its a combination of two things. There is cheap ass oil and fork seals in the forks and when the oil and seals go bad you dont have any room for the fender to go down because you have used all the travel that the forks have so dont try to figure it out. Just get rid of the cheap ass oil and all seals in the forks and put some high quility products on your bike. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| I was putting the bike up on the air lift for winter and you guys scared me with the cracking front fenders so I looked. Thanks guys.
It looks like a spit not really a crack and I had to look close cause I though that it was made that way. NOT. Its the left side and the front end is a virgin never been touch for tire or any thing.
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Cruiser
Posts: 94
milwaukee wisconsin | was getting the bike ready for winter wash wax ect ect when i was cleaning the front fender and tuned the wheel to the right and found that the rear black plastic part of the fender was cracked on left side i know some of you have had the front part crack but how about the rear black part ?? |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| I should of said mine is the rear of the front fender |
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Cruiser
Posts: 161
Oregon. | Hmmm, interesting how this is cropping up. Haven't found the problem on my bike yet. |
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