SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

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the village idiot
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SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#1

Post by the village idiot »

HELLO,

I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE SPRINGER FRONT FENDER, BUT HAVE A HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END. HAS ANYONE EVER PUT A SPRINGER FENDER ON A HYDRAGLIDE FRONTEND? I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS ONE THAT I CAN MEASURE OUR TRY TO FIT ON SO I FIGURED I TRY OUT THIS FORUM AND SEE IF YOU GUYS KNOW.

THANKS,
THE VILLAGE IDIOT
john HD
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#2

Post by john HD »

hey vi,

welcome to the forum! please hit your caps lock, it appears you are shouting!

as for the fender i suppose anything is possible. harley did the exact opposite of what you have in mind in the 50's. they put a hydra style fender on the springer for a couple of years.

john
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#3

Post by Bigincher »

john HD wrote: harley did the exact opposite of what you have in mind in the 50's. they put a hydra style fender on the springer for a couple of years.
john
John, do you have any photos of that?
Respectfully.......
FlatHeadSix
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#4

Post by FlatHeadSix »

Bigincher
John is correct, I'll help him out here a little. The factory mounted the AirFlow (HydraGlide) fender on the WL during the last 3 years of its production from 1950 thru 1952, they also used it on the ServiCar springer forks from 1950 until they introduced hydraulic forks for the servi in 1958. The 2 fenders are identical but the braces are a little different length between the WL and the ServiCar, rockers on the WL were inside fork legs and had shorter braces, the rockers on the Servi are outside the fork legs so the braces are a bit longer with more bow in them, same as a big twin. Here's a couple factory photos of the 2 bikes mentioned above.

The springer fender mounted thru the top of the fender to the tabs on the fork leg, in addition to the braces at the bottom of the rigid fork leg. I think it would be possible to mount one on a hydraulic fork but you would have to fabricate a bracket which accomodated the top mounts.

mike
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john HD
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#5

Post by john HD »

thanks for posting that mike.

i would have put some photos up but i was busy stripping paint off the wla tanks today.

john
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#6

Post by Bigincher »

Thanks for the photos, I learned something today. Fender actually looks very good on the springer!
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#7

Post by FlatHeadSix »

Bigincher
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one, I always thought they looked kinda stupid. And if I remember they had some serious clearance issues as well. The factory prototype photos are obvious airbrush make-overs but look at the area between the crash bar and the fender, there was barely enough room to swing the wheel lock to lock without hitting something, tight squeeze.

When the MoCo was producing the Heritage Springers they went back to the original style fender and I'm glad they did, it looks like it should. I almost bought one in 2003 with the olive green retro paint and the 1935 tank scheme with the flying diamond and the Pac-Man thing on the front of the tank. I bought a Road King instead but that's another story.

mike
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alfajuj
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#8

Post by alfajuj »

I was thinking that a springer front fender might look really cool on a glide front end. I've been trying to visualize it, but it would be great to see an actual picture. I've searched the internet in vain. I'm kind of surprised that nobody has done it before. It seems like you could probably remove the mounts from a glide fender and rivet them onto a springer fender without too much difficulty. The only issue, and it's probably a big one, is that the springer fender is quite a bit roomier, but you'd have to try it to be sure. I'll try it some time. Repop fenders aren't expensive. What the heck.
But if someone has a pic, that would be great.
Who knows? maybe it just looks all wrong?
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#9

Post by RUBONE »

It has actually been done many times but I've never thought it looks quite right due to the radius of the fender along with the length. The glide fender is designed to fit closer to the tire, the springer fender sits above and the wheel moves in an arc up into it. The springer fender is longer overall and when installed on a glide is low in the back. Not sure where you can find a picture though.
alfajuj
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Re: SPRINGER FENDER FIT ON HYDRAGLIDE FRONT END?

#10

Post by alfajuj »

RUBONE wrote:It has actually been done many times but I've never thought it looks quite right due to the radius of the fender along with the length. The glide fender is designed to fit closer to the tire, the springer fender sits above and the wheel moves in an arc up into it. The springer fender is longer overall and when installed on a glide is low in the back. Not sure where you can find a picture though.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
Maybe a heritage springer fender would work better because it's shaped to follow the wheel rather than allow the wheel to move up and down within it.
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