Install Ghezzi-Brian Carbon Fiber Rear Fender

[Scud]

The Ghezzi-Brian fender didn't come with instructions, so I thought I'd document what I learned in case it could help someone else.

 

First I put the bike on a swingarm stand, blocked the front wheel, and supported it from above with tie-down straps so I could unweight the suspension. This would have worked better with two ratchet tie-downs, but I only had one.

 

 

The holes were not pre-drilled. The fender is asymetrical, but so is the swingarm. I used a square and a wide board to help me get it lined up and mark the locations for the holes. The block of wood in the fender weighted it so things would stay in alignment.  I drilled pilot holes from the bottom, then the final size holes from the top.

 

 

I inserted a block of wood between the bottom of the shock and the swingarm before trying to remove the shock bolt. This gave me leverage to move the shock and get the bolt out easily. A little waterproof grease on reassembly, along with the wood as a lever, made it easy to get back in. I had to ream the holes in the mounting bracket to get the shock bolt to fit.

 

 

The mounting hardware is tiny (2.5mm allen wrench and 7mm socket needed). It was difficult to work both sides. If I had to do it again, I'd pay a kid with tiny hands to do it.  Or remove the battery and tray to get at the fender bolts from above. If you leave the shock bolt loose, you can flap the fender up and down to get access to the screws and nuts - then position it right where you want it before tightening the nut on the shock bolt.

[Scud]

Here's the finished project:

 

 

[chamberlin]

Wow thanks for the write-up Scud-  I like the final product a touch better than my Teo Lamers fender (pictured below), but I gotta say: installing (or removing) the TLM fender is a 4 screw, 30 second operation.

 

p.s. I just wired my payment to Bruno for the chin spoiler...he's a great guy to work with...he's just gotta ditch the wire transfer payment B.S.!

 

[Scud]

Removing the battery and tray is the way to go. I had the nuts inside the fender originally and figured that was a bad idea. Swapping it was a breeze with the battery and tray out of the way. In this picture, you can also see how the fender is not mounted squarely to the bracket - because it aligns to the non-square swingarm.

 

The fender itself would be a breeze to take off and on now - but I'm not sure why I would need to. It just seems to float over the rear wheel and I'm sure I can get the wheel out without removing it. Installing the bracket is what made this a big job.

 

 

Re payment methods to Bruno at Ghezzi-Brian: I agree. I suggested he at least get a paypal account. I talked my bank into waiving the wire transfer fee - but that could be a big extra cost for some, a hassle for others, which results in no sale for Bruno.

[luhbo]

Thanks for the informative write-up, I ike what I see.

You should consider putting some bigger washers below the nuts, furtheron swap the nuts to selflocking ones in order to remove the stress from the carbon part. It might get cracks rather easy at this unsprung location.

 

Hubert

[Scud]

Thanks for the informative write-up, I ike what I see.

You should consider putting some bigger washers below the nuts, furtheron swap the nuts to selflocking ones in order to remove the stress from the carbon part. It might get cracks rather easy at this unsprung location.

 

Hubert

 

I put the bigger washers on. The supplied nuts were self-locking already. Also noticed that the bracket was rubbing on the shock mount - so I bent it a little to give it clearance. 

[rosso corsa]

I can recommend the Geelong Carbon Craft fender. Easy to mount and perfect fit (www.geelongcarboncraft.com.au)

[Scud]

I got the Scura a little muddy today, which turned out to provide a nice spray-test for the fender. This this was the first time the bike got dirty, so you can clearly see how well the fender protects the shock from spray. Other than a little bit of dirt on the lower mount, which must have bounced off the underseat area, the shock is still totally clean. I never got it dirty with the stock fender, but I'm pretty sure that the shock would have been a mess if ridden in the same conditions.

 

 

I bought it just for the look, and it turns out to be excellent protection for the shock. Cheers to Ghezzi-Brian for a functional and attractive design (although I grant that it was not an easy installation). 

[czakky]

Is that a shiny bolt I see?.....

 

 

 

 

Sorry couldn't resist.

[Scud]

LOL. Well-played, sir.  ...and there's still a big, shiny, gold nut on the other side of it.

[docc]

Wait! What?

 

It never rains in Southern California!

 

Th' girls only warn ya . . .

[gstallons]

I've heard that before......

[Zooter]

I can recommend the Geelong Carbon Craft fender. Easy to mount and perfect fit (www.geelongcarboncraft.com.au)

Rosso Corsa is old rear end, still symmetrical? Newer bikes may not fit.

[Admin Jaap]

I think the G&B hugger is just an overexpensive aftermarket piece for a chain driven bike. See the dent in one side? The mounting is flimsy and for me it 's positioned way to high above the tyre. We had to do a lot of modifying to have it mounted properly.

One good thing: the CF is of a very good quality

[Scud]

I think the G&B hugger is just an overexpensive aftermarket piece for a chain driven bike. See the dent in one side? The mounting is flimsy and for me it 's positioned way to high above the tyre. We had to do a lot of modifying to have it mounted properly.

One good thing: the CF is of a very good quality

 

No doubt the Ghezzi Brian hugger is far more difficult to install than every other option that's been offered here. Cost and positioning, I guess, are matters of preference. It was part of a package deal for me - so price was OK for me at that time.

 

When I first received it, I thought something was wrong with it. The forward-facing edge is not square and one side is more curved than the other (is that what you mean by the "dent"?). I thought it was deformed and I almost returned it. Then, when I started to look more carefully at how it fit, I noticed that the "crooked" forward edge was custom fitted to match the angle of the swing arm.  It was very challenging to get the holes in the right spot.  I think some mounting instructions, along with pre-drilling the holes or providing a paper template for the holes would be a good addition to this product.

 

As for the mounting. I did have to bend the bracket a little bit. Since it is mounted in only one place (by the lower shock mount) it is not as stable as other designs that mount at the lower part of the swingarm - using the holes for the stock hugger. The fender is sort of springy - if you press it down and release it will bounce a bit. We'll see if it holds up - but it still looks in great shape after about 2,000 miles with it on.

 

Maybe I am crazy, but even after all that pain in the a$$, I still like it. I enjoy the look of it because it seems to float over the wheel and leaves the swingarm 100% visible. I don't notice the irregularities in it's shape now that it's on the bike.