2nd 100cc APS build

[sofadriver]

glad I saw this...............

I've spoken with people running less clearance than this with no problems.
Has this been an issue for you?

[salt27]

Mike, I don't know how 5/16" clearance will work but I do know 3/4" has worked for us in less than desirable conditions.

 Don

[Nortonist 592]

On dry salt 5/16" clearance should be OK.  If the salt is damp it could prove to be a problem.  You don't want to do this.

[donpearsall]

Whether you have 1/4" clearance or 1 foot clearance the salt will still pack the fender until it reaches the tire. As Nortonist shows, wet salt will pack the fender and there is not much you can do about it.

Don

[sofadriver]

[/URL]

Interesting picture.

Would there be that much if that shroud didn't have a bottom?

How come there's no salt packed around the rear tire?

[sofadriver]

Whether you have 1/4" clearance or 1 foot clearance the salt will still pack the fender until it reaches the tire. As Nortonist shows, wet salt will pack the fender and there is not much you can do about it.

Don

I should have asked you this the other day.  Even if the salt starts to pack the fender, doesn't the spinning tire wear the salt enough to maintain a clearance?

[Nortonist 592]

Would there be that much if that shroud didn't have a bottom?

How come there's no salt packed around the rear tire?

It did pack somewhat but not enough to cause problem.  I made three runs with the wheel fairing on and got the same result each time.  I left it off and  it stayed relatively clean.  I have about 3/4" clearance on the front fender and it packed solid but the wheel turned.  There also was about 30 lbs. of salt in the nose fairing after each run.  The front wheel is a 10" Austin Mini.  About a week after I got home I took the front fender off and the tire tread pattern was perfect in the salt,  Much like a female mold.  I blame the wet salt so much packing.

[sofadriver]

Got the fender plug done today.  Lots of detail work around the tops of the fork sliders. Glassing this will take a little time.  It's oversized right now so it can be trimmed to final size and shape when done.  The big "ear" looking things are there because I was too lazy to cut them off and figured they might be helpful in making the plug (they weren't).  The curved white shape at right is some 1/2" insulation I used to set clearance for the rear of the fender.  I covered that with a flexible 4 1/2" wide piece of flat fiberglass left from the last build.  It's hard to see in the pic but it stops about 2" from the ground.  I added a 2" wide strip of 1/2" foam down the center and will glass over it while bonding to the flat strip.  That foam will become part of the fender and should make for a really rigid piece when done.  It's more of a really stiff mud flap.  Total standoff from the tire will be about 1 3/8" (must be less than 1 3/4").  I've covered about 260 degrees of the wheel/tire but since the mud flap part doesn't cover the tire from the side I'm way inside the tire visibility rules.

Since I've covered most of the tire's circumference I'm hoping that flat part is going to allow me to wiggle and twist the whole thing around the tire enough to get it off!       I'm going to have to make a removable fender strut going to the mud flap.

[sofadriver]

 The front wheel is a 10" Austin Mini. 

HA HA HA HA  HA

I take it you've experienced the joy of changing a Mini tire on a conventional tire machine.

HA HA HA HA HA

(just kidding. i've owned 4 early Minis.    )

[Nortonist 592]

 The front wheel is a 10" Austin Mini. 

HA HA HA HA  HA

I take it you've experienced the joy of changing a Mini tire on a conventional tire machine.

HA HA HA HA HA

(just kidding. i've owned 4 early Minis.    )
[/quote]

The joys of changing a tire.  The joys of a busted fanbelt in the middle of nowhere.  And the ultimate joy of changing that little water hose between the head and the block without lifting the head.  Love your bike.  When I made my body and fairings I used aluminum foil as a release "agent".  But your aluminum tape idea is brilliant.  The best of luck.  Are you going to SoeedWeek or BMST?

[sofadriver]

Speed Week this year. First, I want to play with the same group I was reading about in Hot Rod magazine over 50 years ago. Looking forward to meeting lots of cool people from this forum.

BMST next year. The possibility of a world record is pretty darn enticing!
(oh crap! ANOTHER bodywork project!   )

Have to have a bike with a motor in it first!  

[Koncretekid]

Mike,
It's probably true that no matter how much clearance you have, the salt will accumulate. I've never had a problem but we cleared the salt out regularly just to be sure.  It might be a good idea to make sure the rear edge of the fender is the closest to the tire as opposed to decreasing clearance as it approaches the front. 
Tom

[sofadriver]

I may come up with some kind of wiper at the bottom of the mudflap to keep a little of the salt out in the first place.  We'll see.

Here's some pics of the rough fender as it was coming off.  I've cut the bottom to proper height (at the silver tape) but left the nose uncut because I didn't want to slice into that $40 extension cord I wrapped the tire with  .  I didn't cut the back either and it's a good thing.  I ended up beating up and forward on both areas with a small sledge.  Man, what a battle getting this thing off the plug!  One of those things that requires force but not too much force. (you know - the ones where you find out what "too much force" was when you break the part!).  Took me two hours!

The ridge down the mud flap really stiffened it up.  Still going to need a brace, though.

[tauruck]

Someone needs to do something here on the forum.

There should be a trophy of sorts awarded to the member of the month or year or whatever.

There are guys doing some awesome work outside of their comfort zone, I mean stuff they have not studied or trained for.

This forum is awesome and inhabited by awesome members and I vote for Sofadriver as "Man of the month".

Dude, you're the embodiment of what LSR is all about.

[donpearsall]

I went to Home Depot to buy some aluminum tape and they said it was on back order. Mike bought all the inventory.
Don