Fork Brace or Nah?

Im rebuilding a 1982 KZ440 LTD currently and it came with no front fender. My budget is limited (for now) so Im doing my best to get it road worthy and be as frugal as possible. The bells and whistles (like maybe a chopped fender) will come later.

I kinda like the look without the front fender but was wondering if I needed it for safety. Ive heard people say a fork needs to be "braced" by the fender. Is this something I need to worry about urgently (for safety) or does it only matter if im pushing the bike to its limits?

That said... if i "need" to have the fender or a fork brace.... what are the most economical options? are there any crossover parts from other bikes?

Thanks in advance!

Two issues -

1. Riding without a front fender will result in road slop being thrown onto you and the bike anytime you run through any water on the street. If you get caught in the rain you will be sprayed with road muck while you ride.

2. Riding with no front fender may be illegal in your state. Before doing so be sure to check.

Years ago I rode my BSA for a couple weeks without a front fender and that's how I learned of the above 2 problems. Not only did I get considerable road slop on me when I hit any water on the street I also was pulled over by a cop who would have given me a repair ticket except for the fact that my front fender was only about 50 yards away in the gas station where I worked. I showed it to him and told him I would put it on right away (which I did) and he left me alone. Ed

If after reading 650ed's advice you decide to skip using a fender...

I swapped the stock front fender on a KZ400 with a fiberglas Ceriani fender. Removing the metal fender - and the metal bracket/brace in the middle - made the handling a little strange. Not recommended. Keep in mind that your bike has only 33mm forks and it was built to a budget; the heavy fender bracket keeps things in line.

Cheap option: buy a used KZ440 fender from ebay. If you really insist on not having a fender at all, grind off the four attachment points and just install the brace/bracket part. Or you can knock off the chrome, cut the fender to the shape you want, and then paint it.

You should also be able to tweak a fender from another model and get it to fit, but 440 parts are so common you shouldn't have any trouble finding one.

I doubt you will be able to find an aftermarket fork brace specifically for a 440 LTD.

I'd like to have one for my Z1.
Steve

SWest wrote: I'd like to have one for my Z1.
Steve

I found one for my GPz550 on that auction site about fifteen years ago.

Holy cow. Has it really been fifteen years?? Getting old over here. :laugh:

The ones I was looking at are bolt together pieces. Cheezy. :sick:
Steve

The one I found is a sizable chunk of aluminum but there are four bolts involved.

I'm not sure how you could have a fork brace without bolting pieces together. :huh:

Pic of the one you have. Might be helpful to the OP. I may have to live with what I have.
Steve

Thanks for the tips y'all!

Based on your responses I'm leaning towards buying a used fender on eBay and chopping it.

It would be roughly $30 though before purchasing the paint/primer and cutting wheel.

Are there any DIY options out there?

I'm not certain about the 440 but I'm pretty sure the front fenders are like the KZ400s. They use a brace with a fender bolted or riveted to it. I believe the earlier ones (like my 76) are bolted but the later (my 78 and probably later) are riveted. If you grind off and drill out the rivets you will be left with just a brace. Here is a pic showing just the brace:



Once you've done that you can add any fender you would like (given it will fit between the forks) with a drill and some bolts. Here is a fiberglass fender I added with some spacers under it to raise it up a bit:



I recommend you go ahead and buy the LTD fender that you're sure will bolt up to your bike, separate the fender from the brace and put the brace in place for the time being. That will give you something to tighten up the forks and also give you time to work on cutting down the fender that came with it or decide to go another route.

Hey that's a great idea!
I like the fender you chose for yours! Looks cool!

Ya I'm gonna start with just the brace I think. I dig the brat bike vibe currently and might go that route.