Is it Legal to ride without a front fender?

[Go2Trackdays]

I was at a friends' house and one of the guests backed into my bike and the fender broke into into pieces.

 

[NB0tt]

Doh!



Depends.....I'd be more concerned about safety....does your fender also act as your fork stabilizer?

 

[RRR70]

You mean like that? Nothing illegal about it

 

[clutchslip]

Doh!



Depends.....I'd be more concerned about safety....does your fender also act as your fork stabilizer?

This would be bad, m'kay? Forks have triple clamps, trees, yokes. A fender moves with the forks and the forks usually support the fender, not the other way around. Edit: Is there some ancient weird bike that you are thinking of having some ancient weird suspension?

 

[thedub]

Just don't ride in the rain until you can put on a new one.

 

[ScottRNelson]

This would be bad, m'kay? Forks have triple clamps, trees, yokes. A fender moves with the forks and the forks usually support the fender, not the other way around. Edit: Is there some ancient weird bike that you are thinking of having some ancient weird suspension?

Some fenders serve a fork braces. Not the current plastic ones, though. It was fairly common in the 70's and 80's to add a fork brace to stiffen up the front suspension on a lot of bikes, especially the ones ridden in the dirt. Some people still claim the current Honda XR650L can benefit from a fork brace.

Any modern bike with male slider forks (a.k.a., upside down forks) isn't going to benefit from any sort of fork brace, though.

 

[Wicked4Racin]

Make sure your brake lines are out of the way and wont rub the tire... or you'll loose font brakes and have a mess real quick!

 

[russ69]

Back in the day roadrace bikes often had no front fender. Unless it rains it's not a problem at all.

 

[aram]

I had a naked bike without a front fender once.

It kicks up a lot of little rocks which can hit you in the helmet or the other parts of the bike and is kind of annoying. I'd get it fixed, but it isn't the end of the world.

 

[Go2Trackdays]

ya I did notice the brake lines would have been rubbing on the tire, so I secured them with bolts.

My 600 F3 definitely does NOT have a fork brace in there with the fender.

I rode home over Hwy 17 without the fender and it didn't feel any different than normal.

I just wouldn't want to get pulled over for not having a fender if it's a ticket-able offense.

 

[Ur5ul4]

This would be bad, m'kay? Forks have triple clamps, trees, yokes. A fender moves with the forks and the forks usually support the fender, not the other way around. Edit: Is there some ancient weird bike that you are thinking of having some ancient weird suspension?

On bikes with less substantial axle and tube diameters, the fender mounts add to the strength of the front end. Ever see a telefix brace?

 

[KazMan]

California Vehicle Code - DIVISION 12. EQUIPMENT OF VEHICLES, CHAPTER 5. OTHER EQUIPMENT, Article 5. Fenders, Ornaments, and Television ............... 27600-27607

Just a little ambiguous. Perhaps a LEO can chime in. I always thought they were required front and back and seems so when you look at Misc. Equipment. But then when you read the section, 2-wheeled vehicles are not mentioned. Just 3 or more...:dunno

The below was taken from CHP bulletin.

CHP 888
MOTORCYCLE, MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLE, AND MOTORIZED BICYCLE REQUIREMENTSINDEX

Items of equipment required on motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and motorized bicycles are listed together with the bulletin page number
where the item is discussed. Unless otherwise noted, the requirements herein apply to motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized
bicycles.

Definitions Item Page
Darkness 1
Highway 1
Motorcycle 1
Motor-driven Cycle 1
Motorized Bicycle 2
Motorized Quadricycle and Tricycle 2
Motorized Scooter 2
Pocket Bike 2

Miscellaneous Requirements Requirement Page
Compliance with Federal Standards 2
Driver License 2
Installation of Unlawful Equipment 2
License Plate 3
Maintenance of Lamps and Devices 3
Modifications to Motorized Bicycles 2
Mounting of Lamps and Reflectors 3
Registration Card 2
Vehicle Not Equipped or Unsafe 2
Vehicle with Unlawful Lamps 2

Required Lighting Equipment Lamp or Device Page
Battery 3


Required Lighting Equipment Lamp or Device (Cont.) Page
Beam Indicator 3
Headlamp 4
License Plate Lamp 3
Reflector 3
Stoplamp 3
Taillamp 3
Turn Signals 3

Required Miscellaneous Equipment Item of Equipment Page
Brakes 4
Fenders 4
Fuel Tank Cap 4
Helmets 5
Horn 4
Mirror 4
Muffler 4
Passenger Equipment 4
Tires 4

Additional Permitted Lighting Equipment Lamp or Device Page
Fog Taillamps 3
Reflectors and Reflectorizing Material 3,4


Fenders (27600 VC). No person shall operate any motor vehicle having three or more wheels unless equipped with fenders, flaps,
or other devices, at least as wide as the tire thread, to effectively
minimize the spray or splash of mud or water to the rear. This
section does not apply to vehicles exempt from registration, or
registered prior to January 1, 1971, and which have an unladen
weight of under 1,500 pounds. (Does not apply to motorized
bicycles.)

 

[clutchslip]

Some fenders serve a fork braces..... It was fairly common in the 70's and 80's to add a fork brace to stiffen up the front suspension on a lot of bikes, especially the ones ridden in the dirt.

On bikes with less substantial axle and tube diameters, the fender mounts add to the strength of the front end. Ever see a telefix brace?

Thanks, boys. I forgot that some bikes used lower support for inadequate forks that deflected too much. I never owned one - dirt or street. If the wheel isn't keeping things together, I say there is a problem.

Just a little ambiguous.

Yes it is. I would have to really think hard to remember if I was ever cited for this one. I test rode a lot of dirt-racers around in the street in a lot of states of assembling and was stopped, oh about six trillion times, or so. :laughing

 

[Cincinnatus]

Depending on how far down the fenders go, they can help keep rocks & such from hitting radiators, coils, etc.

 

[TrackCage]

Your radiator won't like it, but otherwise good to go. Doubt that's the sorta thing a cop is looking for.

 

[EastBayDave]

On bikes with less substantial axle and tube diameters, the fender mounts add to the strength of the front end. Ever see a telefix brace?

exactly correct. Especially on older bikes where the fork tubes were thin as spaghetti. They flexed all the time & lead to wobbles/wallows. Thats why they sell braces in all kinds of variations.

Everyone back in the day recalls how the bike felt AFTER installing a brace= stronger/more stable...:thumbup

 

[firstbuell]

one way to stiffen an USD fork is with a stronger F axle/bearings setup

 

[Go2Trackdays]

I can't find anything specific in the CA Vehicle Code about fenders on motorcycles (TWO wheels), so I guess I won't worry about it... yes I do have a replacement ordered

 

[NB0tt]

Yep, all my experience is with old shit....mostly 2-strokes and mopeds. Usually the fender acts as the brace and a lot of kiddos made 'em go faster than stock and run without fenders cause it looks nice and then crash cause their shit gets all wobbly.

Didn't know about modern set ups though

 

[ratsblast]

Go ride in the rain without a fender and tell me how it goes. I didn't run one on my bike, hit the rain and it wasn't fun, especially with half dome helmet.