Front fender extender - carbon fiber

Chill Will

New member
On a recent trip to Europe I bought the titled item for the ctx700 . It is a really nice piece in what appears to be genuine c.f. and the convex profile follows the centre indent on the oem fender - real pretty. It was the equivalent of 30 bucks. I intended to adhere it with jb weld.
Since returning I have researched the installation and there is a school of thought that says that the extender disturbs the cooling airflow to the exhaust manifold area and can lead to overheating in hot climates. As my riding season in GA is in the warmer months I have decided to be cautious.
So, if a fellow forum member, either lives in a cooler clime or does not subscribe to the disturbed airflow overheating opinion, then it is yours for the cost of a padded envelope and usps to the lower 48 - say $5.
Pm me a contact # and I will be in touch...
Will Morgan
 
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BobWitte

Member
On a recent trip to Europe I bought the titled item for the ctx700 . It is a really nice piece in what appears to be genuine c.f. and the convex profile follows the centre indent on the oem fender - real pretty. It was the equivalent of 30 bucks. I intended to adhere it with jb weld.
Since returning I have researched the installation and there is a school of thought that says that the extender disturbs the cooling airflow to the exhaust manifold area and can lead to overheating in hot climates. As my riding season in GA is in the warmer months I have decided to be cautious.
So, if a fellow forum member, either lives in a cooler clime or does not subscribe to the disturbed airflow overheating opinion, then it is yours for the cost of a padded envelope and usps to the lower 48 - say $5.
Pm me a contact # and I will be in touch...
Will Morgan

Will,

I'm in Florida and I bought one of these from England and very carefully installed in on my OEM fender. From what I could see, that "school of thought" gets an "F" from me absent any wind tunnel testing proof or information from reliable sources that it actually happened to them. I don't see where that 6" extension would have that much of an effect. I think the burden of proof is on the "school" but you can run a field test of your own, but kinda in reverse. Run down a friend or a local garage that has one of those infared thermomaters. Take the bike out for a good warm up (several miles at least). Then check the surface temps. Next, remove the OEM fender and run the same circuit and check the same temp points. Comparing the two will tell you how much the stock fender affects the manifold area. From that data you can extrapolate what kind of effect the extender might have on cooling and go from there.

BTW, I wound up cutting off my extender, but only because it wouldn't fit after I installed my oversized front tire with the wide white walls. I even had to fabricate 1 1/8" tall brackets to get the fender to work. I failed to "measure thrice" as the old adage wisely states.
 

Chill Will

New member
Thanks Bob,
-food for thought re the justification for the whole disturbance/overheat ethos.
Now that i,ve offered it up I will honor a potential claim on it.
If there turns out to be no takers after a reasonable period elapses, I may well start experimenting
It's still available fellow ctx ers.
 

ofdave

Member
The school of thought regarding engine overheating is based on 100% BS, period.
That crap was mentioned by a mod on another site and has absolutely no, zero, nada, zilch basis in fact.
That same mod stated that cooling airflow is aided by the front fender which channels air like a scoop to the front of the lower engine.
That is also pure BS.
It was pointed out to him that his theory/opinion was false. The front tire has maybe 1/2 inch clearance to the fender when cold. After several miles of riding at speed (say 50 +) the front tire increases in size. Not just on the CTX, but every bike.
I had a CB750 with a new oversize front tire when I purchased it. It had maybe a quarter inch clearance to the fender. At a social visit to my local dealer a few days later to show off my ride a tech commented that the tire would rub the fender once it got warm. I brushed that off as malarkey.
Two weeks later I noticed that there was paint rubbed off on the underside of the front of the fender. That was caused by, you guessed it, the tire swelling in diameter and rubbing the fender. I replaced the tire with the stock size and it never occurred again.
The front fender is not an air scoop to aid engine cooling. When riding, there is no room for enough airflow to be of any help with cooling. It may be on some exotic one-off, but not your CTX or any other street bike.
You will get factual first hand information on this forum. If you need the expert opinions" which are not based in fact, then read/believe what is spewed by jfc. It is more than half false information. He is the guy who said powder coating is not as good as paint. What is on your wheels and frame? I rest my case.
Another thought is to view various motorcycles and the size/shape of front fenders and their relationship to the front of the engine. Pick several, HD, Kawi, Yamaha-take a look.
Put the extender on your CTX and enjoy!
 

mtvic

Member
I had picked one up also from England like Bob. The one they sent didn't line up very well, and my issue was it hit the tire on tight turns. Tore it off.
 
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