1974 Commando - Correct Front Fender

You guys did so well on my last request (wheels, tires, spoke for the subject vehicle) I was hoping to get answers to a couple more questions.

The subject bike has a damaged front fender as shown in the photo below. This is not the first fender I've seen with nearly identical damage.




The fender has a rolled bead on the leading and trailing ends of the fender. I received a couple SS replacement fenders with the bike when I bought it - one for this bike (4 holes drilled in fender for 2 stays) and one for a MKIII (2 holes drilled in fender for a single stay). Both of these fenders have the rolled bead on the leading edge, but the trailing edge is raw, i.e., just sheared and no rolled bead.

So my questions are the following.

1. What in the world did people do to abuse the fender and create this narrow band of damage on the back side?
2. Is the existing fender with leading and trailing rolled edges correct?
3. If yes to question #2, does anyone make the correct SS replacement fender having leading and trailing edges rolled?
4. Does anyone offer a service to to roll the bead onto these existing replacement fenders?

WZ507 said:

1. What in the world did people do to abuse the fender and create this narrow band of damage on the back side?
2. Is the existing fender with leading and trailing rolled edges correct?
3. If yes to question #2, does anyone make the correct SS replacement fender having leading and trailing edges rolled?
4. Does anyone offer a service to to roll the bead onto these existing replacement fenders?

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1. When my dad bought his brand new in '74, he promptly installed a Vetter frame-mounted fairing. The mount used hose (screw) clamps to attach to the down tubes. 'You want to guess where the heads of the clamps ended up? So, the first time he rolled it of the curb into the street, the fender slammed up against the clamps. Needless to say, I immediately spun the clamps to the back where the mechanic should have put them to begin with.
2. Yes, the rolled edges are also on mine.
3/4. Don't know. Any one else?

WZ507 said:

The fender has a rolled bead on the leading and trailing ends of the fender. I received a couple SS replacement fenders with the bike when I bought it - one for this bike (4 holes drilled in fender for 2 stays) and one for a MKIII (2 holes drilled in fender for a single stay). Both of these fenders have the rolled bead on the leading edge, but the trailing edge is raw, i.e., just sheared and no rolled bead.


2. Is the existing fender with leading and trailing rolled edges correct?

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You didn't mention if the one fitted is stainless or chromed steel?

Stainless would have been standard on 850 models. All the period photos (books, brochures) I've looked at so far, where that detail can be seen, doesn't show any bead at the trailing edge, however that's not to say the factory definitely didn't fit some that were beaded at both ends.

WZ507 said:

4. Does anyone offer a service to to roll the bead onto these existing replacement fenders?

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Any shop that specialises in sheet metalwork should have a swage tool that would do the job.
Example:

I have the same damage on my 74, and was wondering how it occurred as well. The PO had covered it with a sticker.

could this be rolled out by a good body man, maybe on an English wheel or something?

BTW - SS with beaded back.

L.A.B. said:

WZ507 said:

The fender has a rolled bead on the leading and trailing ends of the fender. I received a couple SS replacement fenders with the bike when I bought it - one for this bike (4 holes drilled in fender for 2 stays) and one for a MKIII (2 holes drilled in fender for a single stay). Both of these fenders have the rolled bead on the leading edge, but the trailing edge is raw, i.e., just sheared and no rolled bead.


2. Is the existing fender with leading and trailing rolled edges correct?

Click to expand...

You didn't mention if the one fitted is stainless or chromed steel?

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The fender on the bike is stainless.

So possibly the factory employed fenders both with a beaded rear edge and w/o a beaded rear edge?

It's curious that on the front bead of my fender the fender stock is folded under before beading, thus creating a beaded section of double thickness, whereas the rear bead is simply applied to the trailing edge, i.e., a rolled bead on a single thickness of fender stock.

Damage in same place but likely due to a mishap. I gave the guard to a man with an english wheel
and he worked it out to some extent. He said that with stainless that thin it gets brittle. So that
was as far as he wished to take it. No charge, the rest was up to me and a file and buffing wheel.
I had already bought a pattern replacement which is on now and you can see it had no rolled edge.
This was from RGM maybe 3 or 4 years ago. Now Id apply to Andover as they seem to try to get
things right. I dont know but worth ringing and asking.

WZ507 said:

The fender has a rolled bead on the leading and trailing ends of the fender. I received a couple SS replacement fenders with the bike when I bought it - one for this bike (4 holes drilled in fender for 2 stays) and one for a MKIII (2 holes drilled in fender for a single stay). Both of these fenders have the rolled bead on the leading edge, but the trailing edge is raw, i.e., just sheared and no rolled bead.

So my questions are the following.

1. What in the world did people do to abuse the fender and create this narrow band of damage on the back side?
2. Is the existing fender with leading and trailing rolled edges correct?
3. If yes to question #2, does anyone make the correct SS replacement fender having leading and trailing edges rolled?
4. Does anyone offer a service to to roll the bead onto these existing replacement fenders?

Click to expand...

1 - I've never seen damage like that. Very odd.
2 - The double rolled edges in stainless were stock 850 MKI and MKII. The single rolled edge and single fender stay started with the electric start MKIII.
3 - Nope.
4 - Maybe a good body man - ask the custom bike and car freaks in your area if there's anyone they trust to do that. My solution for a banged up fender was to send it out to be chromed. The chrome shop was able to bang out the dings and make them invisible.

My original '74 has a rolled front edge and a non-rolled back edge.

maylar said:

2 - The double rolled edges in stainless were stock 850 MKI and MKII. The single rolled edge and single fender stay started with the electric start MKIII.

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99cyclone said:

My original '74 has a rolled front edge and a non-rolled back edge.

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Maybe yours is late '74 production?

My double rolled fender is on an April '74 mk2.

gortnipper said:

maylar said:

2 - The double rolled edges in stainless were stock 850 MKI and MKII. The single rolled edge and single fender stay started with the electric start MKIII.

Click to expand...

99cyclone said:

My original '74 has a rolled front edge and a non-rolled back edge.

Click to expand...

Maybe yours is late '74 production?

My double rolled fender is on an April '74 mk2.

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My bike has a build date of 6/74 and has a double rolled front fender.

My 1974 Commando front fender was dented because the previous owner had an oil cooler installed on the frame down tubes. When the forks compressed, the fender would hit the oil cooler. So possibly you had an accessory mounted on your frame as well.

The front of my fender has a rolled over edge that is beaded and the back of the fender is just beaded.

My '73 850 Interstate (original) has the rolled front edge and a plain rear edge. The front edge is just rolled, not doubled over,

Dave.

gortnipper said:

maylar said:

2 - The double rolled edges in stainless were stock 850 MKI and MKII. The single rolled edge and single fender stay started with the electric start MKIII.

Click to expand...

99cyclone said:

My original '74 has a rolled front edge and a non-rolled back edge.

Click to expand...

Maybe yours is late '74 production?

My double rolled fender is on an April '74 mk2.

Click to expand...

No, it is an early '74.

At one time we started a thread trying to catalog this stuff. We didn't really get very far.

fenders-and-stays-t12462.html?hilit=fender

My '74 has a doubled front edge and a rolled trailing edge. They are nice fenders with that added touch. I was told by Joe, AKA Andover-Norton that this was not a Norton fender. Or at least none of the drawings show it. Is there any chance it is a Triumph fender?

Russ

My mid 1974 Mk 11 has the rolled leading and trailing edge stainless guard. Im certain it is the original guard - Im the third owner - for 36 years - and I know the previous history.

WZ507 said:

So my questions are the following.

1. What in the world did people do to abuse the fender and create this narrow band of damage on the back side?

Click to expand...

Here is a picture of a front fender on a Norton Commando I just saw on ebay. This bike is equipped with highway foot pegs. As you can see the front fender is badly damaged because the fender would bash into the foot peg mounts when the fork was compressed. It also appears that the highway pegs were mounted a little higher on the frame tubes at one time because I see a dent in the frame about 1 1/2 inches above the U-bolt.

From looking at your fender and the way I see the dents equally spaced, I wouldn't be surprised if your bike had highway foot pegs installed at one time.

Ebay example