Fender braces

[Chris Haynes]

I have several fenders with the narrow braces. They mic out at .630. The wide braces are at .875. But I have one fender that the braces are .750. Any idea when this .750 brace was used?

[46EL]

When I was rebuilding a wide brace rear fender for my 46EL I needed the pair of braces that go back to the fender flap with the forked ends. I found a NOS pair at a friends shop that came out of a dealers inventory and measured .750. I used them but cannot remember what the parts number tag I took off them said? I think it was a military style tag? I was always under the impression they were another HD retro part? If that is true it MIGHT be possible either somerone rebuilt your fender with a complete replacement brace or the whole fender is a retro? I know they supplied complete braces as I also remember having a NOS OD Green wide brace for a front fender at one time. I don't remember the width of that one?? I'll have to dig through my misc fenders and braces to see if I have anything else .750.

[Jerry Wieland]

Chris I posed this question years ago I think on this forum and still have not come up with an answer. I currently have all 3 widths in my possession.

Good luck and hopefully someone out there knows.

Jerry

[46EL]

I also remember last year at Rhinebeck seeing a NOS Retrofit VL Front Fender. It also had the .750 Brace and not the correct narrow VL style brace. The more I think about it I firmly believe the .750 was used for retro fenders and braces. Maybe a compromise between wide and narrow? I have one more retro 34-38 NOS Rear Fender Flap hoarded away somewhere. Even though it does not have actual braces I have to compare how close it was built to the originals?

[Chris Haynes]

So possibly this is a replacement H-D fender made during the Panhead era.

[knuckleheadtim]

I bought the first V-Twin 3 piece fender off the assembly line, and it was 3/4". When I questioned it, they showed me the original fender they copied, and it was indeed 3/4". If my memory serves me, it was a '48, but could have been a later production. The general concensus is that if the local supplier ran out of one size, they simply used something else close. I recall one bike with wide and narrow braces on the same fender, and the owner swore it was made that way. It's not impossible!