American Iron Garage – July-August 2019

(Barré) #1

Tighten Up


TOOLS NEEDED


  • 1/2" socket

  • T-30 Torx

  • Bullet connectors

  • Electrical tape

  • Phillips head screwdriver

  • Wire stripper/crimper

  • Zip-ties


INSTALL^ • by Stephen Long

2
Line up the fender so that it is tight to the frame. I
purchased four stainless steel 6mm x 30mm fasteners
and locknuts for the new fender. With the locknut
secured with a 10mm socket below, tighten the four
fasteners with the Phillips head screwdriver.

1
With the seat removed, loosen the hex-head bolts with
a T-30 Torx, two in the front, two in the rear. These will
not be reused. Be careful when removing the bolts, as
the fender will drop right down.

For those of you rattled by the
thought of cutting, splicing, or crimping
wires, let me just say that I understand.
Staring at a bundle of wires with no clue
of what leads where can be as daunting
a job as anything else on a bike. It wasn’t
that long ago that I was a new rider,
unaware of how to strip a wire, let alone
forge some kind of new connection.
Hopefully these are the kinds of stories
WKDWSURYLGH\RXWKHFRQßGHQFHWRNQRZ
LWÖVQRWWKDWGLIßFXOW8VH\RXUFRPPRQ
sense, follow the lines, mark which wires
lead where and their function, and soon
the pieces of the puzzle will reveal the
complete picture.
6KRXOGWKLVVWLOOSURYHWRRGLIßFXOWRU
time consuming, DCC provides a plug-
and-play kit for the taillight and turn sig-
nals. But, sure, where’s the fun in that?
8OWLPDWHO\WKHQHZIHQGHUVRHI-
ßFLHQWO\WLGLHVXSWKHUHDUVHFWLRQRIWKH
Bonnie it’s almost unrecognizable from
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after the work was done, the dropped
weight was noticeable. Very much so.
Now, does Dime City provide some
kind of fender eliminator for the gut?

Y


OU SHOULD REALLY GET THAT THING “FIXED.”
Snip it. Sever all ties.
Listen, I’m truly enamored with the Tri-
umph Bonneville. Modern Triumphs retain
the same speedster heritage that vaulted them into motor-
cycle lore back in the ’50s and ’60s. The styling has hardly
changed, and save for some electrical and mechanical mod-
ernizing, the air-cooled Bonnies of the early-to-mid 2000s
are virtually the same machines that set records
decades ago on the location of their namesake.
With all that said, I just couldn’t get over
the runway of a fender hanging off the rear. I
knew I wanted something sleeker, something
racy. And short of bobbing the thing myself, I
knew I could count on the DIY connoisseurs
at Dime City Cycles to have what I needed to
tighten up the Bonnie in a way that’s fashion-
able and functional. DCC’s fender eliminator
kit is the lightweight, aluminum solution to
the heavy, clunky stock fender currently hugging your
Triumph’s rear. It’s available with or without a Lucas LED
running light/brake light.
With the cleanup in the rear set to provide a dash of
modern-yet-retro style, I knew the old mantis-eyed turn
signals also had to go. I ordered two pairs of turn signals
for the front and rear, DCC’s own Mini LED Torpedo
VLJQDOV7KHLUORZSURßOHGHVLJQPDNHVWKH
housings barely visible, but the bright
/('àDVKHUVZLOONHHSRWKHU
motorists alert to your
intentions. (Watch for
the front turn signal
install in a future issue
of Garage Build.)
For a Bonneville,
this install is straightfor-
ward, and, without having
to shoot photo-
graphs of your
every move,
should take
about an hour
to complete.

Shed weight, gain style points with


Dime City’s rear fender eliminator


68 • GARAGE BUILD • ISSUE 419

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