When the RFM was increased in length from B-C was the radius of the mudguards also changed or are they the same from B-D
Mudguards
- Thread starter Peter Holmes
- Start date
I am just in the process of reverting my B back to original format with a short RFM. The mudguard I have bought is the same radius as the one attached to the longer RFM. I cannot use the old guard though because the holes will be in the wrong place. If it doesn't fit you will hear me scream all the way from here!!!!
They are all the same and the trick nowadays is to find some which fit. I am told that the latest ones are now ok but for years they have been a very bad fit with the longitudinal and transverse radii incorrect, If you have old stock you might struggle to fit them.
I believe (from stories of back orders & out of stocks) that complete alloy rear guards have been unavailable for over a year. The ones I have were made in Australia. They are nice & thick, a bit soft so polishing has to be carefully done but the curves look good. A bit pointless if the latest ones from the UK fit but are unavailable.. There could be a black market in alloy guards 
I was told that there is only one guy making mudguards now in the UK, and if a supplier wants to buy from him, he takes what is available or does the other thing. What is available is a little too wide and a little to large in radius to fit a Vin the way the originals did. I investigated before I fitted my "steel Birmabrights", and discovered this to be true of steel mudguards: the only widths available are 1/4" wider than Vin guards. I had already observed it to be true of stainless ones. It might be true of the ally ones too.
(Apparently the reason is that allowance has to be made for "spring" which is not the same for all materials, and either the manufacturer does not have a vast selection of formers to get exactly the "right" shape, or he has chosen to maximise efficiency (we used to call it profit) by making one size that nearly fits all.)
It recalls Glenn Bewley's dictum: if it's nearly right, it's wrong.
(Apparently the reason is that allowance has to be made for "spring" which is not the same for all materials, and either the manufacturer does not have a vast selection of formers to get exactly the "right" shape, or he has chosen to maximise efficiency (we used to call it profit) by making one size that nearly fits all.)
It recalls Glenn Bewley's dictum: if it's nearly right, it's wrong.
The formers were worn out 20 years ago, new ones cost circa 16K. The manufacturer is in a monopolistic position , and uses our kit to do anything he likes.
Our batch sizes are too small, we have to wait until another order using alloy sheet of our gauge but not birmabrite , is available for a larger batch of other makes guards . So a massive investemnt is needed, for low batch sizes. It does not add up . Personally i use fibreglass replicas of touring guards,
Our batch sizes are too small, we have to wait until another order using alloy sheet of our gauge but not birmabrite , is available for a larger batch of other makes guards . So a massive investemnt is needed, for low batch sizes. It does not add up . Personally i use fibreglass replicas of touring guards,
I have mentioned this before in this context but shut up when we were told that new guards were coming on line which would fit. If this has not happened yet then perhaps it is worth revisiting my original suggestion. This was that with the expertise we have available to us in the VOC it should be perfectly possible to make a set of rollers of the correct size and form which could be used by any mudguard manufacturer to make items which are correct for our bikes. I am no engineer but I have to design and get made items which are a lot more complicated than rollers. I have never seen a mudguard making machine and so have no idea what would be required but it has to be a lot simpler than some of the stuff I do. Is there anyone out there who can tell me roughly what is required and I can organise the rest?