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Racks and Fenders Assembly and Straightening

  • Updated

Overview:

Racks and Fenders are functional areas of the bike that are ultimately used to protect the rider while riding and to facilitate the carrying of cargo.  They come standard with our RUSH/CTY models with the back rack/fender pre-assembled while the front rack/fender requires assembly to the fork.  Below are details regarding front fender background information, front fender assembly steps and hints, and adjustments recommended for crooked fenders. 

 

Front Rack/Fender Background:

The front fender is an optional accessory that you can choose to have assembled on your bike.  There are 3 holes in the front fender for mounting.

  • The hole that mounts against the underside of the fork is round and the primary alignment.
    • There is a boss (circle protruding from the bottom of the fork’s crown) the plastic fender should go over (the boss is smaller than the hole in the fender) with a rubber washer spacer between.
  • The other 2 holes in the fender for mounting to the rack tabs are elongated to allow for tolerances and aligning.

 

Recommended assembly steps:

1. Pre-threading in screws:  Before putting on the fender, take the two screws used to screw in the fender on either side of the fork.  Tighten the screws into the fork WITHOUT adding the fender.  This will give the screw a pre-designated path into the rivet without putting any pressure on the screw or the thread that the fender may add.  Screw in until hand-tight.  You should never use more than 5 Newton meters of torque when tightening in the screws at any time.  Please note that the screw will not insert fully as the rack will take up some space on the screw length when this is added (see pictures below).  Once both screws are in, unscrew both sides and prepare to add in fenders as normal.  Make sure to put the same screw on the same side when adding the fender.

 

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2.  Detailed instructions on assembling the rack:  Follow the instructions below for best assembly practice

  • Place the rubber washer on the boss (underside of fork)
    • Rubber washer should stretch and stay on the boss.
  • Loosely pre-assemble the 2 rack-tab bolts/nuts: go thru rack, aluminum support and fender.
    • 1-2 threads only – very loose
  • Make sure the center fork mount holes in the aluminum support and fender for the fork mounting are centered.
    • Assemble the sub-assembly to the fork with the bolt into the fork.
      • Make sure the plastic fender goes over the fork boss. This ensures contact between the aluminum support and the fork boss.
    • Tighten the fork crown bolt just enough to take up all clearances: 1-2 N-m.
  • Loosely assemble the rack fasteners into the fork legs.
  • Slowly hand tighten the rest of the fasteners to take out the clearances.
  • Once satisfied with alignment
    • Final torque the fork crown fastener first.
    • Then torque the rest of the fasteners.

 

Crooked Fender Recommendations:

  • Once the fender is assembled on the bike and the front wheel is added, you will be able to determine if the front fender is aligned straight.  If the fender is not aligned as expected, please consider the following possibilities when determining your next step: 
    • Fender Rubs on Wheel:  If the fender is rubbing on the wheel of the bike after assembly, please double check that all screws are tightened and assembly was done correctly.  If rubbing still persists, please contact support@serial1.com and supply the following information to best determine the needed fix on the bike. 
      • Serial number of the bike (this can be found on the bottom-side of the chainstay on the left-hand side (opposite the chainstay) underneath the “Harley” in the Harley-Davidson script. This is a white sticker.
      • Provide the model and size of the bike. (ie. Large MOSH/CTY or Small RUSH/CTY STEP-THRU)
      • Order Number (if applicable)
      • Dealership Name (if purchased through a dealership)
      • Best Address to send the replacement parts (if needed)
      • Pictures and videos of the fender rubbing on the wheel.  The more detailed the pictures are, the faster we will be able to diagnose and fix the situation.
    • Fender is Misaligned, But Not Rubbing:  As fenders are very common on bikes, many local bike shops have tip and tricks as well as helpful tools that may be used to help straighten out a crooked fender.  We highly recommend taking the bike to a bike shop.  Many shops are willing to adjust fenders to a more perfect alignment.  Contact your local bike dealership if you have questions.

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