[mattsz]

Gremlin-

See my addition to your "B5 tank badge misalignment" thread:

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,15703.0.html

[Ducati Scotty]

Once I aligned mine they never scraped again.  I've also aligned several others with no issues.  I think there's enough room for usual front end flex without scraping, though I'm sure there are a few that are out of spec and may need a little massaging.  Hand made bikes

I think the primary problem is improper setup.  As mentioned, you need to make sure the tubes are parallel, then loosen all the structural fittings and do a few bounces to align things, then tighten.  AFTER all that you need to align the slider covers, then the fender.  I'm betting most shops don't know this and just throw the front wheel on and send it out.  I would guess most do the loose bounce, that's standard practice, but I don't know if it's stated that all covered forks and strutted fenders should be checked for alignment.  If not, a bulletin should go out.

The G5 is a different animal, no slider covers and the fender  bolts right to the fork.  Not nearly as critical to check alignment.  Over the years various bikes have used struts while others had gators and a G5 like fender.

Scott

[mattsz]

I plan to start the warranty replacement process right after the new year - it could take awhile for replacement parts!  Fortunately, I can still ride the bike while I wait.  I think that once I have convinced the dealer that I need new parts (I hope to do it "long distance" - the closer dealer I will no longer work with has seen it in person and "approved" the replacement), I will get some cheap black paint, or maybe even some other color paint, or even some other material, and re-coat the damaged bits and experiment with adjustments to see whether I can manage it.  If my fresh coatings don't scratch off...

[mattsz]

Update...

I changed my fork oil today; naturally I worked on the fender alignment!

I believe that the primary problem with my fender was that the covering tubes weren't properly aligned.  The scratches on the tube and fender show that the inboard external side of the right tube was rubbing hard against the fender; when I removed the fork, I could see that the outboard internal side of the same tube was rubbing hard against the fork - hidden damage I couldn't see until I removed the fork.  The tube was clearly "leaning in" at the bottom.

Because I couldn't figure out how to remove the covers without dropping the stem, I decided just to see if I could properly align the old parts and save the new part installation for another day.  I have since heard from Ron Greene who says there is indeed a trick to removing them without dropping the stem, but I haven't spoken to him yet!  Anyway...

I used Scotty's trick of cutting up a cardboard paper towel roll - I ended up stacking them to force the tubes into position, tightening the pinch bolts, then removing the cardboard.  After two or three tries, I got them both so two layers of cardboard fit with even friction all the way around.

Then I put the fender on - it looked better already, but it is still very difficult to tell from the top.  But since the front wheel was off, I laid on my back under the fender and looked up - perfect view!  It's easy to visually compare the clearance on both sides from the bottom!  Here's a pic:



My two eyes are far enough apart that it's easy to see both tubes above the fender, but the camera has only one eye (the lens), so it doesn't see both sides at the same time very well in the above.

The right tube:



The left tube:



Since the fender stays seem to have very little play at the bolts which hold them to the forks, I tightened them up first, which got me close.  The fender was still leaning a bit right, so I wedged a dry, some-what hard kitchen sponge between the fender and the right tube, which forced the fender left.  I tightened everything up, removed the sponge, the fender sprang back just a bit and now seems to be right on center.  I can't see any evidence of rubbing, but I couldn't see the actual rubbing before anyway, only the resulting scratches.  I'll put some tape or something on the fender and see if it rubs, but I'm pretty confident I've got it lined up...

By the way, the nuts that go on the screws that hold the fender to the stays are a strange size, on my bike at least.  No metric or inch wrenches or sockets I have would fit it.  I had to use an adjustable wrench...

[Ducati Scotty]

You may want to check the alignment again after you mount the wheel.  Mount it loosely, bounce the front a few times to let things self align, then tighten up the wheel.  Then check the fender again.  The axle bolt and hub will exert far more force on the front end than the fender stays.  The cover tubes should be good as is, they center over the slider tubes.  Just check the fender relative to them.

Nice job you're doing!

Scott

[mattsz]

I have since heard from Ron Greene who says there is indeed a trick to removing them without dropping the stem, but I haven't spoken to him yet!

False alarm.  Apparently Ron thought I was doing something different - he confirms that the stem must be lowered to remove the covers, as in "be careful not to lose the ball bearings".  I'll wait until I need to maintain the bearings to replace the covers...

Unless someone here knows of another trick?

[Ducati Scotty]

The trick: worry less, ride more

[D the D]

Another trick: Pay a professional to deal with it.

[Ducati Scotty]

I never seem to be able to learn that one...

[Boots]

Mattsz, I have the same wear/rub marks on my B5 front forks and recall reading a thread a while back where our Royal Enfield Forum benefactor was displeased with the setup being done on the bikes, resulting in said marks.

Does it bug me? Sure. A I worried about it? Not too much.

Cheers!

[mattsz]

Boots - I'm not worried about it either... it doesn't affect my riding one little bit!  But if it bugs you, now you know that it's pretty easy to adjust if you ever want to.  Just get some cardboard shims to check the cover tube alignment, and turn a few screws...

[hortoncode3]

While I haven't had this particular issue on my '09 B5 military I have had an issue with a fender/tire rub after I changed to the  Dunlops. I noticed a rub on only one side of the tire, however...my dealer expertly removed the offending portion of the fender brace, while preserving the integrity of the brace and i'm on the road again!

[Boots]

Mattsz,

I just listened to your Hurdy Gurdy sound files and loved them, especially the waltz. Great! I play the diatonic button accordion, terribly, and can appreciate the sound.  It's medieval, but also French country.