[sujay bhandare]

Superbikes/Sportsbikes and their tyres are one thing that makes every bike enthusiast go crazy. Whether for cosmetic or bike dynamics, changing the tyres can be one of the most rewarding experiences. Both in the way that it makes the bike look, and in the way that it rides too. Some of the enthusiast go extreme and try plonking in the widest possible tyre. A 240 section tyre is a common sight but now-a-days we can even see 300 or 330 section tyres.

When I bought myself a N650, the previous owner had installed a 180 section tyre. That tyre looks very sweet on the N650 and dynamically too the bike rides really very well. I can take turns at any speed without the fear of losing grip.

The Thunderbird seems so tiny from this view!

I ride my N650 just like a regular bike we ride in city and have not kept it exclusive for weekend breakfast rides. So after having spent some time riding my N650 and getting used to it came to know about a peculiar problem. I will not be able to ride it in monsoons as the open rear tyre splashes a lot of water on bike and the vehicles following me. Sometimes even my legs got dirtied from the water the tyre splashed. Kawasaki has provided a tyre hugger but it really doesn't help much. It is very small and is provided only to avoid the water splash on the rear side of engine and the ABS unit (European models have it installed right behind this tyre hugger)

Company fitted Tyre Hugger:

Here you can see how small the tyre hugger is. It is too puny to arrest the amount of water which will be splashed by the tyre. So my search started to procure some type of hugger that would guard me, my bike and the vehicles trailing me during monsoon.

Some of the Tyre hugger designs that I saw in market:

1: Puig: REF.6041C (Carbon Fibre Look) / REF.6041J (Matt Black)
This fender just looks better over the original Kawasaki fender. It is just 2 inches longer than the one Kawasaki provides.

2: Esatto by Leon:
Came across this on EBay. This was lot different than what I had in mind and looks similar to what the KTM and the Yamaha has. But again there was an issue of how much water will it arrest. It is just a mud flap type piece and not a pure tyre hugger.

During my search, I came across many tyre huggers which were similar to the once Puig manufactured (mentioned above) just like its replica. All of them that I saw are being manufactured not keeping in mind what the monsoons in India are. So I approached a friend of mine who is in the bike modifications and he came out with a brilliant idea. He took a fender whose curve was suitable for my tyre curvature. Widened it as per the tyre's width, then adjusted it for the final fitting. Welded the support rods by keeping it on the bike. and Voila! I had a fender which had the utility and also looked good on the bike. Some pics of the Work in Progress.

Adjusting the fender height


Support rod being hand-crafted


Mounting side of the support rod made red hot and beaten to make it flat


Final outcome after welding the support rods in place.

After a bit of finishing touches like grinding and polishing out the welded edges and painting the fender it turned out to very beautiful. Once installed on my N650 it was a sigh of relief for me as it did not look ugly! Overall I am very satisfied with my Mod-job and this fender will definitely do its job in our soon to come monsoons!

[Rehaan]

Nice job!

Looks slick, and sometimes practicality just trumps style/looks - especially on a bike that's used daily.

1) Can you please post a pic of the whole bike after the mud-guard was added.

2) Given that this is welded on, will you be able to remove the rear tyre??

[VW2010]

Good Diy. Always appreciate DIY and it only gets you closer to your bike.

2) Given that this is welded on, will you be able to remove the rear tyre??

From the pics it looks like its bolted and not welded. Should be easy to remove but yeah, an hassle if you want to remove the wheels.

[ariesonu]

I am not a bike guy but I always wonder about "MUDDY AFFAIRS" when I see naked rear tyres on today's bike's. Your DIY MOD is a real saver in slushy conditions, not to mention, saving the underside of seat and thighs & legs of the passenger.
Will request you to post close ups of front end - where the mudguard meets the body so that anyone who wishes to try same, can have a fair idea of complete design & setup.

Regards-Sonu

[sujay bhandare]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Nice job!

Looks slick, and sometimes practicality just trumps style/looks - especially on a bike that's used daily.

1) Can you please post a pic of the whole bike after the mud-guard was added.

2) Given that this is welded on, will you be able to remove the rear tyre??

You said it perfect Rehaan. Sometimes Practicality is what matters than style!

Here is a picture for your reference.


The fender is a bolt on type. Welding is only for the support rods that at the fender end. It is just a matter of 3 bolts to remove the fender.
Also, removing the wheel will not be a problem as there is enough clearance between the tyre and fender.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Good Diy. Always appreciate DIY and it only gets you closer to your bike.

Aptly said
DIY always helps you to understand your vehicle.

Originally Posted by ariesonu

I am not a bike guy but I always wonder about "MUDDY AFFAIRS" when I see naked rear tyres on today's bike's. Your DIY MOD is a real saver in slushy conditions, not to mention, saving the underside of seat and thighs & legs of the passenger.

Yes, it will definitely save me from the tedious job of cleaning the bike.

[kailashnj]

Originally Posted by sujay bhandare

Yes, it will definitely save me from the tedious job of cleaning the bike.

This is a perfect mod job and probably I can use it on my Versys too. Can your friend create one more.

By the way, where was this mod job carried out? Mumbai or Pune

[sujay bhandare]

Originally Posted by kailashnj

This is a perfect mod job and probably I can use it on my Versys too. Can your friend create one more.

By the way, where was this mod job carried out? Mumbai or Pune

Yes definitely. We did this mod job in Pune. Do PM me when you visit Pune with your Versys. We can figure out how to build one as per your requirements.

[v6kgang]

Sweet looking mod job, I happen to drive behind a Ninja in Bangalore recently just after it stopped raining and I must say it wasn't pleasant, couldn't think about the drivers safety as my duster was going through a mud wash. Especially in bikes, it equally helps the person behind you as much as it does for you.
Is the Mud guard from Royal Enfield? Looks awesome after the Matt finish paint job.

[iamahunter]

That's a brilliant job bro.
Looks nice and practical too.

If possible, kindly share the number of your friend, I would like to get a similar thing on my Benelli 300.

[condor]

Neat ! We need such full size mud-guards here. It is not just the rains, but the kind of shit and dirt that we have our roads.

On a related note, the spare tyre on my Storme is mounted outside, on the under-side of the body. It picks up enough muck during usage. I have wrapped the tyre with a synthetic fabric sheet so that the tyre remains clean. When I have to use the spare, I have a clean one and I dont have touch any of that dirt that would otherwise have been on the tyre.

[sujay bhandare]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

Is the Mud guard from Royal Enfield? Looks awesome after the Matt finish paint job.

Yes it is a RE mud guard.
Matt finishing was his idea. I never said anything to him about the paint job.

Originally Posted by iamahunter

That's a brilliant job bro.
Looks nice and practical too.

If possible, kindly share the number of your friend, I would like to get a similar thing on my Benelli 300.

I will PM you his details.

Originally Posted by condor

Neat ! We need such full size mud-guards here. It is not just the rains, but the kind of shit and dirt that we have our roads.

On a related note, the spare tyre on my Storme is mounted outside, on the under-side of the body. It picks up enough muck during usage. I have wrapped the tyre with a synthetic fabric sheet so that the tyre remains clean. When I have to use the spare, I have a clean one and I dont have touch any of that dirt that would otherwise have been on the tyre.

Thats a neat thoughtful application on your Storme. Underbelly spare tyre is always prone to all the muddy and what not shit we have on road.

[swami69]

Great Mod Job and it looks clean. Just a wild idea

Now that, you have a proper mudguard, you can think of removing the factory fitted plastic setup (including number plate + indicators) and integrate to your mudguard + Plate + indicators for an even slicker look. Do some photoshop modifications and see whether that will suit the bike. Just thought of it.

Swami

[sujay bhandare]

Originally Posted by swami69

Great Mod Job and it looks clean. Just a wild idea

Now that, you have a proper mudguard, you can think of removing the factory fitted plastic setup (including number plate + indicators) and integrate to your mudguard + Plate + indicators for an even slicker look. Do some photoshop modifications and see whether that will suit the bike. Just thought of it.

Swami

Thank you Swami. Your wild idea just gave a wicked smile on my face. Will try a Photoshop look first

[aabhimanyu04]

Excellent modification!! The final finish is near perfect. I am a big fan of the Ninja series and 650 was always special for its great touring abilities. With this mod, riding in rain with those saddle bags will not be a big problem.

[kailashnj]

Originally Posted by sujay bhandare

Thank you Swami. Your wild idea just gave a wicked smile on my face. Will try a Photoshop look first

Did you try this on the Photoshop, if yes, How does it look like ?

By the way how did you connect the mod job to the frame in the front.

Regards,
Kailash