To protect motorcycle riders from the spray thrown up from their tires; all motorcycles intended for road use are sold with both front and back wheel fenders as standard issue(if you think that only cars can have fenders; think of the lesser used word – “mudguards”). Most of us know how easy it is for a car to be involved in a, so called, “fender bender”; but, somehow the term doesn’t seem to apply to motorcycles. In any case, if our car has a fender bender; it is usually sent to the auto shop for a panel beater to force it back into shape; we rarely have to buy a complete new fender. So, why is it that the online motorcycle parts and accessories stores make such a big deal out of having motorcycle fenders in stock and Harley Davidson Fenders in particular?
Customization & Restoration
It is very possible to accidently damage a motorcycle’s fenders; it does not even have to involve a third party and the owner does not even need to be on his bike; let alone riding it somewhere – bikes do fall over when parked up on their stands and damage usually results. However, in such events, the owner will probably purchase new fenders from the maker’s dealership. So, this still does not explain the plethora of Harley Davidson Fenders being advertized by independent businesses.
The reason lies in the popularity of either customizing or restoring Harley Davidson motorcycles. For the restorer; the bike may well be too old for any of the Harley factory fenders to be used. For the customizer the whole point is to change the appearance of the bike; so, even if factory harley davidson fenders could be used; using them would defeat the customizing objectives.
Maybe the customizer plans to fit extended front forks; in which case, none of the OEM Harley Davidson Fenders will fit – possibly, it is intended to leave off the front fender altogether? Riders that intend to actually use their custom bikes on the roads and do not wish to be restricted to totally clean roads on absolutely dry days; will, probably, decide to keep a rear fender on their customized bike; but, they will definitely not want that to be a standard issue factory fender; they will want to buy Harley Davidson Fenders that are of a different shape; maybe shorter and less bulky and, possibly, in chrome (rather than a factory paintjob). For certain; the custom market can provide good business opportunities for motorcycle fender sales.
