Fender Hand Holds

If you’ve owned a dirt bike for any length of time, when leveraging it on to a stand or just moving it around in the garage, your right hand instinctively lands right behind the seat and grabs on to the rear fender. In fact, some bikes have finger grooves built into the fender to facilitate this natural hoisting method. But if your bike doesn’t or, like the bike pictured here, your responsibly quiet yet long muffler falls too close to the fender to get a grip, take 20 minutes to make your own.

First, with the fender still on the bike, mark a guideline on it. Obviously it can just be a simple curve, but finger grooves are kind of cool and feel nice on the hands. A wedding ring is perfect for tracing a guide that matches your finger size.

Next, take off the fender and get cutting. A hacksaw works okay but can take awhile and only cut in a straight line. To move things along a bit quicker, grab a Dremel with a cutting tool and trace the guide marks. The plastic melts a bit while it is being cut, so the Dremel attachment will need to be cleaned off a couple of times. Always wear eye protection when Dremeling, especially with plastic since it flings everywhere.

Lastly, to get a smoother finish, hit the edge with a torch to melt the plastic a little. Then bolt the fender back up and make sure it fits your mitt just right. Remember, when in doubt, cut less because you can’t add material but you can always cut more.