The $0 DIY Fender Eliminator

Victoria and I had been talking about a fender eliminator kit for Jezebel on and off for a while, but we had a lot of trouble justifying spending $100.00 or more on a fender eliminator kit for a Ninja 250R. Most kits require cutting, and what you actually get for you money, is often just a bracket to mount your plate and signal lights on. After searching the forums and internet for ideas, it was time to get creative. Our goal was to pay next to nothing and get a similar fender elimination using the stock fender and it’s components. We’ve still got to work out the license plate light… but we were able to complete the modification using only 6 nuts and two bolts that I had around the house. Depending on how handy you are with a Dremel or other cutting device, I would probably rate the difficulty of this job at a 6 out of 10 simply because you can’t uncut the fender once you get started. This job can be completed in 2-3 hours depending on your tools and how quickly you work.

What You Will Need

1. Philips Screwdriver
2. Set of Allen Keys
3. Utility Knife
4. Saw (hack saw or wood saw will do as it will not be used for detailed cutting)
5. 10mm wrench/Socket
6. Dremel – Cutting attachment for Plastic, sanding attachments
7. Electrical tape or similar flexible tape
8. Safety Goggles

Removing the Rear Fender

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as undoing a few bolts to remove the fender, the seat, side covers, and rear fairings need to be removed, for access to some components, and to make the job a little easier.

1. Remove the passenger seat




2. Remove both side covers
   a. Remove screw (A) using a Philips Screwdriver
   b. Place your fingers near each stopper (B) and pull outwards, with a little force, they should pop free
   c. Slide the cover slightly forward to remove
   d. Repeat on the other side




3. Remove the seat
   a. Using an Allen Key, remove the bolts on either side of the seat
   b. Pull the seat slightly backwards and lift up to remove
   c. We suggest you place the seat on a soft surface or right side up to ensure you don’t scuff the seat




4. Remove the seat covers
   a. Using an Allen Key, remove the bolts (A) securing fenders on both sides
   b. Remove the right cover first, by gently pulling the stoppers out (B) and then slide the cover forwards
   c. Repeat on the left side




5. Remove the fender and break/signal light assembly
   a. Locate the signal light connectors and disconnect (Note that they are colour coded, black with black and grey with grey so reconnecting them later won’t require any guessing) b. Feed the signal light cables through the retaining loop on the left hand side of the frame c. Continue feeding the signal light cables back through the frame until they are free
   




6. Remove the fender retaining bolts (A) and disconnect the electrical connectors (B)
   
7. Gently pull backwards to remove the rear fender

Eliminating Your Fender

Before you start, make sure you have a plan for this mod and you are prepared to cut before you start. You cannot uncut the fender once it is done. We will be using the stock signal lights and as much of the original fender as possible.

1. Map out and tape the areas of your fender that you do not want to cut. We used electrical tape as it is flexible and easy to work with.  The red line roughly shows out planned cuts, and the tape is on the outside of the line.
   
2. We used a Dremel with a cutting attachment to cut the bulk of the fender off. Be careful not to cut the taped of areas or allow the rotating components of the Dremel to touch areas that could be damaged. Move slowly and do a series of small cuts. The plastic will melt if you do long cuts and it can drip and splatter, not only making a mess, but also running the risk of burning you or those around you. Don’t forget your safety glasses!
   
   
3. We found that there were several locations where parts of the fender were getting in the way of the Dremel, so we used a hand saw to do rough cuts to remove unnecessary parts of the fender and giving us additional room to work.
   
4. We also removed the signal lights to make it even easier to get the Dremel into most areas to cut. A single Philips head screw is all that holds the signal light in place. You may need to hold the metal plate that the screw fastens onto as it does have a tendency to rotate.
   
5. Some areas are too tight for the Dremel to get into so we used a utility knife to cut through the tighter spots. Cut slowly and make several passes to ensure you get the cut you want, and do not hurt yourself in the process.
   
6. The corners have metal reenforcing brackets. We cut into the corner, exposing the metal, but keeping inlign with the shape of the fender, you may want to do a vertical cut in the plastic to conceal these metal components.
   
7. At this stage, the cuts will still be quite rough, but the overall shape of your fender will be visible.
   
8. Sanding by hand or using a Deremel with a sanding attachment will smooth these cuts out fairly quickly. Take your time and use small strokes to ensure an even, smooth surface with minimal chance of the plastic melting.
   
9. We wanted the license place to sit a little further back so we drilled two holes just behind the bolts that hold the breaklight in place. We used 1/8″ x 1 1/2″ bolts to attach the license plate bracket. Since there was some overlap with the breaklight bolts, we added two additional nuts as spacers to ensure the bracket sat evenly and at an angle that looked good.
   
10. Since there is a lot of vibration when riding, we suggest that you use either locking bolts or a little loctite (blue) to ensure they do not undo while you ride. If you are not confident in the bolts, we suggest that you use a zap strap or small wire to ensure your plate does not come off should the vibrations cause the bolts to come undone. That being said, locktite or locking nuts should be enough to hold everything where it belongs.
11. Bolt your license plate onto the bracket and you are ready to reassemble your bike.
    
12. Reassemble your bike by following the steps above in reverse order, and when you are done, your Ninja 250R will have a new, sleak look without spending anything!