Featured 2019 S3 Rs Latest Mod . . . .

Bike manufacturers all too often go for style over function and a good example is front fenders, which are always way too short.
For some reason, there's no aftermarket fenda extender to suit the S3 RS. I've looked at the nearest options available and none of them fit accurately since the fender designs for various models and MYs are all subtly different and so . . .I've set about making one myself out of carbon.
My intitial intention was to simply produce a single unit from wet layups but I've had to fettle, fill and sand the thing so many times that it will be too unsightly to use and instead, I have decided to use it as a plug to make a mould and that way, I can make as many as I wish and also gelcoat with a UV resistant coating in the mould rather than apply a 2K twin pack Urethane clearcoat, with all the mess and health hazards that entails.

First job was to take a new front tyre and squish down some filler onto the tyre, sandwiched between the underside of the carbon fender and the tyre. This was to give me the radius of the fender, its crude cross-sectional profile and the attachment shape under the rear of the fender.









Having done this, I next laid up two layers of BID onto the filler and pushed the fender down onto it to get the attachment point. After curing, I took the crude layups and trimmed roughly to shape before temporarily bonding to the undersurface of the fender.


Next job was to build up a load of epoxy/micoballoons to make a think filler paste. In hindsight, I shouild have perhaps used something a little easier to sand. I next sanded the filler to give the required profile and was intending to layup two more layers of bid, prior to cutting and polishing the surface to make a mould.











I thought it would be prudent to test fit before I went any further and unfortunately, I'm not getting sufficient clearance at the back of the etension which is brushing the tyre. Clearly, it needs to be around the 1cm mark clear of the tyre and so I'm going to have to change the profile.
Next plan is to bond some urethane foam to the upper surface, reprofile, add two more layers of bid and polish. Hopefully, this should address the issues with correct fit, following which I will need to verify length vs fork travel to ensure there is no way it will clash with my rad & oil cooler guards.

As soon as I have the plug made, I will post again and demo the mould being made and then hopefully, the final carbon fenda extenda, complete with UV coating.
It's amazing how easy it is to waste time in retirement!!!!!!!

 

Sorry guys . . .I had a fair bit of correspondence with Bluebird and they don't make one for the Speed TRriple RS - fact.
I was aware of their range of fenda extendas and had never previously seen one for the 2018> Speedy RS and so having examined loads of pictures from different angles, I assumed the Street Triple RS version was the same and would fit. When I spoke to them, they confirmed that it doesn't fit as the two fenders are similar but not the same profile and I have since been able to confirm this.
The guy here in the UK who deals with his relatives (I believe Sarah is his daughter and they produce them in Spain) told me they do offer a guard for the Speed Triple RS and would add one to their next UK shipment for me but then later contacted me to say they had broken the mould and wouldn't be making another. I was unconvinced by the story to be honest as I had never previously seen one offered by them, despite looking quite regularly over the last year or so but whatever the truth of it, they definitely do not now supply one for my bike.
I wouldn't mind betting that the Street Triple version could be "encouraged" to fit but it would be a bodge and Bluebird advised me against buying.

My next plan was to order the Street Triple version anyway and then use it as a pattern and simply take layups off it, modify the thing and then make my own mould but in the end I decided to start from scratch.
I am currently waiting for mould-making equipment to be delivered so that I can progress further but will keep folks posted.
I wasn't planning to make these available as I don't really want the ballache of making more but having gone to the trouble of making the mould, it would seem silly if there are folks who really want one and of course, assuming the quality I can achieve is good enough. It isn't something I've done before and so we will have to wait and see. Will repost as soon as I can get started again but if nothing else, folks might find the manufacturing process interesting . . .there's more goes into making something like this than the simple end product would suggest and how Bluebird can sell them for £20 defies logic - I would just lend folks the mould and let them make their own!!

 

Thanks for posting the pictures Icarus - really very helpful.
I originally convinced myself that the Street and Speed were bound to have the same fender profile but trawled loads of web photos to confirm it. I realised the Street had a three-piece design as opposed to the Speedy’s single moulding but some of the pictures I saw suggested the shape at the rear was also a little different. When I contacted Bluebird, I spoke to Sarah’s father (I believe it was her dad) here in the U.K. as I believe he deals with the eBay sales post-Brexit.
It was him who said the Street wouldn’t fit but that they did make one for the Speedy and he would get one shipped for me but it was then that he rang back and said they had broken the mould for the Speedy.
Looking at those two fenders side by side, the all important rear profile does look identical and so I think I was thrown a curve ball. The mould they supposedly broke was the Speed Triple mould and not the one for the Street but I have my doubts about the “story” I was told simply because they clearly wouldn’t need two moulds for the same product!!!
I’m in two minds now . . . continue anyway because in fairness, it’s a fun project and I’m quite enjoying it or . . . Buy a Street Triple extenda and use it to make a mould and then make my own in plain weave.
I had realised the street extenda was made in twill but I have bought some plain weave to use for mine because like you, I wanted a match.
The other issue, is the weight of the cloth. I took a guess the OEM Triumph fenda is 200gm cloth but I suspect it may be a little lighter and if so, my extenda won’t totally match but it will look better than using twill.
I will have to think on this but thanks again for posting - I should have asked before I set about making the plug but I had no reason to disbelieve what I was told

 

Yes - we know they market one for the Street RS but are telling us it doesn’t fit the Speed 3 RS when clearly from your pictures it should - did you trial fit it on your Speedy and if so, was it a good fit, central on the tyre and with sufficient clearance etc?
I’m still toying with the idea of buying one and using it as a plug to make a mould and then make my own in plain weave. . . ,