In response to recent instances of riders noticing cracked and compromised fenders, SimWorks would like to provide the following advisory:

In situations where there is a prominent distance between your seat stay fixing point and the tail end of your fenders- the mounting of an additional U-Stay may be necessary to provide the fender with the necessary structural integrity. The points at which Honjo fenders are drilled and mounted become natural fulcrum points for the fender to flex during normal riding conditions. For installations where the fender is attached directly to the underside of the bridge, instead of with a ‘Dove Stay’ or similar- the need to drill a sizable hole in the fender to accommodate a bolt that will join a braze-on at that bridge, places that fender at an increased risk of cracking or failing over time. Efforts to distribute these forces over a larger surface area or to mitigate their effects through the addition of added structural components, may be necessary to ensure a longer life cycle for your fenders. This may be particularly necessary for riders that have selected one of our ‘Flat’ style fenders- although certainly not exclusive to these fenders. This is due to the decreased lateral stiffness that these flatter fenders have, in contrast to their rounded counterparts (imagine a diving board)

In addition, efforts to manipulate the radius of the fender during installation (possibly to have it clear a tire that is too large for the given application) or “loading” the fender and then fixing it in place, subjects the fender to added stress that is amplified through the inherent vibrations incurred during normal riding conditions.

The installation of an additional U-stay on the rear fender may be warranted to offset these added stress factors. A product such as our ‘Diamond Plate’ is another addition that could be mounted at the seat stay mounting point to distribute that stress over a larger surface area.

Please note that because of the complex nature of the wide range of installations related to mounting Simworks by Honjo fenders- Simworks is not able to provide comprehensive instructions related to properly installing fenders. Each installation is unique to the particular bike, fender and tire spec. Additionally, Simworks does not offer any guarantees related to the structural integrity of these fenders. We ask that our dealers and customers make informed and at time conservative decisions with regard to properly mounting and using these fenders. Done properly, under “normal” riding conditions- the fenders should provide riders with a “reasonable life cycle.” Please understand however, that over time the fenders endure an accumulated amount of stress- and under certain circumstances- these stresses may result in failures.

Please refer to the following articles for additional mounting references and tips:
>>> Honjo fit considerations
>>> Honjo installation tips and insights
>>> Honjo fender stay alignment for maximum structural integrity