RGS breaking front mudguard stays

[Sakura]

Hi, my RGS has the tube type mid front mudguard stays. They break regularly and have cracked the mudguard in the bridge area. I can see the guard vibrating as I go along. I note the later A65's have strip steel stays, was that BSA's solution or can anybody come up with an answer?

[CheeserBeezer]

I've had the same issues with that type of mudguard. I suppose the flat stays were BSA's solution on the A65. When fitting, you need to make sure that stays and mudguard are stress-free, i.e you shouldn't need to do any stretching or bending in situ - do all that before tightening bolts so that there aren't any strained parts. Then you've got a better chance of them not cracking.

[trevinoz]

When I had my RGS on the road the chrome plated stays broke. I made a set of stainless steel stays which stayed intact. I expected the stainless stays to break due to work hardening but they didn't.

[Clive54bsa]

I had the same issue with my Super Rocket/ RGS wannabe, I used the A65 type.
No problems for over 5 years.

[bikerbob]

Strangely on my A65 it was not the stays that cracked but the actual mudguard, I solved the problem by fitting thin rubber washers between the guard and the bolts both inside and outside of the guard 10 years later no problems the washers were home made the same size as the steel washers used under the bolts.. Maybe you could use nylon washers similar to those that are fitted to screens that mount to fairings because failure to fit those washers and the screens wil crack.

[Sakura]

Thanks guys, glad that I'm not the only one! All good suggestions and in line with my thoughts. I broken both stays and cracked the guard  I had thought of rubber mounting the stays and I will make up a stepped rubber bush arrangement. Thanks.

[jjbsa]

My RGS had the flat stays on the mid front mudguard position from new and over the years I've seen other RGSs that had the same. 

When making tubular stays it's important they should have a close fiting smaller tube inserted in the ends before flattening, that way the outer tube isn't too weakened.  Also, the flattened end should not form a straight line from side to side but have a curved arc shape.  That way, a straight fracture line is avoided.  It's worth making a jig to do this and a jig can also allow the tube to be bent symmetrically (top and botton have equal amounts of pinch) or asymmetric, when the flattened lug is on the bottom.  (I hope that's reasonably clear).  I made my jig over30 years ago and it's earned its keep.  Flattening these tubes within tubes needs serious force.  The jig has exchangeable forming plates with different radii for the arc.  I used to rest the jig on a 300lb anvil, put a2 inch long piece of 30mm brass rod on it, and show it the way with a sledge hammer.  Now I use a hydraulic press.  BSA used to drill a small hole near one flattened end of their stays so that after plating, any trapped plating solution could be shaken out.  They even used to chamfer those tiny holes :-)   I hope that helps, Jon

[RichardL]

To understand this better, am I correct that the smaller tubes are just at the ends to double the thickness of the flattened part? And, let me get this straight, are you suggesting that your crude fixture is somehow better than mine, as shown below?

Richard L.

[jjbsa]

Hi Richard, yes, the smaller tube only needs to go about an inch past the flattening point.  I was put on to doing this over 30 years ago by the guy who used run Renovation Spares -  he used to sell mudguards and tubing to make stays at UK autojumbles.

I like your pressing jig for its simplicity.

Cheers,

Jon