No front fender/brace dangerous?

[posplayr]

I appreciate all the input. I knew I would be looked down upon by some for asking the question, but it is all in the pursuit of knowledge. I do now understand more of how the fork's operation is affected by fender/brace. Also, I have a confession to make. When I said that my GS fender does not have a brace under the front fender I was wrong. I was looking at a fender off another bike (I have several projects). And I did do the test hjfisk suggested and I can see and feel the flex of the forks. And I understand the trellis affect.

I feel better understanding the geometry and mechanics behind it. A fork brace would be ideal (modern front end swap is not an option on my budget). And the loss of the front fender does negatively affect performance (and there is the road debris issue to consider). I will use the front fender. I may trim it a bit but now I see the importance of having it. I will also consider upgrading my front and rear springs when I can afford it. And I will look for a solution for the other bikes that I have without front fenders.

I'm very pleased to see that you actually were able to assimilate the various inputs and come to the correct decision. That is seemingly rare. The world is a complex place and there is seldom an obvious black and white answer. However, in my experience, if you can figure out what is important and focus on that you will be lead to a good decision and generally the best decision. This is a basic skill in problem solving.

[Grimly]

From my own experience, I found the standard fender (even though it has a brace built in) definitely needed and rewarded the add-on aftermarket brace at the top of the sliders.
I'll be buying in an 1100EZ fender, which has a substantial brace built into it and augmenting that with a Tele-fix brace above it, to give a belt and braces effect. Too much of a good thing, in this case, is a better thing.