If you mean the front and rear stays, I find that once both front and rear are unbolted from the forks and the center stay is unbolted, then you can raise the fender enough to remove the front stay and remove the fender from the rear without removing the other stay.
Bending them inward makes me cringe
Are you speaking of the center stay? It will spring over the studs with no damage with a little effort. I prefer to remove the studs and replace them with 1/4-20 hex bolts. It eliminates the need to spring the center stay.