How did you mount your license plate?

[Akar.Zaephyr]

Hey Guys and Gals,
Sorry if I put this topic in wrong part of the forum, though I hope it's the right one

How did yo mount your license plate to your bike? Did you use the OEM tail to do so, or did you use after-market accessory license holders etc?
I'm asking as I've found out that the part where the license plate should be, has no factory-made holes to use screws/bolts so it seems like you have to make them your own, which actually surprised me a little. So how did you go with mounting your license plate? Care to share some pics? (feel free to blur the license itself, I'm just interested in the way you decided to do it).

Thanks for your responses!

 

[Matzergb]

The way I did it was to drill 2 or 3 holes through the tail where the plate is supposed to go. Then hold the license plate over the holes, poke a marker through the holes from the back, then carefully drill a hole through the plate. Now you just put a bolt through the holes and tighten them with a nut. I would have attached a picture of the tail, but the screws are so tight I can't get the license plate off anymore.

 

[ST13Fred]

My OEM holder has 38mm slots on each end to attach the top of the USA sized plate. Your European plates are larger so may have a different holder.
I trashed the heavy steel holder and fabricated a very light aluminum clip.

 

[kpinvt]

I used 1/4 inch aluminum rivets. Picture to follow after work today.

 

[L.B.S.]

How bizarre! You across the pond folks have to fabricate your own license plate holder/brackets?

 

[davidc83]

My bike came with a OEM license plate bracket and bolts/nuts to hold the license plate.

 

[Matzergb]

Yeah, the bike comes with nothing to mount the plate, just the bare plastic. No holes, no instructions.

 

[Akar.Zaephyr]

Yeah, the bike comes with nothing to mount the plate, just the bare plastic. No holes, no instructions.

Yup, exactly so. My NC came in a state as seen below:

No license plate bracket, no rivets, no screws - nothing I thought about the standard plastic license plate holder, but it's better to mount it in some "permanent" way, in case someone wants to steal it. Poland, what can I say...

Thanks for the responses guys, waiting for pictures to decide the best way to nail that license plate to the bike.
Thanks for your response, Matzergb.

 

[L.B.S.]

I guess there are enough variances in the European countries plate sizes, that trying to make individual mounting brackets was deemed to much hassle? Strange.

Surprising for us N.A. peeps! We would have open revolts and heads would roll if our bikes didn't come with them. Actually, they wouldn't be allowed to be sold here, if they were missing them in the first place.

(Which is kind of ironic, as a lot of owners promptly cut off their rear fenders and jam the plates up under the tail for looks anyway, lol)

 

[Matzergb]

There are only 4 plate sized you can get on a bike where I live, so not too bad.

@Akar.Zaephyr You can get theft-proof screws for license plates, they have a weird head that you need a special tool to undo if that is what you're looking for. Or as I have it, special screws with color coordinated covers so the screws are hidden and need extra work to remove. That normaly inconvieniences thieves enough for them to steal something else.

 

[L.B.S.]

There are only 4 plate sized you can get on a bike where I live, so not too bad.

@Akar.Zaephyr You can get theft-proof screws for license plates, they have a weird head that you need a special tool to undo if that is what you're looking for. Or as I have it, special screws with color coordinated covers so the screws are hidden and need extra work to remove. That normaly inconvieniences thieves enough for them to steal something else.

"only 4 sizes where I live"

If there are 4 different plate sizes where you are alone, then yikes, trying to figure out the possible combinations for all the other countries as well, I can see the basis for this heretofore unknown to me issue.

Barring some possible unique US state, I think there is just one standard plate hole size for all of Canada and USA.

Nice touch with the blending in of the fastener head colours on your plate, and I loved your drawing, lol

 

[davidc83]

I believe LBS is correct; one size for automobiles and one size for motorcycles in Canada and US; even our trailor license plates are same size as automobile plates.

 

[ST13Fred]

Here is a pic of my USA holder. The US plate attaches at the slotted sections. But this thing is solid steel and weighs a ton.

 

[Akar.Zaephyr]

Well, I guess we would have same size license plates across all of EU by now, if it wasn't for EU officials being busy categorizing snails as fishes to get EU subsidiaries for snail farms from fishermen budget.
We really should sit down, have a beer, combine best ideas from both places, and show these idiot politics how it's done

But I digress - Matzergb, thanks, I'll look around for some nice solution, see what fits my minimalist taste. Your solution seems very nice, especially with these color-matching screw covers. Nice one!

Here is a pic of my USA holder. The US plate attaches at the slotted sections. But this thing is solid steel and weighs a ton.

Thank you for taking the picture, ST13Fred! This holder doesn't look that heavy, but I'll trust your word on this one. At least it doesn't seem like easily-bendable one Would you mind posting a pic with this stuff already on the bike? Apologies if I caused you too much hassle, hope you didn't have to unscrew it to take the picture just for me?

 

[ST13Fred]

- Matzergb
ST13Fred Would you mind posting a pic with this stuff already on the bike?:

No, it would be a lot of work putting the OEM holder back on the bike.

In my prior pics the 2 open holes mount into the fender across from the base of the reflector and the 2 bolt head fasteners also mount into the fender.
OK, I'm done!

 

[Akar.Zaephyr]

Thanks for the pic! Just to clarify - I didn't want you to put the stock holder back, I was asking if you can post pictures when you mount the steel one Didn't want you to do any extra work, sorry for misunderstanding! Peace