I brought up the light only to save some hassel. Wasn't bashing and seems like you thought of it and just didn't have that part done. Looks great, just wish WI would let me mount mine vertical.

 

Very nice modification! That looks very clean

 

Thanks everyone. I wish you could all mount it vertical too. I plan on making a horizontal bracket just for if I go out of state. I'm glad everyone brought up the questions about the light and it being on the right. I know everyone is just trying to save everyone trouble. I chalk my frustration up to a lack of re-reading and a bad night but, that's no excuse. You guys are great, thanks again for all your comments. I hope my photos help some. When I make a horizontal I will post that one too just so everyone can see how it looks attached.

 

Most important post from above...was someone did this before with an aluminum bracket.

The aluminum may break....

So....add a zip tie (to retain the plate & reg) in the interim to prove the theory or make a steel bracket.

 

I guess I'll toss in something here. I've made a few license plate/taillight brackets over the years when building a few bikes.

I'll agree with those who said that bending the aluminum is gonna cause you grief. When you bend it it causes all kinds of cracks, and you probably won't see any of them. But the stress cracks will continue to propagate and the piece will fail eventually.

If you grab a piece of steel and bend it cold the same thing will eventually happen. You can use a simple propane torch, heat the bend area as red as the torch will allow, and then make your bend. This will probably work well if your material is correctly sized. This next is my experience, so take it for what that means: use hot-rolled steel rather than cold-rolled. The hot-rolled was formed while hot (duh!) and that introduces fewer stresses into the grain structure. It will be easier to bend when heated, and will less likely fail at the bend.

The thickness of the material will work for or against your success. This piece you're making will vibrate at certain frequencies. The thickness determines that "sympathetic" frequency. If you make the piece and get it on the bike, check it out while you're riding at various speeds and engine rpm, and different road surfaces/conditions. If you see it vibrate at all, and I mean any vibration!, it is going to fail. Period. If it vibrates, go to a thicker material, or make a brace that runs between the two legs of your bend.

Last bit - Hot-rolled steel takes a little more finish work as it has an oxide scale on its surface. Cold-rolled is smoother and shinier. I prefer doing the extra finish work because I've had bad luck with cold-rolled failing at the bends, even when I heated the bend area before working the steel.

 

Great lookin bike. That chopped fender is NICE!