how to make lay down license plate. cost zero
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Novice
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: maine
how to make lay down license plate. cost zero
I just thought I would post this if anyone doesn't know. The HD laydown plate frame is around fifty bucks. When I bought my Street Bob the first thing I did was take that hideous frame off that stands straight up and takes away from the slammed look of the rear end.
There is enough room to reach under the fender and get a small wrench on the bolts. Once the bracket is off take the piece that braces it up straight and chuck it. next take the plate bracket itself and leave the bolts in the holes of the plate frame.
Place the bracket on a hard surface wrapped in a towel and stamp it with a rubber mallet. once the frame is about bent to the point that it is touching the bolt heads simply put the frame back on fender and reach up underneath and secure it. Its a laydown plate cost zero.
There is enough room to reach under the fender and get a small wrench on the bolts. Once the bracket is off take the piece that braces it up straight and chuck it. next take the plate bracket itself and leave the bolts in the holes of the plate frame.
Place the bracket on a hard surface wrapped in a towel and stamp it with a rubber mallet. once the frame is about bent to the point that it is touching the bolt heads simply put the frame back on fender and reach up underneath and secure it. Its a laydown plate cost zero.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 292
Likes: 4
From: New Philadelphia, OH
+2 I've thought about trying the same thing. I'd like to see a pic, though! Seems to me it would vibrate, maybe instead of leaving the bolts in when you bend it over take them out, bend it over, drill the holes through the other part of the bracket so they line up and maybe use some rubber grommets as spacers? Dammit now I've got the wheels turning I'm gonna have to get the AMF off the bike stand.
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: maine
It wont vibrate at all and I have done this mods for several of my friends bikes when I worked at a local HD dealer last summer on my days off. Its really as simple as desrcibed. The reason for leaving the bolts in is that I didnt the first time I did this mod and its next to impossible to get them back in without bending the frame back again. As soon as my better half gets home I wil attempt to post some pics. Shes the computer guru.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 525
Likes: 0
From: Florida
I just thought I would post this if anyone doesn't know. The HD laydown plate frame is around fifty bucks. When I bought my Street Bob the first thing I did was take that hideous frame off that stands straight up and takes away from the slammed look of the rear end.
There is enough room to reach under the fender and get a small wrench on the bolts. Once the bracket is off take the piece that braces it up straight and chuck it. next take the plate bracket itself and leave the bolts in the holes of the plate frame.
Place the bracket on a hard surface wrapped in a towel and stamp it with a rubber mallet. once the frame is about bent to the point that it is touching the bolt heads simply put the frame back on fender and reach up underneath and secure it. Its a laydown plate cost zero.
There is enough room to reach under the fender and get a small wrench on the bolts. Once the bracket is off take the piece that braces it up straight and chuck it. next take the plate bracket itself and leave the bolts in the holes of the plate frame.
Place the bracket on a hard surface wrapped in a towel and stamp it with a rubber mallet. once the frame is about bent to the point that it is touching the bolt heads simply put the frame back on fender and reach up underneath and secure it. Its a laydown plate cost zero.
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 292
Likes: 4
From: New Philadelphia, OH
Ok I took a stab at the laydown mod. Here's a few pics of how it turned out.
Here's the bracket after discarding the upright support piece and massaging it with a mallet. I decided to get rid of the reflector that runs along the bottom of the plate and move the plate down on the bracket, so I lined the plate up and drilled two new holes for the mounting screws.
Here it is on back on the bike, this is just a mock up to see how the angle fit. I took it back off and cleaned up the holes with a rat tail file and touched them up with some paint. I also reused the part of the bracket that holds the top of plate from flapping around, I just didn't have it on when I took these. I used some goo gone to get rid of the adhesive left behind by the reflector.
I would have taken some finished product shots but my camera's acting up. Anyways hopefully no more girls swinging their leg over the bike and bending the f*#k out of my plate!
Here's the bracket after discarding the upright support piece and massaging it with a mallet. I decided to get rid of the reflector that runs along the bottom of the plate and move the plate down on the bracket, so I lined the plate up and drilled two new holes for the mounting screws.
Here it is on back on the bike, this is just a mock up to see how the angle fit. I took it back off and cleaned up the holes with a rat tail file and touched them up with some paint. I also reused the part of the bracket that holds the top of plate from flapping around, I just didn't have it on when I took these. I used some goo gone to get rid of the adhesive left behind by the reflector.
I would have taken some finished product shots but my camera's acting up. Anyways hopefully no more girls swinging their leg over the bike and bending the f*#k out of my plate!
Last edited by bigVtwin88; Feb 10, 2009 at 09:23 PM. Reason: pics didn't work
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Tourer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
From: Saskatchewan, Canada
Would love to see the plate on there too if you get a chance....if anyone has done this mod and also has the signal light relocation kit from hd with this same plate mount...PLEASE post a pic......I was just asking about this in a post I made about 2 weeks ago and bang this guy has the process down to a T !! thanks for the share!
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 159
Likes: 14
From: New York
I know this is an old thread, but I came across it while searching for laydown plate options, the info is still the same and someone else might be searching for the same thing.
Worked perfectly. Only difference is I squeezed mine in a vise using wood as cushioning. Keeping the bolts in is true, and I re-used the upper portion of the plate bracket to stabilize the top of the plate. Took a half hour and cost me zero.
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Worked perfectly. Only difference is I squeezed mine in a vise using wood as cushioning. Keeping the bolts in is true, and I re-used the upper portion of the plate bracket to stabilize the top of the plate. Took a half hour and cost me zero.
.
Last edited by bremsstrahlung; Sep 12, 2012 at 09:12 AM.