Street Bob - licence plate placement.
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Norway
Street Bob - licence plate placement.
Hi guys,
I have been lurking around this forum for quite a while and it is time to jump into the water not minding the sharks...
I am getting a new Bob for the next season - my first Bob did not get 10miles on it before I totaled it (some guy turning left as I was overtaking him).
I have been thinking a bit about placement of the license plate. There have been reported some problems with the original placement - also I like the clean(er) looking fender.
Now - the problem. I will be riding with saddlebags the original Harley distressed leather kind. I chose these because they look good, are pretty easy to wrench on/off, don't require supports which ruin some the clean look I am going for. Generally bags don't quite fit the look I am going for - but it is nice to have somewhere to put stuff when touring.
Side mounting the license plate is a good option when without bags. With bags it can be on one of the bags. With bags going on and off... Well. I am not sure what to do. I imagine the side mount would rub against the bags if it was not removed. And there is also the issue of power to the license plate lighting. I guess one could make something nice with diodes and have some small batteries in the bag and manually turn it on/off with the bags on. One could have the license plate on a long arm so that it came clear of the bags when they where on, but I am not sure how good that would look with the bags off.
So in general I am looking for ideas as to where and how I can relocate the license plate...
I have been lurking around this forum for quite a while and it is time to jump into the water not minding the sharks...
I am getting a new Bob for the next season - my first Bob did not get 10miles on it before I totaled it (some guy turning left as I was overtaking him).
I have been thinking a bit about placement of the license plate. There have been reported some problems with the original placement - also I like the clean(er) looking fender.
Now - the problem. I will be riding with saddlebags the original Harley distressed leather kind. I chose these because they look good, are pretty easy to wrench on/off, don't require supports which ruin some the clean look I am going for. Generally bags don't quite fit the look I am going for - but it is nice to have somewhere to put stuff when touring.
Side mounting the license plate is a good option when without bags. With bags it can be on one of the bags. With bags going on and off... Well. I am not sure what to do. I imagine the side mount would rub against the bags if it was not removed. And there is also the issue of power to the license plate lighting. I guess one could make something nice with diodes and have some small batteries in the bag and manually turn it on/off with the bags on. One could have the license plate on a long arm so that it came clear of the bags when they where on, but I am not sure how good that would look with the bags off.
So in general I am looking for ideas as to where and how I can relocate the license plate...
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Norway
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Norway
Well, the point is to get it away from the fender. I am considering having the fender chopped a bit...
Ideally I guess I am looking for a side mounting bracket that comes off fairly easy so that the plate (with parts of the bracket?) can go on the bag instead. With this something somewhat creative in the way power is fed to the license plate light... With leds it really could be small-battery-powered I guess. I don't think it is a biggie if I forget to turn on the light.
Or... Some other creative idea.
Ideally I guess I am looking for a side mounting bracket that comes off fairly easy so that the plate (with parts of the bracket?) can go on the bag instead. With this something somewhat creative in the way power is fed to the license plate light... With leds it really could be small-battery-powered I guess. I don't think it is a biggie if I forget to turn on the light.
Or... Some other creative idea.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,114
Likes: 29
From: Vancouver B.C. Canada
I relocate the stock holder to the swing arm, make a L shape bracket and a couple kuryakyn light bolts. One advice, you better make a base plate, my plate is starting to crack due to vibration at the swing arm.
Trending Topics
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 511
Likes: 16
From: Minnesota
Here is what I did with my wide glide to make room for throw over bags.
As you can see there is room above the plate for bags to sit all the way to the swing arm.
It is a road six custom bracket that I modified.
As you can see there is room above the plate for bags to sit all the way to the swing arm.
It is a road six custom bracket that I modified.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,949
Likes: 150
From: South of Mordor
take a vertical mount side bracket and make it horizontal and mount it to the bag. It could either be hung below the bag (giving you less ground clearence) or you could mount it so it runs flush with the bag.
Something like this.
Something like this.
Last edited by blueangel73; Mar 12, 2012 at 01:37 PM.