Axle Mounted License Plate Holder

My break won't bend thickness of steel I need to make my own...does anyone have a side mounted license plate bracket for small cc bikes for cheap? I have a Cb175...not sure of the axle diameter.

And I know they are abundant on eBay, but they all look like the mounting hole is too big.

Thanks!

A license plate bracket doesn't need to be that thick, all these 1/4" brackets on ebay are overkill. If you have a break that won't bend steel thick enough for a bracket, you might want to relocate it to the garbage can.

JohnGoFast said:

A license plate bracket doesn't need to be that thick, all these 1/4" brackets on ebay are overkill. If you have a break that won't bend steel thick enough for a bracket, you might want to relocate it to the garbage can.

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Sure, just didn't know if someone had one sitting around rather than buying more steel...


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Oh, sorry, thought the issue was the thickness of the steel.

You don't need a brake just to make a simple bend. Put it in a vice and pound it with a hammer, fer fuck sake!

fukin silly place to hang a plate anyway

Alright, well then. Thanks gents


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xb33bsa said:

fukin silly place to hang a plate anyway

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LOL!
I wasn't going to go there...
The OP wasn't asking what we thought of axle mounted license plate holders.

1sttimer said:

Alright, well then. Thanks gents

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Don't git yer knickers in a twist. It's all in good humor.

Educate me. And please note the name of my alias. Never done this before. You guys are how I learn other than making mistakes...which we all try to minimize.


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We all have design features that we like or dislike. It's not a matter of education. If you like axle mounted license plates, then by all means, mount it there. You might find that one day your license plate falls off when the bracket cracks, because it is subjected to pretty extreme G forces mounted there.

But seriously, don't take a quip personally or as a criticism. Too many new members take a little light hearted ribbing too seriously, and go into a snit if not everyone loves every detail of how they customize their bike.

AlphaDogChoppers said:

We all have design features that we like or dislike. It's not a matter of education. If you like axle mounted license plates, then by all means, mount it there. You might find that one day your license plate falls off when the bracket cracks, because it is subjected to pretty extreme G forces mounted there.

But seriously, don't take a quip personally or as a criticism. Too many new members take a little light hearted ribbing too seriously, and go into a snit if not everyone loves every detail of how they customize their bike.

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Ha, no harm no foul. And no panties either.

I'm just curious, but I've seen bikes that folks are googly-eyed over that have mounts on the swingarm that extend above the tire. Wouldn't that see similar forces?

The extreme forces there is also why they make them so thick. And I tried to mimic it and it was too thick for me to work with with my tools. I was only curious if someone had one around that would be cheaper than ordering one without sacrificing strength.


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The moment arm between a shock mounted and swingarm mounted one is different. Guess that's the difference.


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The axle mount holders are OK but ADC is right with G force and vibration being an issue. Make sure the welds are decent and you use a locking washer and loctite on the bolts to hold your plate. And it is vital that the axle hole is the right size for your model. Any slop could create a vibration and allow that axle nut to back off... The upper shock bolt brackets are easier and less vulnerable than the Axle mounts. You might want to take a look.

Your axle is held in place with a castle nut/cotter pin. If it's tight enough, and the pin is in place it should never back off.

The real issue (aside from the bracket falling apart, and if thats a worry... Put down the welder and get a pro to do it) is the plate hitting or dragging in a steep turn. You're building a Honda 175 you said? With those skinny ass tires, you'll lose traction way before your plate hits the blacktop.

Couple things to keep in mind.

-Keep the "arm" as short as possible to reduce the leverage.
-Keep the plate bracket itself as light as possible while remaining rigid.
-As stated, through a lockwasher in the mix to help keep shit where it belongs.
-Remember that you also have axle adjusters to deal with. The bracket has to clear the adjuster.
-Not sure what your taillight plans are, but keep in mind that the plate needs to be illuminated when the head/tailight come on. You can buy LED plate bolts if the tail light is located elsewhere, but they still need wired up so plan accordingly.

As long as you place the bracket as tight to the arm and as high as you can without effecting function, it's all a matter of taste. Oh, amd legality. Check local laws. Some places don't allow plates to be mounted below a certain height or off to the side. There are also regs stating that the plate must remain horizontally mounted in certain areas as well.

VonYinzer said:

Your axle is held in place with a castle nut/cotter pin. If it's tight enough, and the pin is in place it should never back off.

The real issue (aside from the bracket falling apart, and if thats a worry... Put down the welder and get a pro to do it) is the plate hitting or dragging in a steep turn. You're building a Honda 175 you said? With those skinny ass tires, you'll lose traction way before your plate hits the blacktop.

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Indeed, a 175. I agree. The reason I wanted a side mount plate holder was because my rear end looked a little funky with the plate right behind the cowl, in my opinion. So I'm running with just a light back there. I suppose I had two options, put it at the shock mount up top of put it down low...because of my rear sets, I only have room at the axle. I chose to go there but I have no qualms about a shock mounted one.

Couple things to keep in mind.

-Keep the "arm" as short as possible to reduce the leverage.
-Keep the plate bracket itself as light as possible while remaining rigid.
-As stated, through a lockwasher in the mix to help keep shit where it belongs.
-Remember that you also have axle adjusters to deal with. The bracket has to clear the adjuster.
-Not sure what your taillight plans are, but keep in mind that the plate needs to be illuminated when the head/tailight come on. You can buy LED plate bolts if the tail light is located elsewhere, but they still need wired up so plan accordingly.

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I agree with all of your structural comments here. I also was not aware that the plate needs to be illuminated. I guess that makes sense since that comes standard on vehicles. That kindof throws things off a bit since I don't have wiring planned for that location. I have my wiring basically nailed down, so I think I will go back to the original plan to have it mounted right below the tail light on the back of the cowl. There is room there to insert a plate as there are already screw holes through the cowl to hold the light on.

As long as you place the bracket as tight to the arm and as high as you can without effecting function, it's all a matter of taste. Oh, amd legality. Check local laws. Some places don't allow plates to be mounted below a certain height or off to the side. There are also regs stating that the plate must remain horizontally mounted in certain areas as well.

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Mounting it like I decided above would eliminate this as a concern also, but that you for pointing that out. I had no idea there were such regulations.

Thanks for taking time to explain all of this.

Yeah, it is supposed to be illuminated, but I have never heard of it being enforced. They have some nice little LED illuminated license plate bolts that would to the job nicely. They have so little current draw, that you could use 24 ga wire taped or glued to the underside of the swingarm to get power to them.

I know that at least in Florida, vertical mounting of a license plate can get you a ticket. Something to do with EZ-Pass not being able to read sideways plates.

Just remember, that the heavier guage steel you use to make it, the more it will weigh, and cracking could be more of a problem than if it was thinner, lighter, and more flexible.

Yeah, make sure that you can legally run the plate vertically and that low to the ground. Here in Michigan plates must be mounted horizontally and at least 12 inches from the ground. I'm sure most if not all states have the illumination requirement as well. I had to check into all of this too when I was trying to figure out how and where to put the plate on my 350.

I had a bike with the plate mounted in a position that was 'approved' by a worker at the local DMV. Well the officer did not agree that it was visible within ____ ft. ( I do not recall the BS he rattled off) and I received a ticket. My advice, mount it where you think it will be acceptable by the powers that be and then find a nice cop (I understand this may take some time!!) to look it over because it is his/her judgement call at the end of the day....

AlphaDogChoppers said:

You don't need a brake just to make a simple bend. Put it in a vice and pound it with a hammer, fer fuck sake!

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+1