A few weeks ago I picked up my new plate and the holes it came with didn't fit the stock mount. Rather than just drilling new holes in the plate I used it as an opportunity to customize a little. I was warned against attracting the fuzz with a side mounted plate so decided to chop the stock one. Here are the steps I took:
1. Buy a pair of LED license plate bolts off ebay for $13. When they arrive jack the bike so the rear tyre is just off the ground so you can get your hand under the fender. Undo the two T40 screws by the rear indicators and loosen the phillips screw to the rear of the fender. This allows you to pull the stock mount down from the fender leaving it hanging on the left of the bike by the wiring. (These screws also secure a mount inside the fender which holds the number plate mount, don't unscrew the phillips screw to the point where this mount comes off)
2. Unscrew the number plate light from the mount revealing the lighting connection terminal. Cut the wires close to the the terminal and remove the terminal, rubber bracket and cover. (Here I spliced my LEDs onto the remaining wire to test them)
3. Undo the LEDs and chop the stock mount to the height of the number plate. I drilled my holes to either side of where the stock light was. Bolt the plate to the mount using loctite with a few mm gap between the plate and where the fender will be to avoid metal on metal.
4. Weave the wires through the existing holes on the mount to give yourself some extra wire just in case and to keep them away from the tyre. Next solder, tape and waterproof heatshrink them, then tape all the wire flush against the mount.
5. Reattach the mount to the rear fender. Mine took a bit of jigging to get the holes lined up between the mount, the mount mount and the fender.
All in all it was a cheap, easy mod. The tools required are a size 40 Torx short enough to fit between the bolt and rear indicator, phillips head, wire cutters/strippers, drill, spanner and soldering iron. The consumables are the $13 LED bolts, some loctite, some solder, some waterproof heatshrink and some electrical tape.
I faced mine so the lights shine straight down, on my five character plate the four outside letters are bright, the centre letter is a little dimmer but still easily legible from a distance. I bought mine from an australian seller, they seem like they could be bought for a few bucks from overseas so they could be the same.
Nice work dude. Well done.
Here's what i offer for $220 fitted. It has white LED's built into the numberplate frame at the top, custom made bracket to hold it all, and even has the nut for pillion pad/longer seat.
Must be visable from 45 degrees (both sides and above) at a distance of 20m T1
Those look good guys, mine will most certainly be non-legal, but I'll wait until then to go down that road.. I made a little L bracket and mounted off the rear shock bolt
Sorry for the crappy (and siwdeways) pics.. was only a quick snap to test fit the rear Deuce wheel
