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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> License Plate Tearing at High Speed /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1309986072 Message started by Wake51 on 07/06/11 at 14:01:11 |
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Title: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Wake51 on 07/06/11 at 14:01:11 I've had an issue with my license plate shearing off at sustained Interstate speeds (60-70 MPH). I've already lost one plate, and the replacement is starting to crack around the nuts. I assume this is from vibrations. I loosened the nuts that hold it on slightly to give a little wiggle room. Anyone have any better solutions or experience with this? |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by MotoBuddha on 07/06/11 at 14:13:49 Do you have an old plate you can sandwich with it? Or how about a piece or aluminum or steel cut to that shape? |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by CalisOsin on 07/06/11 at 14:15:14 I had the same thing happen to mine, i went with a side mounted plate and haven't had an issue since. I'm assuming because this mount is solid behind the plate. Im sure you could probably put a solid backer on it and eliminate the problem. Maybe a piece of 1/8 inch aluminum sheet cut to the same size as the plate? |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by CalisOsin on 07/06/11 at 14:15:48 507269725F687979757C1D0 wrote:
darn you Moto, you beat me to it! :) |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by MotoBuddha on 07/06/11 at 14:17:46 And there are always license plate frames, but they're usually flimsy and might crack before the plate. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by prechermike on 07/06/11 at 14:24:14 0E2C372C013627272B22430 wrote:
I got a plate frame from walmart soon after I got the bike, then I saw someone else having trouble with the plate cracking. My frame is pretty rigid and i have not seen or had any trouble. So far, so good. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Wake51 on 07/06/11 at 14:28:32 Thanks for the input, I'll look into getting a solid metal plate to place behind it. So just strap a piece of aluminum the same size as the plate behind it and the should remedy the problem? |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by ALfromN.H. on 07/06/11 at 15:10:13 I cut a piece of bituthane (ice & water shield) to the size of my plate and stuck it to the back. The cracks haven't gotten any bigger since I did that two years ago. AL |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/06/11 at 15:20:55 I was following my girl on the Suzuki. She was just riidng along & at a certain RPM, ( It was low speed) the rear fender shook violently, which explained the cracks in the plat for me. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Routy on 07/06/11 at 15:29:30 I added 2 verticals... 1/8 x 1 1/4 flat metal x 3 3/4 long. They are galvanize pcs from the hardware store 2 yrs ago. Works ! |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Boofer on 07/06/11 at 15:58:05 1C3E253E132435353930510 wrote:
I noticed mine cracking and put a piece of metal behind and a chrome frame in front. Use some Blue LocTite and less torque when mounting. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by runwyrlph on 07/06/11 at 16:13:21 i noticed mine was tearing before it fell off - i added a backing plate cut out of the bottom of a plastic 30 gal. drum - seems to absorb enough vibration , no further problems |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Kaishaku on 07/06/11 at 17:48:39 I zip tie mine on. It rattles but at least it doesn't vibrate off. Two zip ties per side. I can replace them if they break, but checking the license plate as part of my pre-ride inspection ensures that they never break. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by drums1 on 07/06/11 at 21:21:32 I used some clear epoxy to repair the cracks, and then I glued a piece of denim, cut to size, on the backside of plate. That was 3 years ago. No problems since. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Boofer on 07/07/11 at 04:46:54 Drums, Really? Denim? I don't allow denim near my baby. Will a patch from an Armani suit work? ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by spacepirates on 07/07/11 at 06:01:27 Both top corners of my plate are missing. I had just the plate on there, then one corner went. Wrapped the sides of the plate in duct tape until that wore through from weather/wear. Got a plate frame, then that broke, more duct tape temporarily. Ended up taking two 1/8th inch plates of aluminum, cut one out into a frame, and sandwiched the license plate between the aluminum. No problems since. I've seen vibration dampeners (little reflector looking things you stick on the bottom of the plate) on some license plates, haven't had the chance to try them on the savage yet since the plate cracked so fast. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by SoE on 07/07/11 at 06:29:20 I didn't realize this was such a common issue. I was just looking at two big cracks in my plate last night. Seems like my tax & reg could cover a plate that won't snap like a stale Dorito..... |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by runwyrlph on 07/07/11 at 09:28:38 does anybody know if this is a common motorcycle problem , thumper problem, or just savages? |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by babyhog on 07/07/11 at 09:39:14 Are we talking about plates made of plastic? Mine is metal. I don't see how it would crack. I have a heavy frame around it, and never noticed a problem. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by sjaskow on 07/07/11 at 09:45:50 I'm on my third plate and I'll have had the S40 for 4 years in August. Luckily, the state of Ohio doesn't charge extra if you replace the plate at the same time you get a renewal sticker. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Boofer on 07/07/11 at 11:29:34 5F5C5D505248310 wrote:
bh, That's why we post "Driven by a little old lady" in our CL ads. ;D I think the first bad cases of metal fatigue were in the DeHaviland Comet airliner in England. A bad air disaster that eluded explanation. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by babyhog on 07/07/11 at 13:14:51 7855555C5F483A0 wrote:
bh, That's why we post "Driven by a little old lady" in our CL ads. ;D I think the first bad cases of metal fatigue were in the DeHaviland Comet airliner in England. A bad air disaster that eluded explanation.[/quote] Don't make me whip out my cane on you ;D I didn't say metal wouldn't crack... never mind, I'll just shut up now... :-X |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by CalisOsin on 07/07/11 at 14:24:24 Babyhog - I'm sure you know that he's just messing with you, but I wanted to point out the key difference here. Wake (and everyone else with this issue) didn't have a "heavy frame" around theirs. Just 2 bolts through the top of the plate into the bracket. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by RidgeRunner13 on 07/07/11 at 14:39:03 About 2 days after the first license plate was bolted on the back of a motorcycle it cracked from vibration. ;D I've had some real shakers in my past so long ago I got in the habit of making a backing plate for mine. It helps to put bolts in the holes that are just through the backing plate too. I also make my own license frames from diamond plate. 8-) In Texas the frame is not supposed to cover the state name so I trim them to fit. No point in giving the PD an excuse to pull you over. :( http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/Pappygt13/V-StarMods115.jpg |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by scottnj on 07/08/11 at 07:47:01 Wow -- glad I found this thread. I just got my S40 a few weeks ago and thought I must must have hit the plate on something to crack it. Didn't know this happened to other people too or that it's from vibrations. I'm gonna try to find something to make a backer out of before I lose my plate somewhere. Thanks everybody -- you helped this newbie out! |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by babyhog on 07/08/11 at 09:17:26 So I did something smart, thinking it was for good looks, but turned out to be beneficial to protecting my plate too. ;) http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx211/babyhog/S40/PIC-0551.jpg |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Boofer on 07/08/11 at 09:46:55 Baby Hog, You are smart. That big glob of JB Weld in the picture will ensure that it never cracks! ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by prechermike on 07/08/11 at 10:02:53 765B5B525146340 wrote:
:D :D :D :D :D |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by MotoBuddha on 07/08/11 at 18:04:49 6B505D5E5C6B4C57575C4B080A390 wrote:
We can still read your plate. ;) |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Gyrobob on 07/10/11 at 09:45:43 043238366662530 wrote:
Simple, cheap, proven, unobservable solution: 1. Put rubber washers the size of normal washers on each side of the license plate. The order would be bolt head, metal washer, rubber washer, plate, rubber washer, plate bracket, metal washer, nut. Most license plate brackets have slots instead of holes and some states have slots in the license plate,.. you might want to use fender washers instead of normal metal washers here. 2. Before you put the nut on the bolt to fasten everything together, put a little silicon seal (RTV) on the threads of both the bolt and the nut. 3. Install the license plate but don't tighten the bolts down very much,.. make them just tight enough to take out any clearance between all the nuts/washers/brackets, etc. You want the rubber washers compressed very little. 4. Let the assembly sit still overnight to give the RTV a chance to cure,.. it takes a little while for the stuff down in the threads to get hard. Using RTV for this is kind of cute because it glues the nut to the bolt well enough that it won't come loose, yet is easily removable with normal tools. If you can't get along with the RTV idea, then use two nuts tightened against each other such that they lock themselves to the bolt. Just be sure to not compress the rubber washers very much at all. |
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Title: Re: License Plate Tearing at High Speed Post by Wake51 on 07/10/11 at 16:17:55 When I noticed the cracks I loosened up the wing nuts that came with my bike to hopefully allow it to last until I found a solution. Well naturally I lost one of the bolts on a ride to a local Harley dealer in search of a heat shield for my newly installed muffler and I pulled in license plate hanging on sideways. Really made me feel like I felt in there, my bike was shaking itself to pieces faster than a couple servings of shake n' bake. |
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