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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Side mount license plates/ brake light in Massachu
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Message started by JDDJ12 on 04/06/15 at 17:47:21

Title: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Massachu
Post by JDDJ12 on 04/06/15 at 17:47:21

Hey guys, I know that Massachusetts requires license plates to be horizontal and I have seen side mounted plates frequently but can you put a side mounted brake light on as well or does it have to be centered?

Title: Re: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Mass
Post by Dave on 04/07/15 at 04:26:31

I know when I was building my bike.....I planned on making it legal in "all" states - as I never know for sure what states I will end up riding in. I didn't want a plate stuck up under the rear fender and hidden by the tire like the sportbike guys do...and I didn't want a vertical plate bent around a frame on the axle like the bobber/custom folks do, and I wanted lights that were bright and visible in direct sunlight. I didn't want to give anyone a reason to pull me over for an equipment violation.

In most states the brake/tail light needs to be visible from behind....and having it located low down on one side of the bike may not satisfy a cranky officer. (However.....I sure see a lot of bikes done that way and they don't appear to have problems.)

http://massmotorcycle.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=769540&item_id=9361

Title: Re: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Mass
Post by FDM on 04/11/15 at 06:27:57

I've also had a MA inspection guy tell me that the plate needs to be mounted at or behind the rear axle. The same guy told me that if we got it as close as we could he'd let it go so obviously it depends on who you get. Certainly helps to know an inspection guy. On some bikes there isn't anything but wheel behind the axle and I see people on the road breaking that rule daily. We are also required to have turn signals and brakes front and rear. Most of us that aren't crazy like to have those things but if you are customizing a bike it's a lot to have to get straight. If you start to figure in turn signals along with the plate and brake light and start to place things out of center the result is going to be a bike that looks really unsymmetrical and strange from behind. Try building a stripped down bobber and making it legal in MA. Fun.

Title: Re: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Mass
Post by Rylee on 04/11/15 at 08:34:01

The words street legal and bobber should never be used in the same sentence.
For the most part patrol car cops unless they ride generally do not know all the technicalities of motorcycle laws. It's the motorbike cops who will get you. For me I chose the vertical tag mount (not legal) but for safety reasons I opted away from the tiny, barely visible tail lights that normally sit atop these mounts. I went with a 4" LED trailer light from PepBoys for $35. And though it's not asthetically pleasing even if the sun is hitting the driver behind me directly in the face he can still see my brake light engaged. I don't however have turn signals that work. I have "dummy" signals mounted but they are not within the 9" seperation in the rear required by California law.
The only thing I've had an issue with it my yellow headlight which is actually legal in California.

Title: Re: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Mass
Post by Rylee on 04/11/15 at 09:53:38

@JDDJ12
Man I googled the heck out of your question and all I could find was it must be horizontal, between 12" and 26" from the ground and be visible from as far as 300ft from the rear of the bike. Nothing was said about the tail/brake light. I'd have to imagine the tail/brake light falls into that same category? Most states have links to the laws and are very specific about locations of safety equipment but I couldn't really find anything for Mass. Just a bunch of forums with people arguing and calling names over the subject.

Title: Re: Side mount license plates/ brake light in Mass
Post by botticelli on 04/11/15 at 12:39:04

After some digging I found this

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1429671766/0#0