SuzukiSavage.com - License plate self destructed

jimR YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 upstate NY Albany Gender:	License plate self destructed 02/27/09 at 08:12:34 Last season my plate self destructed. will a plate frame help the new plate?
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Toymaker Serious Thumper Offline Dragon Rider Posts: 1534 Granite Falls, NC Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #1 - 02/27/09 at 08:22:59 Yep. The same thing almost happened to me. I think it is the vibration that does it. A plate frame stiffens up the plate and it resists the "destructive" action.
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serenity3743 Serious Thumper Offline Striving to better, oft we mar what's well Posts: 778 Black Mountain, NC Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #2 - 02/27/09 at 10:51:18 My license plate broke near the upper RH bolt hole, and it was because I kept bumping it with my knee (ouch!) when working in the garage. I put a chrome license plate frame from AutoZone around it and it holds together just fine.
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Savage_Amusement Serious Thumper Offline On this steel horse I ride. Posts: 1004 Omaha, NE Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #3 - 02/27/09 at 11:19:29 Well lol, make sure you get a good one. The Wife and I were out with my Dad one day and something went flying past me. After we got to a red light I noticed his frame was gone lol.
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PerrydaSavage Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Riding "The Rock"! Posts: 3522 Republic of Newfoundland Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #4 - 02/27/09 at 13:11:14 Yup, vibration has caused the lic. plate on both of the Savages I have owned to split ... and since plate brackets won't fit our plates (they are slightly larger than the standard U.S. m/c plate), I coated the back of the plate in duct tape ... it prevented split from spreading!
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Bear

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Re: License plate self destructed
Reply #5 - 02/27/09 at 14:31:38

I have had several motorcycles and have always mounted the plate on a piece of used rubber mudflap or converor belting. I cut it about an inch taller than the plate and put 2 holes on top to fit into the stock mounting holes. Besides vibration, it also helps if something or someone rubs against the edge of the plate, Just enough flexibility to move out of the way, without bending the plate.. Mudflap is stiff enough not to flop around in the breeze. Use 4 big fender washers behind the mudflap, behind the plate and a couple in front of the mudflap at the top mount. I did this on my '69 Triumph Daytona and it has not ruined a plate after 40 years. Both mudflaps and conveyor belting have heavy fibers embedded in the rubber that keep it from tearing.

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Savage_Amusement Serious Thumper Offline On this steel horse I ride. Posts: 1004 Omaha, NE Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #6 - 02/27/09 at 14:56:51 Before I got my side mount I used another plate behind it and that really did the trick. I just put the new plate right over the old plate.
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Savage Eddie Full Member Offline Custom Bob's ROCK! Posts: 204 40 miles west of Chicago Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #7 - 02/27/09 at 22:17:35 glad someone brought this up, i was wondering why mine cracked. i made steel brackets behind my plate.
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photojoe FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline I did warn you to brace yourself Posts: 1379 New Jersey Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #8 - 02/28/09 at 13:11:53 That happened to one of the forum members during our Sept. ride in Pa. He had just a little piece of plate left at one of the corners, and didn't notice it until we all met at Cabela's.
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diamond jim Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1425 North Alabama Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #9 - 02/28/09 at 13:45:13 Some of you mentioned the plate splitting and/or cracking. Do you mean the metal license plate itself actually split into two pieces?
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bugsville Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 71 Gainesville, FL Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #10 - 02/28/09 at 16:39:36 also glad it isn't just me, mine is splitting as well.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #11 - 02/28/09 at 17:23:55 I bet a guy could get a messed up mudflap from a freight company for nothing.
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diamond jim Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1425 North Alabama Gender:	Re: License plate self destructed Reply #12 - 02/28/09 at 17:35:06 Bump. Some of you mentioned the plate splitting and/or cracking. Do you mean the metal license plate itself actually split into two pieces?
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ero4444

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Re: License plate self destructed
Reply #13 - 02/28/09 at 19:46:59

yes several people have posted about the plate itself partially splitting and some have broken off, and one guy had a tiny corner of the license left. Another guy following his daughter saw a large amount of vibration on her plate enough that it could not even be read. So it figures that the thin plate would see a lot of fatigue after a long while that would make the plate completely crack off. I know that I've lost a turn signal bolt already - everything on a bike shakes pretty good.

so my unreinforced license plate will get a mudflap or frame or a solid backer plate to avoid cracking - sure as hell don't want to go back to the DMV anytime soon

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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: License plate self destructed
Reply #14 - 02/28/09 at 20:01:34

diamond jim wrote on 02/28/09 at 17:35:06:

Bump.

Some of you mentioned the plate splitting and/or cracking. Do you mean the metal license plate itself actually split into two pieces?

Yep.. mixuture of vibrations, and wind pushing it..... Most plates in the US are aluminum.... it has a tendency to crack after a while.

We have people that put metal plates under the lic , others the chrome frame.

I got my frame from the Local "CycleGear" store. I think is was around 4 or 5 dollars.

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Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
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