Sorry Officer, it's Chinese...

[dmmcd]

I met my wife at my parents house after work, and after dinner followed her home to our house. As I pulled into my garage. The local law enforcement pulled in right behind me. Uh oh. I couldn't have been speeding, I was following my wife in our Sienna. I know I stopped all the way at the last stop sign, because the intersection is frequently patrolled by the police.

So my kids are all piling out of the van staring in awe of the fancy police car in the driveway and the uniformed officer walking up to Daddy.

"Am I missing something, or is there no tag on that?"

Uhhhh. There was a plate on it this morning when I left for work...

Crap.



To be fair, I can't blame the Chinese for this one. This was the plate relocation bracket that I made out of sheet aluminum. With the fancy work to integrate the XF's plate light into the bracket and everything.

For reference, this is what was on there:


So I guess the aluminum fatigued from the vibrations to the point where it work hardened and fractured. The officer took down the plate number and said he would file a report for the missing tag. Then I can go to a DMV or fast tag place, give them the incident number and they can order me a new plate. It must be lying on the road somewhere between here and work, or here and my parents' house but who knows if I will ever find it again... Next time the bracket is going to be reinforced stainless steel.

[FastDoc]

LOL!

It was the AMERICAN made part that failed!!

LOL! :P

[Weldangrind]

The plate mount I fabbed for my TW is stainless, but now I'm thinking that the plate could vibrate and fail. Perhaps I should extend the frame behind the plate to be sure.

[Wild_Alaskan]

haha i feel your pain ive gone through 3 license plates on mine, brackets would snap the bolts would work loose and the latest one the whole rear bracket snapped of at the welds. (good thing i safety wire it now) Rear suspension is something that would be nice on these bikes for less whiplash back there

[SpudRider]

I'm sorry you lost your license plate, but I enjoyed your honest post. Aluminum can't withstand vibrations without failing. The rear ends of these bikes take a good beating, especially if you ride off road. 8O

Spud

[dmmcd]

Are you saying this had anything to do with it??



Haha. I know, it was my fault. I looked for it on my way to work this morning but didn't see it alongside the road anywhere. Oh well, off to the DMV to apply for a new tag and pay all the fees associated with that.

[FastDoc]

I plated my YZ400F yesterday.

I remembered your thread and used heavy duty large rivets and reinforcing plates. I also used large bolts, washers and lockwashers to hold on the subfender. 8)

Thanks for the information. You likely saved me some trouble. :wink:

[dmmcd]

I finally got to the tag place this weekend, and of course the paperwork has to go through Harrisburg, so I may see my new plate in a week or two. The clerk was ready to issue a new plate, but then something about the fact that the police cancelled the old one raised a flag and he said he had to send it in. I have been too busy to fab up a new bracket anyway.

[Jim]

When I had my gy5 I lost my plate, the bracket didn't break however, it was actually the license plate that broke. :roll:

[katoranger]

Originally Posted by Jim

When I had my gy5 I lost my plate, the bracket didn't break however, it was actually the license plate that broke. :roll:

Mine had fatigue cracks. I noticed it and reinforced it.

[dmmcd]

So a month after filling out the paperwork to get the replacement tag, still nothing. I went back to the tag place and the lady said according to her records it was processed and mailed out from Harrisburg on July 24. I never got it. So she filled out a "tag never received" form (yes, there was a form for that...) and said the new plate will be delivered to her and I can come pick it up on Thursday.

I still have to fab up a new bracket. Hopefully over lunch today I can get that done. I'm thinking 1/4" steel plate... :wink:

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by dmmcd

So a month after filling out the paperwork to get the replacement tag, still nothing. I went back to the tag place and the lady said according to her records it was processed and mailed out from Harrisburg on July 24. I never got it. So she filled out a "tag never received" form (yes, there was a form for that...) and said the new plate will be delivered to her and I can come pick it up on Thursday.

I still have to fab up a new bracket. Hopefully over lunch today I can get that done. I'm thinking 1/4" steel plate... :wink:

That's the government; they have a form for everything. :roll:

My aluminum license plate also cracked from the vibrations of trail riding. I added a steel license plate holder which is about 1/16-inch thick, and it is working very well. The steel plate doesn't need to be very thick to do the job.

Spud

[FastDoc]

I'll have to keep an eye on the KLX and the YZ.

The YZ is mounted in thick flexible plastic and I think will be OK. The KLX is thick aluminum which is rubber mounted.

Spud is right. If you follow a D/S bike off road the rear fender assembly takes a terrible beating.

[TheRealWorld]

I lost my plate on my 200 cc Hibird a few weeks ago. I knew where I had gone, on rural roads, so I thought I will retrace my steps, and found it laying in the road two days later undamaged. It was hard to spot, I saw it but did not recognize it. I thought could that have been my plate? Went back and there it was. Chinese vibration was to blame!

[Weldangrind]

I've learned from you fine gentlemen, and I examined the plate on the TS bikes. Sure enough, the plates were beginning to fracture, despite using washers to spread the load. I swapped the small washers for stainless fender washers. Fixed.