Need tricks to changing out license plate on RT

[janeellen41]

I'm changing out my personalized plate on my 2016 RT, and hopefully this will be the last time I do this. But what a pain! Anyone got any tricks to getting the bolts out that doesn't require 4 hands and standing on your head?

Frustrated,
Jane

[trikermutha]

Should only be two bolts and a couple of nuts with washers. The only hard part is getting low to do it..

Can you get someone to help you??

[Little Blue]

Take everything to your local Motorcycle shop.

[Arion]

Jane Ellen, we've mounted the license plates on both our 2012 RT Limited and 2015 RT-S using a pair of reflective button license plate "bolts" with wing nut fasteners. It's a piece of cake and we've had no problems with them over many miles.

We insert the bolts through plate and fender, start the wing nut and then turn the button until well and truly secure. The wing nut ends up being "braced" by contours in the fender holding it firmly. Inn our area, virtually every local dealer has a plastic bucket full on the parts counter. Our two cents.

[AeroPilot]

Jane Ellen, Since you have a personalized plate or holder, your nuts and bolts may vary, but a good kneeling pad like a garden pad helps

to get down and focus on the task. I use a 1/4" drive ratchet and 10 mm socket on my metric bolts, but you can adapt to your bolts and the socket is just long enough to set the wrench out from the recess, also it "captures" the nut to keep it from escaping. To remove the existing nut, a needle nose pliers, vise grip or offset box end wrench can get ahold of the nut while maybe you can turn the head of the bolt from the outside, whether, straight slot, Phillips head, or even reflector knob as sometimes comes from the dealer. Get comfy, set the ratchet to "lefty-loosey" to remove, and Good LUCK!! ps - a flashlight helps look behind the mudflap.

[MisterP]

As Arian said, two license plate reflectors with wing nuts. Takes less than a minute.

[DGoebel]

Adding air to the shock under the seat helps lift the fender up away from the tire to be able to reach in easier. Especially if your rear air bag is really low like mine was.....
Check your pressure first so if you do add, you can let air out back to the same pressure when you're done.

[janeellen41]

The wing nuts sound like the way to go. Now I've just got to get the old bolts out. Where there's a will, there's a way!

[BitSlayer]

Use a deep set socket to get on the bolt.

[JayBros]

Jane Ellen,
First off, I don't like using anything except nyloc nuts, the kind that came on my license plate bolts when I purchased my Spyder. Why? With any other nuts one should always use a little blue Loctite or risk losing things to vibration.

My license plate was held on with two OEM T-30 Torx bolts, 10mm nyloc nuts and a washer for each nut. As others have said a 10mm socket, deep or standard, work on my Spyder. Sit or kneel facing the license plate and reach up behind the rear fender (between the fender and rear wheel) and you can feel the nut. Put the socket on a ratchet or small breaker bar and then put the socket on the nut. Put the Torx bit on the bolt head and turn counterclockwise. Repeat on the other bolt. Don't make the job harder on yourself my trying to loosen the nuts in the cramped space between the fender and wheel; turn the bolts. They should be tight coming off because that's the way nyloc nuts are designed, so they won't vibrate off.

If your bolts/nuts aren't as I described, whoever installed your license plate buggered the job by not using the OEM bolts/nuts. Good luck!

[Bob Denman]

Ny-loc is the way to go; unless you don't mind losing a plate every now and then...
I'm about as in-mechanically inclined, as a human can be.
Just get the right socket for the bolt that you can easily get to...


...And a box or open-end wrench for the one on the back side...

After that: it just takes patience!
Good luck!