License plate/inspection plate....

[txknight67]

being sacrificed to the road gods! I did a search and didn't see anything relating to this.

A little background first. When I first bought my bike, it was a dealer demo and I noticed then that the inspection sticker plate was bent aft by about 5 degrees. (I can supply photos for those not familiar with that nifty state tax called an inspection sticker) Anyway, figured it would all straighten out and be copacetic once I got the metal license plate installed.

When I installed the plate, one ear of the inspection sticker plate was broken off just below the bolt hole. I wanted to keep riding so I installed it all back on thinking the metal license plate would hold everything together.pps: WRONG!

Fairly shortly after that the inspection sticker plate went MIA; with sticker attached obviously. I went and discussed it with my dealer and he looked and noticed every one of his demo RS's was doing the same thing (i.e. that inspection plate was bent aft by about 5 degrees). He was very kind and paid for the re-inspect....props to Sydrdylr once again, he is the best. Completely losing the inspection plate was partly my fault and I told him all that had transpired and he still paid for the re-inspect.:2thumbs: He said he would've regardless because the only thing to do would have been to replace the inspection sticker plate which would have entailed a re-inspect anyway.

Once I got the new inspection done and new inspection plate installed, I rode straight home and rigged up two pieces of 1/8" thick aluminum strips (couldn't find full size plate) and sandwiched them between the inspection plate and the license plate at each edge. That solved the inspection plate issue, but very soon the license plate was bent aft ever so slightly as well.

I know, I should have bolted everything together in all four places instead of just the top two, but I thought between the inspection plate being braced and the aluminum pieces backing the license plate everything would be good. WRONG again! This was all back in Oct of last year.

Two weekends ago as I was getting ready to ride back 127 miles from a BACA Fun Run, I noticed the right hand upper corner of my license plate was cracked almost completely off. I readjusted things and put a large washer over the crack and then rode home. I have been monitoring things since then and on Thur or Fri. I noticed my license plate was cracked almost completely off at the other corner.

Over the weekend I bought a license plate frame and installed that, bolting everything together at all four corners, but it is still only mounted to the fender at the factory two bolt holes. I looked and did not see any way to mount the plate to the fender with extra bolts. I am afraid I am just continuing to transfer the stress to the next assy. I am afraid the fender and/or fender backing plate is going to start cracking next.

I got to thinking and the last two weeks have been brutal winds, 20 - 30 mph steady with gusts up to 50 mph, most of it cross winds for me. That is when the cracking of the license plate started.

NOW, to my question. Is anyone else having issues with their license plate, or is it just because of the high winds here? Short of buying a Corbin fender, does anyone have any idea's on how to mount the license plate? Like I said, I looked and there just isn't enough of the fender backing plate below the factory license plate holes to drill into and better secure the license plate....and why should I have to when this appears to be a design flaw. Is BRP aware that this seems to be an issue in high wind/cross wind areas? Like I said, every one of the dealers demo's was already doing the same thing. Those little velcro type dots they have on there obviously can't handle these kinds of winds combined with with the 70 - 80 mph highway speeds I ride every day.

I was talking to a friend who has just bought an RT and he was saying the plate on the RT mounts more like the plate on the Corbin fender. In other words, up on the fender, not hanging off the end of the fender attached by only two bolts.

Any help would be appreciated. I am also very interested in getting in touch with Carlo and seeing what he has to say.

 

[NancysToy]

When you install your license plate on either model, be sure to use the 3M Dual-Locks to secure the plate to the fender at the bottom. This is described in your manual. These keep the plate from flexing near the bolts, and eventually breaking. The RS comes with the proper attachment hardware...the RT does not, but it is still specified.

 

[dltang]

Oh yes we have had license plate problems. My husband lost his completely in MIssouri last year on the way to Los Angeles. I have found that mine was bending and cracking and I used the dual lock tabs that Scotty is talking about. So I bought an inexpensive frame and duct taped the back of my plate so it wouldn't crack any more. Still it broke. I broke down and purchased a metal frame and have my plate all bolted in and now if finally seems safe.

 

[txknight67]

When you install your license plate on either model, be sure to use the 3M Dual-Locks to secure the plate to the fender at the bottom. This is described in your manual. These keep the plate from flexing near the bolts, and eventually breaking. The RS comes with the proper attachment hardware...the RT does not, but it is still specified.

That's my point. Those 3M Dual-Locks (didn't know what they were called and wasn't near my owners manual) aren't holding here in Amarillo. My bike had them when I bought it and my dealer has those on every one of his demo's and every one has bent inspection plates. Trust me, we looked.

 

[txknight67]

Oh yes we have had license plate problems. My husband lost his completely in MIssouri last year on the way to Los Angeles. I have found that mine was bending and cracking and I used the dual lock tabs that Scotty is talking about. So I bought an inexpensive frame and duct taped the back of my plate so it wouldn't crack any more. Still it broke. I broke down and purchased a metal frame and have my plate all bolted in and now if finally seems safe.

Keep your eye on the fender now. I am concerned that we are just transferring the stress on up the chain. First the inspection plate (in my case) cracked/broke, fixed that so then the stress goes to the license plate. Fixed that with the license plate frame so that is all one solid piece, but I think the plate is still being buffeted and that stress/strain has to go somewhere. Seen it more than once in other applications. One has to find the source of the stress and fix it or things will just continue to crack/break.

 

[txknight67]

Update,

I contacted my dealer who contacted BRP who requested photo's. Provided photo's and received this reply, The pictures are added to the call id but still this would not be covered under warranty. When I asked why I received this reply, Because the lower Texas inspection tag bracket is not our part that I know of and it is unknown what additional stresses that puts on the rest of the lower fender and attachment parts. I had already asked the Spyder team leader if this should be covered and was told no last week. I'll ask again. I'll get back to you when I have an answer again..

WT:cus:? Scuse me? Shouldn't you do research about the rules, regulations, and laws of the places you are going to sell your product and :cus: know an inspection sticker is going to be required in certain local's? An inspection sticker is required in TX....it isn't like I have a :cus: choice in the matter, unlike other modifications. If you didn't take that into account in design and testing, man up and admit it.

Also, the metal frame I installed broke today coming in to work. NOW what do I do?

 

[txknight67]

FYI if you dont run a ss backing plate behind the frame plate and inspection tag plate you are just wasting your time. Cant tell you how many plates I lost or cracked until I did this all on 2 wheelers so this is not new and Cam AM has no reason to mess with it. It is a very simple fix and the plate can be found at most bike shops in TX
If ya dont like the inspection plate and cant say I know anyone who does. they sell a nice chrome or SS plate with one bolt hole so you can place the sticker on the side and loose the black POS

Sorry this is such a head ache for, you some thing to keep in mind V Twins tend to thump some just the nature of the critter and the sound is normally what draws us to some bikes. You could be about 15 ft behind my MS with V& H pipes and feel the pressure of the exhaust hitting you in the face broke lots of plates but sure sounded goodhyea:

You can always drill thought the lower 2 holes and add 2 more bolts and just blue loc tite them

The problem is I did get it braced with 1/8" aluminum bars, and now the fender side brackets are cracked. I looked at trying to add two lower bolts through the fender and the fender tapers in too much. There isn't much metal down that low on the fender so I haven't figured out how to anchor in more attach points, but I think it would still have the same affect, moving the stress to the fender and fender side braces/brackets.

 

[NancysToy]

The problem is I did get it braced with 1/8" aluminum bars, and now the fender side brackets are cracked. I looked at trying to add two lower bolts through the fender and the fender tapers in too much. There isn't much metal down that low on the fender so I haven't figured out how to anchor in more attach points, but I think it would still have the same affect, moving the stress to the fender and fender side braces/brackets.

I don't think your cracked fender brackets had anything to do with the sturdier license plate bars. I have seen and read of numerous cracked fender brackets. The underlying vibration or road shock is the liklely cause. Several SpyderLovers have removed their fenders as a result.

If your Spyder is still under warranty, the fender brackets should be replaced. You're on your own, unfortunately, for the license plate if it goes. I agree that there is a weakness here that should be addressed. Unpleasant as the prospect may be, that fix will likely be beefing up the fender brackets and addressing their stress points, rather than trying to fight the inevitable road shock and vibration. Unsprung parts of vehicles take a tremendous beating!