TRF Forums

Registration / Number Plates - Flexible or Rigid and which size is best for a trail/ enduro bike?

From past experience, when I had my black Ducati 1098s, I rode my bike to Germany several times so had a 7" x 5" rigid plate made with the blue section on the left and "GB" in a circle of European Stars. Bottom line is, I got stopped by two bike cops who lectured me about it despite it being clearly readable.

My Husqvarna TE 450 needs a new platebecausethe 4" Sq flexibleplate on it at the moment, fitted by the previous owner is a pushing the legal limit.

So taking in to consideration the nature of my TE 450...........

Flexible or Rigid?

Size?

I'm considering a flexible 8" x 6" with the blue section on the left and "GB" in a circle of European Stars or just go for a legal bus sized rigidplateand some duct tape and Super Glue for when I fall offand breaktheplate.

On my 2010 GSA I'm not bothered about the huge plate, it fits well and in keeping on a huge elephant sized bike but the Husky plate is far too small and encourages the authorities to stop me so has to be changed.

Regards,

Rich

Depends if you want to be legal or not. If you do, there is not a lot of choice. The testers are being tighter than they used to be on this, even down to the requirement for the 11mm clear border around the letters/numbers. I presume it is due to the ANPR technology.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Pe ... /DG_181503

Thanks for the info.

Suppose when you fall off and break the legal number plate, that's a days riding finished unless a spare legal plate in a rucksack.

When is commonsense going to be applied to law!

Again, it depends on who is stopping you - Some people in authority apply commonsense and some don't. Hey Ho.

I have gone with the spirit of the law, not the letter, as I feel a certain amount off common sense need to prevail here. I have a 7 x 5 flexi, which is clear to read, and there are no speed cameras or ANPR cameras on trails, so size is irelevent. When I fall off, I can pick the bike up knowing I still have a functional number plate, and have not littered the countryside with shards of dangerous perspex for horses and dogs to injure themselves on.
Legal number plates rarely last any significant falling off.

I had a 9x7 rigid plate on my WR for the first couple of months and then changed to a semi-flexible 8x6 which has lasted 2½ years with absolutely no problems apart from getting a bit tired and shabby but, prior to Sunday's LDT I panicked about all the discussion and put the 9x7 back on.

Big mistake - it got knocked by a mild diversion down a hedge line and and fell, off about a mile alter. I zip tied it back on about 10 miles later only for it to fall off under it's own devices somewhere in mid Kent, never to be seen again. It was also melting because of the exhaust gases hitting it.

So I've ordered an 8x6 fully flexible plate and will possibly get a 9x7 made for the MOT in July but I have been told today by jonpaul1st that 8x6 is an allowable size on an enduro bike so I will have a chat with my friendly MOT tester and see what he can find.

I reckon only 25% of the riders on Sunday had 9x7 plates and many of those were not in great condition having been bashed about a bit.

And I suppose that legally if you break your number plate off, it is not legal even to ride to the end of the trail for recovery, so the AA would have to come up, say, 'The Long Causeway' to recover the bike! That would be a sight to behold!!!! It would nearly be worth doing just for a laugh!

Good comment on the recovery!!
Do we really have to be fined, surely just a warning and/or rectification would do even if that is really necessary - yeah I know the income idea.

You wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't for all the unreadable personal plates, funny fonts, wrong plates on caravans and trailers etc that stay like it for ever that we should be victimised for having something readable and usable but fractionally smaller than some blind office wallah thinks is necessary.

I understand it's less of an offence to ride once the number plate has "fallen off" than it is to ride with an illegal one fitted

If you google craigs plates ,they do flexible road legal numberplates.
Not cheap, but cheaper than a fine.

I just got mine from mbx graffix - very cheap