Homemade Tail Tidy

[ContraHusky]

Needed a plate holder after chopping the big black thing that comes on the 630.

Started with a piece of plastic. Don't know what kind it is, but the guy at the plastic store recommended it. Pretty tough-feeling stuff.

First, I heated it and made a crease down the middle and bolted it to the tail piece. Then I heated the whole thing until it flopped down like a limp rag. With gloves, I held a piece of flat wood against it and pulled it into shape. I wanted the plate angled back a little so I'm legal, and the top edge just below the bottom of the tail light.

After the basic angle was right, I traced the plate and trimmed the plastic with a dremel. Finished with file and sandpaper.

I will get a pair of license plate bolts with LED lights now that I know this worked out.

I like the white plastic -- blends into the bike's tailpiece. Total cost: $1.67 for the plastic and $7 worth of stainless bolts/washers/nylock nuts.

 

[mnb]

Nice job!

 

[Fast1]

very nice.. wish mine looked like that

 

[oneleven]

Looks great! Simple and effective. Maybe add some drainage holes in the valleys. Dirt n' crud is gonna collect there after awhile looks like. Clever idea on the angling though!

 

[RDTCU]

Looks good, here's mine

2 hours after I got it home:

Month later when I gutted the cans:

 

[ContraHusky]

We can't do the under-fender thing here. Guys get tickets for that and for having it too flat.

 

[RDTCU]

Yay Kommiefornia...

SC is a bit more lenient...

 

[Muddy Waters]

That looks great, the shaping of the plastic piece (and I second the drainage and mud thing on those channels)

We can't do the under-fender thing here. Guys get tickets for that and for having it too flat.

I don't think the under tail plate would work for the TE crowd anyway, it'll just be too much of a hassle trying to keep it clean all the time....
BTW, the LED tag bolts work perfectly, I did them on my SM along with ditching the whole DOT apparatus and going with a flex LED run/stop/turn-signal strip (It's nice to be free outside "Kommifornia"... )

 

[ContraHusky]

Yay Kommiefornia...

SC is a bit more lenient...

Yes, but we can legally lane-split!
But your beaches are nicer.

We'll call it a tie.

 

[rocko]

Plus, they can't ALL be California girls!

 

[rocko]

Needed a plate holder after chopping the big black thing that comes on the 630.

Started with a piece of plastic. Don't know what kind it is, but the guy at the plastic store recommended it. Pretty tough-feeling stuff.

First, I heated it and made a crease down the middle and bolted it to the tail piece. Then I heated the whole thing until it flopped down like a limp rag. With gloves, I held a piece of flat wood against it and pulled it into shape. I wanted the plate angled back a little so I'm legal, and the top edge just below the bottom of the tail light.

After the basic angle was right, I traced the plate and trimmed the plastic with a dremel. Finished with file and sandpaper.

I will get a pair of license plate bolts with LED lights now that I know this worked out.

I like the white plastic -- blends into the bike's tailpiece. Total cost: $1.67 for the plastic and $7 worth of stainless bolts/washers/nylock nuts.

That is awesome!

How hot did you have to get it? Would a hair dryer do or do you have to get a heat gun or something?

Either way I will have to buy/borrow something because I don't own a hair dryer, I'm as bald as this smilie guy ->

Did it come in other colors? Was it completely smooth or did it have a texture?

I'd love to do some sort of fender elimination but I'd rather take the whole stock part off in one piece so that if I ever have to put it back on......

 

[ContraHusky]

The stock tail part also holds the turn signals. If you remove it whole, you've got to figure something out for the blinkers.

The plastic is smooth. I got it at a Tap Plastics store -- there is surely one in SD somewhere. They have plastic in all sorts of colors, and the people there can guide you to the right kind. After I fall a few times, I'll find out how tough this piece is.

I used a heat gun. Don't think a hairdryer would do it...probably got to 100c or so...

 

[WoodsChick]

Yes, but we can legally lane-split!
But your beaches are nicer.

We'll call it a tie.

I could argue the point about east coast beaches being nicer than ours
And lane-splitting rocks my world...I'd fling myself off the bridge if I had to sit in San Francisco traffic every day like the mere mortals do.

Plus, they can't ALL be California girls!

So true...thank goodness

I have this set-up on my 610 and haven't had a run-in with the law since I put it on about 8k or 9k miles ago...

 

[tropicoz]

Looks like a pretty good piece of handi-work!!! I just used a piece of aluminum plate and riveted it directly to the white fender, after I junked the black tack-on crap. Then mounted mini signals to the grab bar holes.

 

[rocko]

Needed a plate holder after chopping the big black thing that comes on the 630.

Started with a piece of plastic. Don't know what kind it is, but the guy at the plastic store recommended it. Pretty tough-feeling stuff.

First, I heated it and made a crease down the middle and bolted it to the tail piece. Then I heated the whole thing until it flopped down like a limp rag. With gloves, I held a piece of flat wood against it and pulled it into shape. I wanted the plate angled back a little so I'm legal, and the top edge just below the bottom of the tail light.

After the basic angle was right, I traced the plate and trimmed the plastic with a dremel. Finished with file and sandpaper.

I will get a pair of license plate bolts with LED lights now that I know this worked out.

I like the white plastic -- blends into the bike's tailpiece. Total cost: $1.67 for the plastic and $7 worth of stainless bolts/washers/nylock nuts.

How has it been holding up? I was thinking if it is stiff enough once installed maybe I could use the same plastic to make some sort of blinker mounts? bending that plastic to shape seems like it would be easier than bending metal.

 

[ContraHusky]

I haven't fallen on it yet, so time will tell...

I'm still thinking about a blinker replacement strategy. Can't mount them in the grabrail holes (as above) since I'm keeping the rails on the bike. The stockers aren't going to survive many offroad tippies. The one dirt ride I did, I fell a couple times and both blinker stalks levered part way out of their holes. I got them back on without drama, but they're eventually going to break.

 

[RDTCU]

I haven't fallen on it yet, so time will tell...

I'm still thinking about a blinker replacement strategy. Can't mount them in the grabrail holes (as above) since I'm keeping the rails on the bike. The stockers aren't going to survive many offroad tippies. The one dirt ride I did, I fell a couple times and both blinker stalks levered part way out of their holes. I got them back on without drama, but they're eventually going to break.

I ordered a set of these, I'll review them when I get them:

DMP flush mount signals.

 

[ContraHusky]

I ordered a set of these, I'll review them when I get them:

DMP flush mount signals.

Cool...looking forward to your thoughts.

 

[rocko]

Hey Contra,

I went to the local plastic store and told them what you had done and they said it must have been Hi Impact Styrene. I told her I guessed it was about 1/8" thick and she told me they sell it in 4' x 8' sheets for $76 and that it only comes in white!

Did I get the thickness correct? Does Hi Impact Styrene ring a bell?

If not maybe you could tell me what location you went to and who helped you and I will give them a call?

There's no Tap plastics in San Diego

 

[Clete]

I would bet polypropylene