Number plates

[northwind]

The wee one (which just says SV650.org on, with a ghost image and a slogan) is 6x4, which is prety damn small... IMHO it actually looks too small on a bike, just looks a bit odd. (one line plates always look totally weird to me as well)

The one I use day to day is 7 x 5 1/2. I reckon that's a good balance, not so tiny that it looks like I'm trying to make it hard to read, but small enough to look good on the bike. Keeps the right proportions as well.

The text is around 4/5s of the normal size, to keep it in proportion to the plate, and retained the slogan, border, and my modified nationality tag (SCO, of course, a little saltire and the North Wind symbol from a mah jong set). I think he said they could put the text on full size, but that it would look very crowded and lose all the other details.

Tastefully small have some images:



(6x4 plate)



(rather crap picture of the other plate)

If you want small number plates, you could always move to Belgium :P

oops

Originally Posted by M65

Mr Toad, can you post some pics please? Im thinking of getting in touch with Malplates and have a nice shadow design I want on my plate but not sure on the size of plate to go for. Dont want to take the mickey and be getting pulled every 5 mins.

Whats their service like? How quick did it arrive?

Hi, I'll post images tonight when I get home
Malplates produced the goods within the week, ie. ordered from their website on monday am, plate arrived friday morning. Service could be a bit improved - ie. I called them on the Weds to see if they'd got my order as I hadn't got a reply by email, but they had & it was all proceding OK.
I'm not sure what the font is, but it looks pretty much like the legal one, so I'm happy. The slogan at the bottom looks great as well

I initially scaled down the standard plate by 1/3, ie. converted 9*7 to be 6*4.5, thinking that this would be a reasonable reduction. WOW - when it turned up it was tiddly
So I ordered another at 7.5*5.5, and it looks great

I see people with 6*4.5 quite a lot around London (I believe Rictus has one this size , oh, er, fnar, fnar, etc), and also one liners - I would assume they don't get stopped too often or they would change plates, given the comparatively large numbers of coppers about in town.

From the DVLA website:
MOTORCYCLES AND TRICYCLES

* Motorcycles and tricycles registered after 1.9.2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle.
* Motorcycles and tricycles registered before 1.9.2001 can display a number plate at the front but are not required to.
* The characters may be smaller e.g.

Character Height 64mm
Character Width 44mm
Character Stroke 10mm
Space between characters 10mm
Space between groups 30mm
Top, side & bottom margin 11mm
Space between vertical lines 13mm

* Motorcycles registered on or after 1 September 2001 must display a two-line number plate number plate. Motorcycles registered prior to the 1 September 2001 may display a three-line plate, but one-line plates are illegal, irrespective of the date of registration of the motorcycle.

Now that bit in bold means that I can have 3 lines..
Like:
SV
650
S
As me sv was reg'd on April 2001 as if I place the standard size plate on mine you can see my indicators (its just a little bit smaller than norm, need to get a ruler out to check). And it will work as a bit of a mud guard.. Looking at it though there is no requirement on the size of your plate just that it needs to be 2 lines with the correct spacing and size of the letters, this controls the plates size.

Originally Posted by Mr Toad

Hi, I'll post images tonight when I get home
Malplates produced the goods within the week, ie. ordered from their website on monday am, plate arrived friday morning. Service could be a bit improved - ie. I called them on the Weds to see if they'd got my order as I hadn't got a reply by email, but they had & it was all proceding OK.
I'm not sure what the font is, but it looks pretty much like the legal one, so I'm happy. The slogan at the bottom looks great as well

I initially scaled down the standard plate by 1/3, ie. converted 9*7 to be 6*4.5, thinking that this would be a reasonable reduction. WOW - when it turned up it was tiddly
So I ordered another at 7.5*5.5, and it looks great

I see people with 6*4.5 quite a lot around London (I believe Rictus has one this size , oh, er, fnar, fnar, etc), and also one liners - I would assume they don't get stopped too often or they would change plates, given the comparatively large numbers of coppers about in town.

I think I'm maybe going to keep my snowplough on over the winter but am still not sure.

Are the characters legal sizing or did you scale them as well?
Whats the Spacing between the Character and bewtween the lines?
Is they much of a gap between the characters and the edge of the plate?

Here's the pics -

BEFORE







AFTER




I have disguised the numberplate
You can't quite make out the slogan on the After pic, but it says MR TOAD in blue
I've just measured it and it is definately 7.5 by 5.5

I think it looks much better - no point having that designer rear end, and then spoilign it with a huge shapeless lump of plastic. Removing the snowshovel has resulted in muck from the road spraying up and onto the pillion seat - noticably 'gritty' after the appalling weather last week, which included motorway and round town riding. But I have to say I haven't noticed it hitting me, so don't believe it's going to be a problem throughout the rest of the winter - it can't get any worse

I've got some smaller Motrax indicators, but ran out of time last weekend, so will hopefully fit them this coming weekend - they have spade connectors, so I guess I'll have to solder them to the Suzuki connectors.

Next month - the can gets the chop

Yep - looks miles better. Will be the next mod I think, along with removing the pillion seat and grabrail.

Yep, Seat Cowl is on order as we speak

(I'm not sure what costs more - the bike, or Mrs Toad + 3 kids )

Originally Posted by Mr Toad

Yep, Seat Cowl is on order as we speak

(I'm not sure what costs more - the bike, or Mrs Toad + 3 kids )

The question isnt what costs more, thats obvious, but what gives you more pleasure