Lost my plate

[Hitndahedfred]

Yesterday I lost my plate while riding. I forgot to loctite the bolts.
My antique plate should be here this week. The question is,,can I use a handwritten plate till my antique gets here. Without getting too much crap from the police?
I'm totally legal.

 

[gggGary]

Prolly better with no plate than a hand written plate. (It's less conspicuous). Just an opinion. Carry your docs and prepare to meet interesting people at unexpected times.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

That's pretty much what I was thinking.
" just now lost it sir"

 

[retiredgentleman]

If you get stopped, tell the police the plate just fell off. They are very understanding
I use nylock nuts on my plate. They never back off.

 

[xjwmx]

In my state you can go to the same place you get your tag renewed and get a slip of paper that lets you ride for awhile without a tag -- just carry the paper on you. The usual purpose is to let you drive an unregistered vehicle to the dmv inspection so you can register it.

 

[Hitndahedfred]

Well..gonna find out to Tuesday if they even notice it. I really only have to worry about the ride home in the afternoon. Seems the cops aren 't moving too much at 0530am when I'm on the road to work. Hopefully my antique plate will be here by then...

 

[YamadudeXS650C]

The fields of visual phenomenon and neuropsychology inform us that if you tied an object of high visual interest and ambiguous form (e.g. a crumpled up florescent-colored jacket) just above the plate bracket, on the back seat, an alert or even a dozing cop's attention would be drawn to it, helplessly, and not the empty bracket. Or attach a mohawk onto your helmet (distraction).

 

[Hitndahedfred]

I rode it Tuesday,, minus the plate,,
past numerous LEOs without incident,,But I do not think I will tempt fate any more than necessary with this.
I can wait (barely) until my antique plate comes in then it will be worry free riding.

By the way,, two advantages to the antique plate are
1, NO state inspections
2, This is a LIFETIME registration,, no renewal needed unless you are transferring plate to another vehicle.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi 'fred,
check out the plate mount in my avatar.
I've been mounting my plate with Nyloks on part of a salvaged truck mud-flap ever since I had a conversation with the local Mountie:-
Hey Fred, where's your plate?
Bolted onto the plate mount, ain't it?
Look again, eh?
(Just two fatigue-cracked corners left, firmly bolted to the plate bracket.)
Well, you can see that there's where it was.
The rest is most likely laying on the highway someplace between here and Lac du Bonnet.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

on my licensed dirt bikes I liked the mud-flap bracket allot never lost another plate or taillight with that method....
.....
Worry free riding is worth it's weight in gold .... I don't have licenses yet on my machine mainly because I can't afford it. and when I do sneak out it's like if i'm caught it'll cost me more than the bike is worth ! but I can't stand it and gott'a take it out for a spin on the back roads every once in a while ! .... the California DMV is the most ridiculous DMV of all times, Nevada was reasonable, Oregon is the best, but California is
totally ridiculous in Cost and Inspections.... although I haven't had to do an inspection in the last 10 years it wouldn't surprise me if they demand it for this bike....just because it's old...... I'll have to look up the info on Antique plates !
.....
Bob....

 

[Hitndahedfred]

on my licensed dirt bikes I liked the mud-flap bracket allot never lost another plate or taillight with that method....
.....
Worry free riding is worth it's weight in gold .... I don't have licenses yet on my machine mainly because I can't afford it. and when I do sneak out it's like if i'm caught it'll cost me more than the bike is worth ! but I can't stand it and gott'a take it out for a spin on the back roads every once in a while ! .... the California DMV is the most ridiculous DMV of all times, Nevada was reasonable, Oregon is the best, but California is
totally ridiculous in Cost and Inspections.... although I haven't had to do an inspection in the last 10 years it wouldn't surprise me if they demand it for this bike....just because it's old...... I'll have to look up the info on Antique plates !
.....
Bob....

========================================
It was kinda expensive to get the antique plate, but the vanity part raised it by 100 bucks or so.
I got my second choice 0FG
My first choice was ZFG
In Pa if you have antique plate,, there are no inspections and it is legal for life,, no renewal needed.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I doubt it's like that in California , they would never pass up a chance to make MORE anual money..... they even have only special times that you can get a NON-OPP on a vehicle and you have to pay the licenses anyway to get it, only the next year is free.... the bloody thieves !
.....and if you OWN a car it has to be licensed ! or have a Non-Opp on it.... and if it hasn't been licensed in 5 years you have to pay the back licenses on it ...... Now that is a crock of Cr**
now knowing this, I know My bike wasn't licenses sense 1994..... and NO-NON OPP was put on it..... sooo they will probably say
$500 to $800 bucks to licenses it... in that case it will become my dirt bike or I will part it out ! i'm not about to pay that much !
Bob........

 

[Hitndahedfred]

My son informed me he has a property tax or something like that in Washington State
On his vehicles. Screw that.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I had a couple of plates break off before I got smart. Under the bolt head, I put a small rubber grommet. Then, the license plate followed by another small grommet. Onto the bike with a washer and a self locking nut. The plate has been happily vibrating for many years since.

Yes, I concur the mudflap is a neat trick. Mine is easier and works just dandy.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I will attest to the rubber grommets working ! I cut mine from a old truck mudflap and just used a hole saw to cut the rubber circles out
.... I came across a 18 guage steel plate the same size of the license plate and I bolted the licenses to that at 4 corners with fairly large washers.... then put the rubber circles under the metal between the bracket and the plate....... many years later the bracket broke and I had to weld it ! so I guess an aluminum plate would have been a better choice ! LOL
....
Bob......