Ducati Monster Forum

Moto Board => Accessories & Mods => Topic started by: Evil_Ductator on July 07, 2008, 10:01:48 AM



Title: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Evil_Ductator on July 07, 2008, 10:01:48 AM
I have a Clear Alternatives LED taillight, and am debating if I should try to mount and wire the license plate light or not when I do my tail chop.  Anyone know if enough light comes off the bottom of the Clear Alternatives LED to illuminate the plate to the point where I won't get pulled over??  Or does it not really matter?


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: TJR178 on July 07, 2008, 10:46:18 AM
You shouldn't have to worry.  My license plate light socket is under my seat since I have the tail chopped.  The ambient light from the tail light lights my plate quite nicely.



Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: c_rex on July 07, 2008, 10:49:47 AM
stick one of these to your plate.  can wire it in within 5 minutes.  use just a simple line tap crimp connector.  if you want to be able to remove it frequently put it on with a small patch of velcro.

http://cool-cases-usa.com/Zen-Cart-v1.2.4/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=212


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Evil_Ductator on July 07, 2008, 11:00:29 AM
excellent, thanks!  i guess i'll see if it gets enough light with my setup, and just throw on one of those LED bars with a quick disconnect crimp connector and a velcro strip if it doesn.t



Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: He Man on July 07, 2008, 12:47:50 PM
In some states its illegal to not have a license plate light. I have the LED pod shown, i purchased mine on ebay from a guy called Joe-Florida, (great guy, got a free beer condom that i chopped up and turned into a toe shifter condom so my shoes dont get scratched anymore! =D, he sent the wrong color and ended up giving it to me for free)


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: junior varsity on July 07, 2008, 01:40:03 PM
The Buell taillight is the exact same as the Ducati plate, but with a clear window in the bottom. My LED board (MotoLED) has bottom white LEDs to illuminate. Its like they (both pieces) were meant to be on the bike from the factory.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Evil_Ductator on July 07, 2008, 01:48:27 PM
The Buell taillight is the exact same as the Ducati plate, but with a clear window in the bottom. My LED board (MotoLED) has bottom white LEDs to illuminate. Its like they (both pieces) were meant to be on the bike from the factory.

i have a clear alternatives LED rear light, so i dont want to go to the red Buell one.  hopefully my light will be bright enough on the plate i wont need anything else!


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: junior varsity on July 07, 2008, 01:56:23 PM
I'm describing the LED lightboard, which resides in a stock-looking red tail lens. If you have a clear tail lens, you should be as good as you are going to get regarding this for your LED plate.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: tangueroHondo on July 07, 2008, 05:59:07 PM
Got stopped and the WA State patrol specifically checked my rear lights set-up and asked me to decrease my license plate angle (post tail-chop), brining it closer to vertical.  I was surprised he was so particular.  Dunno if it's just our State Patrol, that guy or what.  I put a lot of time and effort into dremelling the light hole and screw holes for that thing.  I think I'll swap it out for the led unit with velcro.  I need to make a new aluminum lic plate holder anyway.  Stell one is rusting bad.  i know, I know....


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: somegirl on July 07, 2008, 08:36:49 PM
A number of MOB locals (SF Bay Area) have been getting fix-it tickets lately for license plate visibility issues with tailchops.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: bullet boy on July 08, 2008, 02:44:48 AM
I used these when I had my Clear Alternative tail light, no problems:

http://performanceparts.com/part.php?partID=179573


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: c_rex on July 08, 2008, 07:15:29 AM
Got stopped and the WA State patrol specifically checked my rear lights set-up and asked me to decrease my license plate angle (post tail-chop), brining it closer to vertical.  I was surprised he was so particular.  Dunno if it's just our State Patrol, that guy or what.  I put a lot of time and effort into dremelling the light hole and screw holes for that thing.  I think I'll swap it out for the led unit with velcro.  I need to make a new aluminum lic plate holder anyway.  Stell one is rusting bad.  i know, I know....

Dang- WASP has never given me grief about that on the rare occassions they've had to pull me over.  My plate isn't all that horizontal and I've still got it perched out back of a typical tail chop.  Maybe you just got a guy on a bad day or something.  Hopefully he didn't give you a ticket and just let you bend it.



Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Wonked on July 08, 2008, 09:22:12 AM
My vote is for the light. What reason is there to NOT have a light? Even if it is only 10% more likely to get you pulled over, is the aesthetic value of not having a light worth it?

I have debaffled termi's and that gives me more than enough pause about  [leo] already. But then, I know that pretty much every Harley is louder than I am anyway.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Ohmic on July 08, 2008, 03:22:46 PM
When i was designing the SupaNova i didn't know how much license plate illumination to build into the system. So i asked a couple of  [leo] [leo] friends of mine. They said that they didn't care about the amount of white light illumination. All they cared about was that it had something.

I've seen riders without it get tix from  [leo]. But i've never seen any rider get tix with it installed.

So... best to just have the light.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: tangueroHondo on July 08, 2008, 10:48:06 PM
Dang- WASP has never given me grief about that on the rare occassions they've had to pull me over.  My plate isn't all that horizontal and I've still got it perched out back of a typical tail chop.  Maybe you just got a guy on a bad day or something.  Hopefully he didn't give you a ticket and just let you bend it.



The stop was last fall.  I bent it a bit there and then to just get the roadside thing done.  It was cold out.  He checked my lic. endorsement and that was it - no ticket.  Only going 50 in a 35.  I had it bent out about 45 deg.  it already got sucked into the rear tire once and I wanted to be sure it had clearance.  I've since jacked up the ride height on the dog bone, so it can pretty well hang near vertical and not take out the tire.


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: c_rex on July 09, 2008, 07:32:59 PM
The stop was last fall.  I bent it a bit there and then to just get the roadside thing done.  It was cold out.  He checked my lic. endorsement and that was it - no ticket.  Only going 50 in a 35.  I had it bent out about 45 deg.  it already got sucked into the rear tire once and I wanted to be sure it had clearance.  I've since jacked up the ride height on the dog bone, so it can pretty well hang near vertical and not take out the tire.

 [thumbsup] right on... by and large I think we have great LEO's on the WASP force.  Only two times in 2+ decades of driving here have I thought any less, and no they weren't the only times I've ever gotten tickets.  They are the reason I give a donation to our state LEO fund raiser every year; my ONLY recurring donation.  Even so- I'll have to remember to check my plate angle again.  No reason to beg for trouble.   ;D


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: squidwood on July 09, 2008, 08:30:34 PM
Wasp are cool, copper even complimented me on the bike after he gave me a speeding ticket.
However Clark County Sherriff gave me the run around about the rear plate being flipped up too high. [leo]


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: Evil_Ductator on July 09, 2008, 08:32:46 PM
yea those White Anglo-Saxon Protestants are pretty cool dudes  [cheeky]


Title: Re: License Plate - To Illuminate or Not To Illuminate
Post by: TAftonomos on October 13, 2008, 04:46:01 PM
Bumpin' an old thread (cause I was searching for something, and read it anyway).

If your tag is tucked up by the shock, you can use one of those LED washer nozzles you see the civic kids get.  $7 at zone, and you'll get a spare :)


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